You're Class-y
by Robin Hauck
Never stop challenging your brain, even - no especially - now.
As this virus forces us to slow down and stay put, we get daily reminders of how adaptable and creative people are. The memes, virtual cocktail hours, dance challenges, author readings, viral videos, etc. keep us sane and connected. Why not seize the opportunity to feed your own creativity and try a class about something you’ve been wanting to explore but never had the time. Now’s the time.
Once you have confined yourself to a safe place, washed your hands for a full minute and turned OFF the news, give yourself permission to take a class online. It might be the difference between bouncing off the walls or shooting flawless three pointers (see Steph Curry’s Masterclass).
Wine
Forget about saving the best for last. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Wine comes first.
Wine Spectator School
Who knew the renowned vino mag had a school? Classes are free with a $60 annual membership. Get started when you want and engage as much as you choose. Perhaps the more you “study” the more you engage?
For casual wine lovers, how about the ABC’s of Wine Tasting? Or better yet, Wine & Food Pairing.
Sound really, really smart in your next bookclub Zoom meeting after taking a class on wine from one of these regions: Bordeaux, Tuscany & Sangiovese, Australia & New Zealand.
And for the more experienced wine drinkers, Sensory Evaluation can up your “Name that Grape, Region and Year” game for sometime-in-the-future dinner parties.
Learn more about what you already love. Photo credit Thomas Martinsen.
Writing
GrubStreet
One of the country’s most respected and dynamic creative writing centers, GrubStreet welcomes writers of all levels to hundreds of in-person and online classes a year. All in-person classes are currently ZOOM-ing. This summer GrubStreet will move into a beautiful new space in the seaport.
Grub offers classes for every kind of writer from the merely curious to the well-published. Some upcoming classes include Poetry for Social Justice, Intro to Fiction, Placing Personal Essays in Mainstream Publications, Writing about Motherhood, Jumpstart your Writing in Four Weeks and Writing Social Commentary.
Check out all classes here.
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo is a writing community and event platform that provides ongoing support for writers looking to complete a novel. They recently launched #StayHomeWriMo— a virtual support initiative that combines self care, community connection and creativity.
“In this time, we remind ourselves that we write to find ourselves. We write to lose ourselves. We write to know the boundaries of our fears. We write to fortify our resilience.”
Photo Credit, William Moreland.
Public Speaking
Toastmasters
You know that feeling - a population of live butterflies fills your chest cavity, nausea leaves you covered in cold sweat, panic grips your lungs like a vice. Public speaking strikes fear in most of us. Toastmasters has over 16,000 clubs in 143 countries to teach public speaking and executive presence. Everyone from Prisoners to CEOs to politicians swear by it, so should you.
“Glossophobia,” the fear of public speaking, is said to affect up to 75% of the global population in some form.
Learn how to be in and then capture the moment. Photo Jimmy Chang @photohunter.
Photography
Everyone thinks they are a photographer, now that we have little cameras in our hands every minute of every day and filter technology can make even the most banal image seem weighty or nostalgic. Add to that folks posting every two minutes and the understanding of what makes a photograph powerful is pretty confusing. However there are some basics that will never change, despite all the technological might in the world: emotion, setting, direction, ease - these things can be taught in photography classes. Let’s face it, you want your photos to stand out, even in the mess of instagram and twitter.
New York Institute of Photography
NYIP was founded in 1910 which means it has survived its share of global disasters. It started as a retail store that offered classes, and students are still eligible for good discounts on equipment. With a long list of notable graduates and a cadre of expert teachers, NYIP is a strong choice for you whether you have photography experience or are just beginning.
Every class includes online instruction, one on one review of your work and access to a community of working photographers. You have 18 months to complete the class which is really nice considering the distractions of virus-world.
Choose from 10 online classes, including - Fundamentals, Professional Photography, Photoshop, Nature and Landscape, Portrait and Video making.
Photo Credit, Form on Unsplash
YOGA
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 has shuttered the doors of studios and gyms everywhere, opportunities to stream practice at home abound. Here are some that we recommend, either because we love them personally or because they offer a unique practice experience.
Down Under School of Yoga - Down Under @ Home - Down Under boasts some of the best teachers in the Boston area and they are live streaming classes throughout the day. The Newcomer Special is $50 for two weeks of access to all classes.
HYP Hot Yoga & Pilates - classes FREE on Facebook Live. Check for Braxton, Wesley, Tara, Laura and Lisa! Thank you HYP for creating access to sanity and sweat for free. We appreciate you. Donations are appreciated by the studio.
Jivamukti Digital - The Jivamukti universe encompasses not only classes but lifestyle. Subscribe for $16/month for their entire digital library of classes, workshops and meditations.
YogaWorks Live - Lots to choose from, but be sure to do a class with our fave Lisa Schwarz! $119 a month, plus $5 a month for online classes with membership.
Yoga Journal Videos - Being stuck at home, I especially love the psoas focus videos with Sadie Nardini and the Build Your Strength Based Home Practice with Chelsey Korus.
The Class by Taryn Toomey - Taryn’s celebrity star has shot to the moon over the last couple years. Her classes are expensive, but intense. $40 a month or $400 a year after 14-day free trial
Everything and Anything
Here are just a few of the teachers you can study with on Masterclass.
Masterclass
You may be inundated by ads for Masterclass via your social feeds, which may turn you off to it. I understand, having scrolled past and deleted entreaties for months before giving in. I finally caved because of Margaret Atwood. Atwood has been one of my favorite authors since high school; she’s one of the reasons I minored in Women’s Studies and believe women can effect change through writing. My experience with Masterclass was excellent. You can go through the class at your own pace and if you take a break, or get busy like I did, they politely nudge you to get back to it.
Interested in Acting? Check in with Helen Mirren or Natalie Portman, or take it to another level with Ru Paul, who, let’s face it , is having a moment. Get funny with Judd Apatow or Steve Martin or fuck with Usher (who knows the reference)? When I have time I am hundo p signing up for Jane Goodall’s Conservation and Anna Wintour’s Creativity and Leadership classes. And the fact that I don’t own a basketball will not stop me from staring at Steph Curry for a few hours.
“I will be home for a few months due to the corona virus, [what] a great opportunity to learn new things and become a better me.”
Coursera
Coursera delivers online courses through top universities and companies all over the world. This massive online learning platform was started by two Stanford professors in 2012 and now has over 30 million people registered on its platform. This is a fully stocked candy store for your brain. Be careful, if you show up hungry for sugar you might find yourself signed up for more classes than you can handle. And a mental sugar high can be as overwhelming as a massive haul on Halloween.
Many classes are free, many allow for certificate or degree. Every course on Coursera is taught by top instructors from world-class universities and companies, so you can learn something new anytime, anywhere.
For example, I signed up for Buddhism and Modern Psychology with Robert Wright through Princeton. It just seems like a good time to get woke about mindfulness and meditation for some reason. The guy is an absolute rockstar and I get all the learning for free. It just doesn’t seem fair - but it is, and it just might save your sanity!
