There are tons of things I am dying to learn how to do. This year, one of my other resolutions is to just better myself in little ways, to keep learning things so my entire brain doesn't stagnate from trashy reality TV and reading horror stories. Here are 10 things I want to learn how to do – and if anyone has any tips, I am game!
I love taking pictures but they rarely turn out good. I don't want to be a professional photographer or anything, but I would love to take pictures that I could actually display in the house. I am a Photoshop queen so I can technically fake a good picture, but I would rather just learn how to take one and then dress it up if I feel like it.
My mother-in-law to-be knits a lot. Every time I see her working on something new, I feel my fingers itching to try too. I want to be able to make scarves and sweaters and things. I think that would be awesome. For that matter, I'd love to learn to sew. I'd make my own clothes and things in a heartbeat.
I am a disaster on skates. I can't even skate on standard skates. I would love to learn, though. I know it's great exercise, not to mention lots of fun. Maybe since I'm older, I can actually hold to my center of balance.
Ditto with ice skating. There are so many rinks and ponds around here, and it's a waste that I can never use them! I have this fear of breaking my ankles or my tailbone or something, but I'm sick of being scared. I'll never be like Johnny Weir if I can't skate.
I can make web sites. ...on Moonfruit and things like that where all the work is done for you. I'd love to learn enough HTML to make nice web sites. I'm good with graphics – the Photoshop bit – but being a good manipulator (haha!) only goes so far when you can't do anything with what you make.
I know a little bit of French; I took five years of it in high school. So basically, I can read it sort of well and can hardly speak it at all. I want to learn proper, Parisian, I-can-talk-to-and-understand-anyone French. Ditto Italian, because it is such a beautiful language.
Mastering French and Italian feels like opening doors to entirely new worlds—both rich with history, culture, and culinary delights that I'm eager to explore. With French, I envision strolling through Paris, confidently chatting with locals and understanding their jokes without missing a beat. And for Italian, ah! To order gelato in flawless Italian or debate which pasta shape is superior, that's the dream! Both languages carry an elegance and sophistication I find absolutely enchanting, and they would certainly add an extra layer of joy to my travels. Plus, imagine the opportunities for new friendships!
I need to meditate, I think. I can never get my mind to stop going when I do it on my own though. I think learning to do it properly could help with things like stress and tension and temper, and all kinds of other things.
I want to open a cake shop someday, but I have no artistic talent when it comes to using my hands. Graphics, yes; arts, no. I can't draw or anything. So I would love to learn proper sculpting techniques. Like from Buddy or something!
Which means I also need to learn to sketch well, so that I can actually tell what I'm trying to sculpt. Every drawing I have ever done comes out looking pretty much like a scarecrow, though.
I've never made friends really easily. I get too shy or too awkward, too loud or too quiet – too something and not enough of something else. And I miss having close friends, so I really need to remedy this in 2011.
Like say, if anyone has any tips on anything, I will adore you forever. And what about you? What do you want to learn this year?
Top Photo Credit: suchitra prints