If you want to learn something new, keep this in mind:

1. You can. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A lot of professionals advised us to master one skill or be the master in your field of study. But before they found the very thing they are passionate about or the craft they want to master, I bet they tried a lot of other things first. Besides, learning something new is not such a bad thing. It makes you a well-rounded person. Jack of all trades, yay!

2.Research. Ask yourself this: "what am I getting myself into?" Once you get an overview or a general idea o how it is done, you can decide if you want to push through with it or not - if it's worth the trouble. Google can help you with this.

3. Subscribe to blogs and websites, especially those that offer free tutorials and courses. 

4. Practice. Do it. Unless you try doing it yourself, you can't really know if you learned anything at all. Besides, it helps you to remember if you applied what you have learned.

5. Build your portfolio to note your progress. You portfolio also serves as evidence that you actually did something when people start hounding you, haha 

So this Keeper is still learning how to write stories and poems, design graphics, draw and code. And thank goodness, no one questioned me about it. Thank you guys for supporting me and my hobbies. (Oh wait. Someone did... about coding... HAH. /flips hair)

1. It didn't take that much to convince myself to write or design. I am my own cheerleader. I always believed that if others can do it, this Keeper can.  

2. I opened PS first before I searched for tutorials. I tried to figure it out on my own, I clicked everything, played around. That night, pen and eraser became my first friends. But then I wanted to do more than just cut, so I moved to numbah 3. 

When I felt the need to make my own layout, I browsed the net to know what coding really is. I had a basic idea but I needed to know how easy or complicated it is. I even looked at tumblr layout codes and wordpress theme codes.

I have always been a frustrated artist.  So after my success with photoshop, I figured that maybe I can learn how to draw. But first, I had to know if there is hope for someone like me. I obviously don't have the gift or the talent. But is it possible to teach someone like me? Yes and I found the course for me.

3. With creative writing, I tried to remember all the lessons from my writing classes - English, Literature, Scientific Writing. And then I looked for writers'/authors'/editors' blogs. Experience is the greatest teacher. So if I want to improve my writing, I need to learn from those with experience. I subscribed to their blogs and newletters. Sometimes, I read them because I need encouragement and that makes a lot of difference.

Same with graphic designing and coding. I searched for tutorials and bookmarked them.

And then I subscribed to an online drawing class.

4. It's not enough that I read their tips or watched their videos. I had to teach my hands to cooperate and exercise my creativity and freedom. 

My fics resemble mosaics. HAHA. As I re-read them, I noted how the first chapters are different from the middle and the last ones. Gomenasai. It's because as I write, I apply what I've learned.

With photoshop tutorials, I don't usually follow every step. I tried once, especially with fantasy themed poster tutorials, but a step is always missing and it's frustrating. And so most of the time, I watch videos to learn the techniques or other uses of the tools and filters and how to create certain effects.

I learned how to code here in AFF. Web tutorials make my head hurt. I have to create the design in PS first, 'slice' the individual elements and then save for web or export.  It was too much work for me. But there is Adobe Fireworks for the slicing, which is not free. I figured that there must be an easier way to code. I subscribed to tutorial threads here and read all their chapters. But I have no idea how to put them together to create one layout.

So I asked x-tenshii, owner of angelic dreams, what software she uses (adobe dreamweaver, fireworks)and then she just offered to teach me. She uploaded an image for me to replicate. Boy, it was so confusing at first. I don't know where to put what or what came first.  But I persevered.

Two hours after she uploaded the image, I made this.

The key: divide. The moment I realized I have to divide it into parts and then make them whole, everything just made sense.

5. Eh, needless to say, I have stories and galleries. (but my sketchpad is empty -_-)

Final words:

No one got it right the first time. God knows all of my bloopers. I think some of you witnessed them too. Just be patient, keep going at it until you get it right.

Also, no one said it would be easy. It is hard. So, don't quit just because you are having a hard time.

Never settle for mediocre work. Always give it your best shot. If you feel like you need to erase more, erase.Yes, there is always room for improvement but don't make it as an excuse. Don't be lazy. Edit your work - make sure you minimized all possible errors - before showing it to anyone, even if you are asking for a review or critique. So that comments would focus on things you missed and not on those things you already know you messed up. Some have this habit of enumerating all the mistakes they made on the poster or story but then they still ask for a favorable response. Do not fish for compliments you don't deserve. You won't improve by appealing to others' sympathy. (If you simply don't have the time  to clean your work because of school and real life, then don't post it yet. It's simple as that.)

Lastly, envy does not look good on you. We are created and wired differently. Just keep working on your story or thread. Learn from other writers or designers, share what you know and have fun with the process, even if it makes you cry. Your hard work will eventually pay off. Aja!

(this blog is dedicated to the pretty boy in seoul and his anons)