Welcome back to our weekly post!
This week I want to share with you one of the things that I love to do, or better, that I felt urged to do my whole life: learning.
Although I have never been crazy about school, I have always loved the learning process and being able to widen my personal "knowledge library".
Learning is for me a wonderful process, which always starts from a question, or an interest for something new, and which develops into lots of research.
After graduating at my first University in Biotechnology while being a professional athlete, I felt a big void in my life to study more, and discover new things connected to nature. I enrolled in a second University degree in Herbal Science and completed that while sailing around the world. On the way I had to learn scuba diving for "safety reasons" (you cannot imagine how many times you need to dive to check the anchor while being 5 years on the way...). Point is, after my first dive I felt in love with the underwater world and decided to become a scuba instructor, which took me almost two years to go through all necessary certification levels.
I think this is when the whole thing clicked and I recognised that I definitely am a Learning Addicted (written in capital letters, because I think it is a kind of personality itself 😊).
From that moment on, I haven't stop embracing the opportunity to learn and widen what I call my knowledge library.
I permanently find myself attracted by a new painting process, or by a new technique, or by something completely not painting related, but that in the end relates to my creative and natural word and gives me the instruments to better up my skills.
I take courses when possible, read books or articles, do lots of research and, most importantly, never say I cannot do something. I just need to learn it.
Right now, I embarked on a new adventure to fulfil my childhood dream to become a surface pattern designer. I am taking a very intense 2 moths course and I am loving every step of it, even if it is intimidating and demanding at times. But I know that if I will push through, the reward will be huge and I will make my dream happen.
So what are the steps to learn, I hear you asking?
- 🕵️ Ask the question: what do I want to learn? Sometimes you don't even have to ask it, your curiosity will show you the way
- 🧐 Research the materials to learn: from googling the topic, to collecting books or magazines related to it, to taking an online class if available.
- ⏰ Make time: We really are living in a historical time when everything is at our finger tips and we can consume it at our own paste. 15 minutes a day are enough to build up for almost 2 hours a week...that is huge!
- 👇 Take action: start to read, enrol in your a physical or online class. Make it happen!
- 🔬Experiment: apply what you have learn and allow yourself to make mistakes. They are part of the learning process.
- 👏 Celebrate: enjoy your achievements! You did great and your knowledge library is now a step fuller.
So my tip for you this week is embrace the learning process, dive into the things that interest you, research them, make them yours. If you feel stuck or intimidated by something, remember that there is nothing that you cannot learn if you put your will to it. Nothing is too big or too difficult if you break it down in steps. Do a thing a day to learn more. Read, explore, research, practice, do mistakes and overall, love it all!
Your personal knowledge library will expand over what you thing it is possible and you will become ager to learn more, while making new skills yours and growing your self confidence.
It is a winning situation!!!
If I could have inspire you a bit with this post, I would love to hear from you what is your next learning project and which steps are you taking towards it ❤️
Enjoy the process, you will love it!
with love,
Elena
The Sewing Sailor
