Digital Ninja
Nowadays, with the right tech-tools and basic digital skills, even the most tech un-savvy amongst us are able to do amazing things. Raise your hand if you know how to color-correct the photos from your last trip to The Keys. Now keep it raised if you can also edit the hours of GoPro footage from your fight with the monstrous Blue Marlin you caught, because no one will believe your fish tale unless they can see it with their own eyes. Having a few digital tools easily accessible will help you master new creative skills that would make any Millennial proud.
Stage Sight
Are you the fun-loving, witty friend in the group who’s always making everyone laugh to the point that someone shoots water out of their nose? Everyone gets mesmerized by charmers and their ability to capture people’s attention and devotion. Are you craving that type of reputation? Of course you are! Learning the skills that will have people hanging onto your every word and help boost your self-esteem isn’t as hard as you think. Consider signing-up for an improvisation or comedy class a la Whose Line Is It Anyway? and watch as you shed your fears and trade your feelings of awkwardness and inadequacies for power, assurance and confidence. Learn these skills and your memories will become a collection of opening-night performances complete with standing ovations and requests for encores.
Masterpiece Making
Never doubt your abilities to create something wonderful. Whether it’s refurbishing your throw pillows with a refreshing pattern, refinishing a hardwood table with a rich cherry wood stain or painting some rocks to add a cool effect to your garden, you can always accomplish more than you think you can so don’t let yourself — or your wallet — down by not trying. Start with diving into a “hands-on” project — maybe it’s making your kid a handmade piñata or crossing off “resealing the deck” from your “honey-do” list. Immerse yourself in YouTube instructionals and “how-to” blogs and head to Home Depot to gather the right tools and intel to help you succeed. Putting your mind and body to work to accomplish a challenging task will help boost your creativity, problem-solving skills and earn you a shiny gold star for effort.
Sketchy Thoughts
Have you ever woken up from a deep sleep and tried to recall a vivid dream? All too often, you don’t even have to be asleep to enter a dream-like state. There are plenty of ways to discover your next big idea — through meditation, daydreaming or maybe even mid-marathon on a runner’s high. Keeping a sketchbook handy to quickly jot down “aha” ideas that come to mind will allow you to revisit and discover deeper layers of meaning in your subconscious. Learning to make this a daily habit will help you uncover unique aspects of your inner workings that will yield beautiful expressions of the mind.
Life Learning
“I’ve always wanted to…” insert a long list of dreams you’ve been putting off for years, maybe even decades, and then wake up, buttercup! Now is the time to learn to strum your favorite ballad on the guitar, memorize the sultry steps of tango or finally sign up for that scuba class you’ve had on the backburner. Miami offers access to some of the most creative and artistic people, places and pastimes in the world, take advantage of that — whether your goal is to sing like a pro, cook like a chef or paint like an artist. Begin nurturing your dreams and nourishing your creativity. You never know when a wayward interest might develop into a bonafide talent…or a whole new way of living and interpreting the world.
