I’ve always been a DIY kind of girl, so naturally I’m very excited to share with you a (not so) secret doorway to getting really good at life and enjoying the significant economical benefits that ensue- not just by saving money on an overpriced education from an archaic institution but through learning do-it-yourself skills that we so often pay others to do for us.
Recently, I’ve been caught up in the cold weather blues and have found myself, mid-twenties, with the sudden urge to learn how to knit. A not-so bizarre and evidently achievable feat, you may presume, but I quickly became shattered by the realization that
1. I don’t really know how to knit
2. My mother is on the other side of the world and
3. I’m not really in a position to enter a nursing home just yet.
In my quest to surmount the stitches, I spent hours scouring the Internet one afternoon struggling to grasp the basic concepts but found myself throwing the needles in dismay after countless failed attempts at recreating the obscure diagrams and details in front of me. After finally almost accepting that I should let it go, I found my eyes glaze over a video tutorial offered on youtube. Intrigued by it, I watched and in minutes had perfected the ostensibly tricky cast-on. This was four months ago.
Since then, I have found myself inadvertently advocating Youtube and Videojug [videojug.com] to anybody who will listen and have found myself quickly conquering seemingly difficult tasks on a regular basis. I have begged my friends to ask me about an odd job that needs doing around the home before ringing up that local tradesman.
I am now receiving weekly ukulele lessons, with my teacher from the States posting new songs and chords weekly with clear instructions- fuelling my poor musical abilities but reviving my aspirations. I am passing this knowledge on to my equally unmusical neighbour, who chooses to frequently cook dinner as payment. My niece has also learnt how to get good at fake crying (for a school play) and taken a series of wonderful confidence-boosting drama classes. I’ve learnt from one of the top Indian chefs how to make a beautiful mango chutney. My brother ripped up his carpet and sanded, painted and polished his floorboards in two days on his own. My dad has perfected his golf swing with the help from international golfing greats. Sick of my regular gym visits that convince me chocolate buns are better than tight ones, I now ‘Zumba’ regularly at home, fattening up the piggy bank by feeding it, instead of parting with my pennies all in the name of a hefty gym membership.
It’s so hard to fathom the amount of money I have saved in this month alone. Complimentary guitar lessons, cooking lessons, have done unthinkable maintenance on my new bike and have made my own bookcase – all of this taking place in the comfort of my own apartment. And did I mention free? Ridiculously cool. Ridiculously smart. Never again will I flick through a phonebook and hire the skills of another person before consulting Youtube. Ever.
Youtube is a wonderful source for endless learning, yet a lot of the videos don’t aim to be instructive at all. Videojug is an alternative video community that has recently emerged dedicated at providing instructional videos solely on the premise of helping the world ‘get better at life’. The search bar on the website asks – ‘what do you want to get good at today?’ and provides instant and free education on everything from learning a language, to servicing your own car, to kitchen appliance maintenance, to learning how to decorate your home, learning how to coach your son’s baseball team, and even lessons on what to do if you’re at the scene of a crime.
I’ve never been very good at learning through words. Maybe it’s my inability to sit still for long periods of time, or my constantly wondering mind- but I’ve always absolutely deplored study. Even reminiscing on my school days, I was often bored and disillusioned by un-engaging and disinterested teachers. Learning via video is so effective and it is even easier than ever with these emerging websites designed to instruct you to quickly become the good kind of know-it-all.
It is such a satisfying concept to know that millions of people from all around the world are imparting their help and wisdom to the world, sharing a wealth of knowledge, at no cost. Viva le Revolution – Free and informed education is not an ideal – it’s now just a click away!
