fun with continuing education

I signed up for another online course this year, specifically the Self Publishing Formula Ads For Authors course. I went through some of their free courses in 2020 and was impressed, so I signed up for the paid one.

Last year I took the Neo-Stock Photoshop Core Skills course, and I had considerable benefit from it, as you can see through the evolution of my WRAITHSHARD covers below.

I have to admit online courses are still quite new to me. Prior to Photoshop Core, the last time I was in any kind of class at all was graduate school, which predates the whole “online course” thing by a considerable number of years. I disliked graduate school considerably and didn’t finish (and I doubt graduate school has improved in the decades since), and I disliked it enough that I didn’t take a course on anything else for any reason for years. If I wanted to learn to do something, I bought the book or watched the YouTube video and did it myself. It wasn’t until I realized I had a reached a ceiling in terms of what I could teach myself in graphic design that I decided to try a course. In hindsight, I also realized that I had gaps in my knowledge – things that I didn’t know that I wasn’t aware that I didn’t even know.

So why do I like these online courses more than graduate school?

I think the difference is relevancy – I knew I could make more money with better Photoshop knowledge, so I really committed to it. Like, in addition to book covers, I can make much better ad graphics for Facebook and Bookbub ads now. I expect it will be the same thing with the Ads For Authors course.

So perhaps that is the key to enjoying education of any kind – the knowledge that 1.) you will make more money from it, or 2.) derive practical benefit from the information.

-JM