Dear Denver, I am looking to start a new hobby this year…what are my options?

New year, new you, right?  WRONG.  Just kidding; sure, why not?

I know it’s easy to poke fun at new year’s resolutions, however, they can be a convenient way to become more intentional about the things you want to accomplish in your life/this year.

So what’s available in regards to personal development in our blue and orange bong-filled city?  Well, the good news is that there’s a lot.  Whether you’re into media production, screen printing, a foreign language, improv, crafting, cooking, or more specifically, knife skills, Denver has got the goods to help you continue evolving and meet some new peeps.  So what are you waiting for?  Let’s get this party started!

PS I am sure I have missed some stuff.  Leave a comment below if you know of any ish that should be added to the list, xoxo.

Share Denver – Like a beacon of creative light shining in Park Hill, Share Denver offers a whole slew of low-cost crafting, lifestyle, painting, business development, and jewelry-making classes, that range from beginner levels to legendary.  Sample classes include Happy Hour Crafts, Kirigami, Embroidery 101, and Printmaking.

Fancy Tiger Crafts – This craft darling of Broadway offers the hippest of the hip in crafting, knitting, stitching, crocheting, and textiles classes.  Sample classes include Knitting 101, Snowy Day Cowl, Crochet Slippers, and a Leggings Class.  Open sew nights and open craft nights are offered too!

The Craftsman & Apprentice – Offering classes for both adults and kids, this workshop/artisan shop offers classes in fermenting foods, seasonal crafts, and writing.

The Cartel Studio – Aside from providing an open studio space designed to cultivate good ideas and nurture developing artists, The Cartel Studio also hosts a number of classes and gatherings to promote art and interaction among members of the community.  Sample classes include Writing, Crafting with Cocktails: Pendant Lamps, Bookbinding, and community Yoga.  Class take place in RiNo, and shares a space with Wine & Whey (see below).

Art Students League of Denver – At the Art Students League of Denver, every student has the opportunity to study with regionally and nationally recognized working artists in a wide selection of media.  Sample classes include Bone Up on Anatomy, Experimental Techniques in Watercolor and Gouache, Collage Club, Screen Printing, and Introduction to Metal Art.  Youth programs available as well.

Center for Digital Storytelling – Having taken a class here myself I can say that the experience is one part storytelling, one part video editing, one part communing, and one part therapy.  These workshops provide a space to explore your own personal history and define the stories that dwell there.  Sample classes include Standard Digital Storytelling Workshop, Snapshot Story Workshop, and a Story and Sound Workshop.  Classes take place at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

Lighthouse Writers Workshop – Lighthouse workshops are designed to be a place where writers can learn the craft, engage in productive discussion, and be inspired by others.  Sample classes include Intermediate Science Fiction/Fantasy Workshop, Writing Under the Influence, Killer Openings, and Intro to the Children’s Picture Book.  Youth classes offered as well.

Art from Ashes – The words we choose to define ourselves and our reality can dictate how we think, what we do—even our experiences and circumstances.  By learning to harness the creativity of the right-brain and express yourself honestly and beautifully, you will be empowered to change your life and achieve your highest goals.  Sample classes include The Phoenix Rising Process, Synesthesia: The Art and Science of Perception, and Boldness: Living Your Life With Confidence.  Youth workshops available as well.

Open Media Foundation – Whether you are looking to improve your multimedia skills for professional use or personal projects, OMF has something for you.  Their unique approach to community-based education emphasizes hands-on courses, practical skills, affordable tuition, and small class sizes. Sample classes include Adobe After Effects Workshop, Livestreaming for Nonprofits, and Intro to Studio Production Workshop.  And if you are looking for a more immersive educational experience, the Open Media Foundation offers some really great internship opportunities in media education, video production and editing, and graphic design.

Boulder Digital Arts – With a new facility in Cherry Creek, BDA makes it even easier to learn the latest in media technology and business.  Sample classes include Facebook Marketing Hands-On, The Art of the Video Interview, Greenscreen Video Techniques, and Introduction to User-Centered Design.

Ink Lounge – Not only does Ink Lounge sponsor some really cool events around town (e.g. ManCraft and ARTCRANK), but they also offer affordable screenprinting workshops for both kids and adults.  Sample classes include a crafty happy hour, beginning ink, and kids t-shirt ink.

Bovine Metropolis Theater – Gain confidence, build better relationships, and become a force in the workplace.  Learn the art of creating moments on stage for an audience’s entertainment.  Classes consist of 5 levels and take place in LoDo.

Denver Botanic Gardens – Looking to get back to nature?  Denver Botanic Gardens offers a broad range of programs, including hands-on workshops, public lectures, professional development seminars, and more rigorous certificate courses.  Sample classes include Mountain Food Growing, Backyard Chicken Keeping, Delicious Vegetarian, and Aromatherapy Basics and Beyond.

Cook Street School of Culinary Arts – Choose from date night, grilling, pastry, and wine classes at this downtown professional cooking school.  Sample classes include Knife Skills, A World of Taste: Jamaica, Artisan Cookies, and Seafood 101.

Stir Cooking School – Stir is a recreational cooking school open to the public.  It offers a wide variety of classes in baking, international cooking, date night classes, and cooking for beginners.  Sample classes include Date Night: All About Aphrodisiacs, Asian Noodle Workshop, Artisan Bread Workshop, and Sushi 101.

The Truffle Cheese Shop –  Cheese, glorious cheese.  Each class is instructed by a resident cheese expert and includes generous tastings, notes, recipes and, in some cases, hands-on cheese making.  Sample classes include Mozzarella Making Class, French for Cheese Lovers, and Beer and Cheese Pairings.

Wine & Whey – Learn how to make beer, wine, AND cheese and this one-stop shop.  Sample classes include Beginner Wine Class, Brie and Bleu Cheese, and Feta Cheese & Queso Fresco.

The Bike Depot –  The Bike Depot offers a full curriculum of classes to get and keep your bicycle repair skills up to speed.  Basic classes start at just $7!   Sample classes include Mechanics 101, Commuting, Single Speed Conversion, and Wheel Truing.

Morey Neighborhood Center – Low-cost, community classes in the heart of Cap Hill.  Sample classes include Spanish, Zumba, Mat Pilates, Water Aerobics, and Knitting.  Open gym, weight room, and pool on Monday and Wednesday nights from 5 – 7:30pm ($3 for adults).  Children’s swim lessons are available as well.

Dabble – Whether you are wanting to learn how to make cheese, simple bike maintenance, or screen-printing, Dabble offers a wide variety of cool classes taught by local experts at a very reasonable price.  Sample classes include Welding Basics, Baby Sign Language, and Hand Lettering.  Classes take place at various locations.  Plus!  Got a skill you’d like to share?  Learn more about becoming a Dabble teacher!

Colorado Free University – Have you been looking for an opportunity to take a class on well, everything?  You are in luck!  Colorado Free University offers the widest selection of low-cost classes in town.  Sample classes include Animal Communication, Making a Living Without a Job, Basics of QiGong, Crowdfunding 101, and Make Another Country Your Second Home.  They even have a dedicated Spanish Center.  Classes take place in Lowry.  Plus!  Have a skill that you’d like to share?  Check-out their teaching opportunities.