How Skillshare Empowers Hobbyists and Professionals

Skillshare is an online education hub offering more than 35,000 courses across different disciplines. 

The platform has emerged as a hub for artists, designers, marketers, and lifelong learners. Whether you’re a hobbyist seeking a creative outlet or a professional trying to stay competitive, you’ll find a course on Skillshare’s vast library of courses designed to nurture and enhance your skills.

While learning platforms like Coursera and Alison emphasize traditional academic structures, Skillshare focuses on upskilling people through practical, project-based learning. 

Course instructors on Skillshare include industry leaders and popular influencers such as Ali Abdaal, Nathaniel Drew, and Marques Brownlee, making it a compelling choice for learners seeking expert insights.

We’ll discuss all that in this article, and also tell you all about Skillshare’s features, pricing, and what you can expect from the platform. 

What’s Inside Skillshare?

Skillshare offers a broad selection of courses tailored to both hobbyists and professionals. 

Skillshare for Hobbyists

Skillshare offers a variety of beginner-friendly courses for those who love to create without the pressures of professionalism. You can explore classes in painting, baking, crafting, and even unconventional skills like moonwalking. The platform provides a low-pressure learning environment that encourages curiosity and experimentation.

Examples of Popular Hobbyist Courses

• Painting & drawing. Courses in this category are taught by professional illustrators and cover topics such as watercolor, acrylic, and digital techniques.
• Baking & cooking. Let seasoned chefs teach you a wide range of cooking skills, from baking artisan bread to perfecting your scrambled eggs.
• Handicrafts & DIY. Take part in sewing, pottery, and home decor projects to bring out your inner artisan.

Below is a complete list of skillshare courses for hobbyists: 

Many hobbyists can turn their interests into fulfilling creative pursuits through Skillshare. For example, you could start by initially learning watercolor painting as a stress reliever, and over time amass an impressive portfolio of artwork that you can start selling online. 

The ability to learn at your own pace and revisit lessons makes the platform ideal for anyone pursuing creativity for personal enrichment.

Are you a hobbyist looking to learn something new? Explore Skillshare courses. 

Skillshare for Professionals

Professionals who want to stay competitive in their industries can sign up for Skillshare courses to refine their expertise or expand their skills. The platform offers specialized courses in fields like graphic design, marketing, video editing, and even business development, all taught by industry leaders.

Examples of Skillshare Courses for Professionals:

• Graphic Design & Branding – Learn Photoshop, Illustrator, and logo creation.
• Marketing & Social Media – Master SEO, content strategy, and paid advertising.
• Video Editing & Production – Courses on Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.

Here are all the categories available under professional courses: 

Many professionals use Skillshare to build a strong portfolio. For example, if you’re a freelance designer, you might take a UI/UX design course to expand your service offering, making you more marketable to more clients. 

You could also use the platform to develop marketable skills such as copywriting or coding, allowing you to grow in your work or shift careers. 

Want to stay ahead of the curve in your field? Sign up for a professional course on Skillshare today!

Skillshare’s Course Structure

Each Skillshare course is divided into bite-sized lessons ranging from 15 minutes to several hours. The courses are well-structured, including detailed outlines and clear progression paths.

The majority of classes involve hands-on projects that students can share within the community, and receive constructive feedback.

How Much Does Skillshare Cost And Is It Worth it?

We’ve unpacked a lot of details above about Skillshare so you’re probably wondering how much all that costs. 

Well, it’s only $47.88 per year to learn practical skills from industry experts. Not bad, right? 

That said, you’ll find Skillshare worth it if you fall in any of these categories: 

• Hobbyists looking to explore creative skills without professional pressure.
• Freelancers & entrepreneurs seeking to enhance their digital and practical business skills.
• Career changers looking for a low-pressure, risk-free way to learn new trades before making life-altering career shifts
• Anyone who wants to sharpen existing skills or explore new interests 

So why use Skillshare? 

Features that set Skillshare apart

Interactive Learning Approach

Skillshare isn’t just about watching lectures—it encourages users to actively participate in projects. 

Unlike passive learning platforms, Skillshare encourages interactive learning through:

• Project-based learning. Many courses include assignments where you can showcase your work.
• Peer Feedback. Engage with fellow students and receive constructive feedback on your projects.
• Following Instructors. Stay updated on new courses and insights from your favorite educators.

Personalized Learning Recommendations

Skillshare, lets you choose between two interests: professional and hobbyist. The platform then uses your answers to tailor course suggestions to your learning goals, helping you find relevant courses quickly. 

This is a quick 5-step process that guarantees a richer learning experience. 

Course Variety 

Skillshare offers practical skill-building courses (such as digital illustration and marketing) and theoretical concept courses (such as storytelling and character development), enabling the platform to accommodate different learning styles.

Variety is good because it means you’ll hardly ever need to go outside of Skillshare to learn.

It’s also transformative if you’re looking to make some lifestyle adjustments. For example, some members of our team have found it easier to get over their addiction to Netflix with Skillshare sessions. Talk about a tool for continuous self-improvement!

Noteworthy Instructors 

One of Skillshare’s most appealing features is its roster of instructors -all well-known names offering courses. Some include:

• Guy Kawasaki (Business & Entrepreneurship)
• Dale McManus (Photography)
• Thomas Frank (Productivity & Organization)
• Alvin Juan (Coding & Web Development)
• Benedetta Banner (Sewing & Crafting)
• Sara Dietschy (Content Creation & YouTube Growth)

The classes are engaging, and they impart skills that you can apply immediately, such as learning to create digital art using Procreate, improving storytelling skills, and even mastering the art of making scrambled eggs (great if you’re a cook or chef and want to dazzle your customers).

Flexible Learning for Every Lifestyle

Skillshare’s self-paced structure allows learners to integrate education into their schedules seamlessly. You can learn at your convenience, whether watching a quick 15-minute tutorial or diving into a comprehensive 12-hour course.

Cross-Disciplinary Learning

One of Skillshare’s strengths is its ability to inspire creativity through cross-pollination of ideas. A graphic designer might take a storytelling course to improve their brand narratives, while a marketer could explore photography to enhance visual content strategies

Community Support

Engaging with a community of like-minded creatives fosters motivation and accountability. Many users have formed study groups or collaborated on projects, reinforcing the idea that learning is more fulfilling when shared.

Other benefits include: 

• High-quality video and audio – professionally produced content. 
• Short & long-form content – courses range from 15 minutes to over 12 hours. 
• Affordable subscription model – much cheaper than many alternatives. 
• Encourages cross-disciplinary learning – users can explore new subjects easily. 
• Motivating community engagement – feedback, project sharing, and collaboration

Great Customer Support

Skillshare gets just as many rave reviews for its courses as it does for its customer service. Just look at this review from Trustpilot: 

What’s even more amazing is that Skillshare sends personalized responses to each of its reviewers, and quite promptly too! 

Are There Any Drawbacks To Using Skillshare?

Everything has its downsides, but when it comes to Skillshare, the only downside we could come up with is that learning on the platform requires self-motivation. But so does everything else, including learning on other online platforms. 

Commitment is key when learning online, and Skillshare might just have the answer for anyone having trouble sticking to their learning schedule. If you’re struggling with self-motivation, you should probably take some productivity or vision and goals courses to help you plan your learning journey better!

We also recommend trying the following: 

• Pay for the course: Paying for something is a good way to stick to a habit because you don’t want to waste all your hard-earned cash. 
• Schedule to study when you’re least likely to miss it. Perhaps first thing in the morning for 20 minutes, during your commute (if taking public transport), or during your lunch break. 10 to 20 minutes every day adds up to 5 to 10 hours of study time every month, which is huge especially if you’re just getting into the habit of learning new skills. 

Final Steps: Get Started With SkillShare

So don’t wait any longer.  Sign up for Skillshare and join hundreds of thousands learning new skills every day. 

To get started, you can create an account with your email address, or sign up with an existing Google, Apple, or Facebook account.

Once logged in, you’ll be directed to a page with payment details. You can choose to pay via Paypal or credit/debit card. 

Skillshare is free for the first 7 days, after which you’ll be billed $47.88 annually ($.3.99/month). If you prefer to take advantage of the free trial before paying, select your payment method, enter your payment details, and checkout. 

You’ll then go through 5 steps to personalize your course selection (which you can change later). Your course categories will show up on your dashboard. Simply click on any category to view the course options under it, click on a course you like, and start learning! 

That’s it! Sign up for Skillshare and start transforming your life.