Unique Skills to Learn

Bored with your usual list of things to do?

Think about tackling a new and unique skill. Whether it is a craft, a hobby, a sport or a knowledge set that can lead to a whole new career, new skills keep life interesting, and keep you from becoming a boring individual. Need ideas? Go online, look for a class or Meetup group, or go to your local community center.

10. Wood Burning

This is not the art of building a bonfire, but rather the art of “writing with fire,” aka pyrography or pyrogravure. Through the use of special wood burning tools (usually some variation of very hot pointed metal), a pyrographer burns designs and images into a wooden surface. You can see how it’s done in Krissi Sandvik’s video to get you started.

9. Interior Design

Not everyone is born to be an interior designer. Some people are born to be used car salesmen or lawyers or deep sea fishermen. But, if you feel you have an eye for color and a flair for the, “no, no, no, move that desk over there,” then interior design may be your calling. Not sure? Research what successful professional designers are doing, and ask if you can interview them about their career.

8. Jewelry Making

Here is a good skill to learn if you like working with fine details and designing things yourself. Here you can incorporate everything from wire working to beading and come out with a finished product you can be proud of. As an added bonus, handmade jewelry makes for wonderful gifts for both men and women.

7. Face Painting

If you have artistic talent and are looking for a fun way to make your mark on a different kind of canvass, face painting is a great skill to learn. You can wow your kids, nieces, and nephews, and, hey, stock up on face painting supplies and you might even be able to earn some extra money at your local state fair.

6. Writing Poetry

From entertaining the office with your off-color limericks to wooing the girl of your dreams with sonnets rivaling Shakespeare, learning to write poetry is bound to up your “uniqueness” quotient. Seriously, how many people do you know that can compose a decent sonnet?

5. Feng Shui Design

Feng Shui is the Chinese art of manipulating your surroundings to create a more harmonious flow of energies, typically within your home or office. In a nutshell, this is interior design with a metaphysical twist.

4. Beekeeping

If you’re an outdoorsy type and you have a little bit of land to work with, and you have no fear of (nor allergy to) bees, beekeeping can be a fascinating and even lucrative hobby. Think of all the beneficial byproducts—all that glorious honey, the oh-so-useful beeswax, the awesome pollinators for your garden. And it’s hard to imagine a more educational pursuit as you learn to be the caretaker of your very own hive.

3. Wedding & Event Planning

Let’s say you want to go into business for yourself, and let’s also say you love throwing a great party. If that’s the case, event planning might just be the thing for you. Learn to coordinate on a grand scale for weddings and big events, where to find the best invitations and supplies, and you can be pulling in clients in no time.

2. Candle making

People have been making candles as far back as 220 BC, since the Chinese first started making them from whale blubber. These days most candle makers use beeswax or paraffin, imbued with every color of the rainbow and almost any aroma you can imagine. It’s a rewarding and useful hobby, resulting in beautiful, often wonderfully scented creations and easy gifts for your loved ones.

1. Rock Climbing

At some point someone stood before a large rock outcropping and said, “I bet I can climb that.” Then there was much pain and gritting of teeth, and probably a few broken bones. Since then rock climbing has been honed to a very specific art, a meshing of brute strength and science. If you want to take on a mountain, this is where you start.