Maybe other people figure this stuff out faster than me, but I really had a revelation this weekend.

If you want to learn something, find an expert to teach you.

Let me explain.  I started making quilts about a year ago.  I love it, but I have been pretty much doing my own thing.  I have a few patterns that I follow, and if I don’t know anything, I either fudge it or look it up online.  One thing that has bugged me since I started was my binding.  I felt like my corners were goofy and bulging.  So when my local quilt store scheduled a binding class, I took notice.  I waffled back and forth – partly because of cost, partly because of time, and partly because of pride.  But I ended up at the shop a week before the class, so I took a leap and signed up.

The class was AMAZING.  I learned so much that I would never have been able to pick up online.  It would have taken me years to figure that stuff out on my own.  And the instructor taught a few different finishing variations that I wouldn’t have even considered, such as piping and flanges.  (I even told the instructor that she changed my life.)

I participate in a few activities that can become Stuff-intensive.  Sewing/quilting, knitting, biking, running – there is always another gadget, tool, or gizmo that is advertised to improve your performance, increase your safety, or look better.  After my experience at this class, it became clear to me that I have a much higher Return on Investment for purchasing learning experiences as opposed to buying Stuff. 

Going forward, I want to take advantage of classes and other learning experiences instead of buying Stuff to clutter my life. 

Have you ever had an amazing learning experiences?  Has your life been changed recently?