What is Skillshare and How Does it Work? (And Introducing a New Class)

This post was published in the winter of 2020, since then I have continued to teach on the platform and now in 2024, I have 29 classes there. I love teaching on Skillshare just as much in 2024 as I did in 2020!

To dig deeper into the workings of Skillshare and for some great class and teacher recommendations, see this newer post.

It’s a little mind-boggling to think I’ve created that many classes.

I first started teaching on Skillshare in the summer of 2016. I was already a member and had taken some classes on the platform, but had never thought of teaching there. Then they contacted me and invited me to teach.

I didn’t feel like an “expert” and I had no experience filming or editing video (or teaching). But for some reason the idea of teaching online sparked something in my imagination. I had no idea what I was doing when I set out to create my first class, and yet I did it anyway.

I am a self-taught artist. I abandoned art-making when I was growing up and only picked it back up as an adult. Discovering that painting is something you can learn, not a talent you’re born with, was a revelation. Art-making brought me so much joy and I wanted to share that joy with other people. Teaching what I’d learned along my journey seemed like a perfect way to do it.

But what is Skillshare and how does it work?

Skillshare is an online subscription platform for video classes on a wide variety of creative topics. When you become a member you have access to the full library of classes. New classes are constantly being added. (Check for current pricing and membership plans). When you first sign up you can try Skillshare free for one month with no obligation to continue after the trial period (although I hope you’d want to!).

Anyone can teach on Skillshare, they host monthly challenges to help new teachers create classes. But the site is not a free-for-all. There are guidelines and rules as well as staff who monitor classes to help ensure quality. The site is organized and curated to make finding the best classes easy and to always provide fresh inspiration. In addition to teachers who work on their own to create classes, Skillshare also partners with well-known influencers and experts to produce their own Skillshare Originals.

What really sets Skillshare apart is its commitment to create community around creativity.

Skillshare encourages a personal connection between teachers and students. Skillshare teachers are real and relatable. Teachers can relate to their students’ challenges and struggles as many have had similar experiences and students are encouraged and inspired by their teachers’ stories.

Each class is designed around a project so students can put what they learn into immediate action. Students are encouraged to interact with each other and give feedback on each others’ projects, too. There’s also focus on creativity as a lifestyle and a commitment to lifelong learning, something that really resonates with me.

Skillshare has come a long way since I first started teaching there and it continues to grow. It’s received a lot of press and been highly rated as a place to work. I’m honored to have been a part of its growth and to have been chosen as one of their Top Teachers. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at the company during quarterly meetings and the annual Top Teacher Summit always reaffirms my commitment to the platform and makes me proud to teach there.

Teaching is a way for me to give back and it’s also a good source of revenue for my art business. I earn royalties based on the number of minutes my classes are watched each month. I’m also paid for referrals when new students join the site after their free trial.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions from people about what Skillshare is and how it works and I hope that this helps to clarify! If you have other questions that I haven’t answered, please let me know!

I’m really excited about my new class. I’ve talked a lot over the years about my relationship with sketchbooks. They were so intimidating to me when I first started making art again, but over the years I’ve come to embrace sketchbooks as a place to learn and grow and play and experiment. Within the pages of my sketchbooks I find inspiration, too.

My first Skillshare class was about sketchbooks and my newest class is the second in a series on seasonally-themed sketchbook exploration (look for spring and summer themed classes later this year).

It was a challenge for me to find inspiration in winter, but it ended up being fun and freeing and I hope my class will encourage lots of wintery sketchbook pages (maybe even yours!).

Thanks so much for coming along on my journey. I wish you joy and play and creativity on yours.