22 Best Skillshare classes to develop your creative skill set
Learning a new skill is not only intellectually rewarding. It also opens doors to new avenues for career prospects, progression, and growth. If you have a curious mind and a drive for developing your creative and crafty skill set, Skillshare is a popular eLearning platform worth considering and trying.
In this post, we will give a tour of 12 of the best Skillshare classes and courses to help develop your creative skills in design, art, photography, media, or storytelling but also boost your productivity, finance, and business mindset.
Skillshare Classes – Overview
What – Skillshare is an eLearning platform offering around 22,000 learning classes for students, professionals, or anyone looking to further their skills. From design and painting to marketing and leadership, you can find an impressive collection of Skillshare classes and courses to keep you inspired and meet your learning objectives.
Pricing – The Premium membership ($15/month) unlocks thousands of Skillshare classes and courses and lets you watch them offline on the mobile app. You can test all courses for free or use our exclusive 30% off the annual plan discount to save some money.
Why – Online learning allows flexibility around your schedule and research. With Skillshare classes, you can benefit from a shared learning experience and push your creative boundaries from the comfort of your home or just about anywhere. The networking, support, and feedback you receive in group classes make the whole process even easier.
Best Skillshare Classes 2023 – Top Courses & Categories
| 30% Off Discount | Illustration Classes | Productivity Classes | Photography Classes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| 30% Off Annual Plan | from $15/month | from $15/month | from $15/month |
| All classes | Free 1-month trial | Free 1-month trial | Free 1-month trial |
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure at the end of this post.
If you are looking to get a new skill up your sleeves, here are some of the best Skillshare classes and courses that provide the most value in modern times.
1. Productivity Masterclass – Principles and Tools
This popular Skillshare class (visit website) is the first of a series that Dr. Ali Abdaal has created to help learners understand the productivity equation. In it, he breaks the concept down into principles, theories, laws, and powers. The goal is to nurture a deeper understanding of productivity. He also highlights the “fun factor.”
If Abdaal’s highly engaging YouTube videos are any indication, you will enjoy this class and get a lot out of it. He helps you redirect your mindset towards enjoyment in productivity. The ideas in this course can be especially useful to university and post-graduate students to boost their learning performance.
Of course, entrepreneurs and freelancers can also benefit, and there is great value in the mindset work Abdaal offers his students. This is one of the best Skillshare classes and one of the most popular ones to improve your work and study habits.
Category: Productivity, Career, Work | Instructor: Ali Abdaal
Level: All levels | Video Lessons: 15 | Class Projects: 230+
Info: View course. $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Access to all Skillshare classes.
2. Digital Illustration – Learn To Use ProCreate
Instructor Jarom Vogel swears by ProCreate. He is a freelance illustrator with an impressive client list that includes Apple and HarperCollins UK. As an illustrator, you can work in TV, theater, or film, especially animation. In this class (visit website), you will start your first canvas and learn how to use ProCreate’s features to make “your best work yet.”
Throughout the lessons, he shares tips and shortcuts that he uses himself to create art for his clients. Vogel also gives you access to his own edited brushes and color palette to use even after you complete the course. Vogel’s hands-on final project challenges you to share a time-lapse of you creating a work of art from beginning to end.
ProCreate is only available on iPad, and you will need an Apple Pencil to get the most out of the course. If you seek a career in digital illustration, this is one of the best Skillshare classes and courses that might help you kickstart your journey in the right direction.
Category: Illustration, Creative | Instructor: Jarom Vogel
Level: All levels | Video Lessons: 10 | Class Projects: 900+
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Illustration.
3. Character Illustration: Drawing Faces, Figures & Clothing
If you are a newbie illustrator or comic artist struggling with the elements of your illustration character such as angles, faces, expressions, figures, and clothing, this (view course) is one of the best Skillshare classes to do that. It covers all these topics in detail.
From character concept to composition and color, the instructor Gabriel Picolo explains everything you need to create a compelling character on either a sketchpad or screen. The course offers valuable insights to apply in your artistic process. It will give you that much-needed inspiration and several brilliant ideas to incorporate into your drawings.
Category: Design, Illustration | Instructor: Gabriel Picolo
Level: Intermediate | Video Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 325
Info: View course. Try the best Skillshare classes: Get 30% Off Premium.
4. Interior Design Basics – Steps To Your Perfect Space
Tap into the “Power of Interior Design” (visit website) with Lauren Cox, Design Program Manager at Havenly. She teaches the four principles interior designers use when creating beautiful spaces. In less than 90 minutes, you will get lessons on Color, Scale, and Proportion. You will work on two styling projects to practice the four principles.
Lauren Cox promises actionable tips and provides reference guides that you can print out and refer to long after the course is over. The Hands-On Class Project challenges you to style a bookcase and upload before and after photos when you are done.
As stay-at-home lifestyles have become more widespread, demand for interior designers has risen greatly. Whether creating great spaces for virtual meetings or repurposing spaces for at-home learning, opportunities abound. This is one of the most popular Skillshare courses if you are passionate about designing your home or workspaces.
Category: Interior Design, Lifestyle, Styling | Instructor: Lauren Cox
Level: All levels | Video Lectures: 11 | Class Projects: 110+
Info: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Interior Design.
5. Animation for Illustration: Adding Movement with Procreate & Photoshop
Animation adds a fun element and brings life to an otherwise simple sketch. Animation for Illustration (visit website) is an intermediate-level course aimed at designers, art students, or anyone wanting to learn animation. With 11 in-depth Skillshare classes, you will learn to add seamless motion to your illustration using Procreate and Photoshop.
Artist and illustrator Libby Vanderploeg explains in easy-to-follow steps everything from creating a custom sketch to activating animation through layers. This Skillshare course is a powerful venue to hone your creative skills, either for fun or professional growth. It can also open up new career possibilities as an animator, concept artist, or graphic designer.
Category: Animation, Illustration | Instructor: Libby VanderPloeg
Level: Intermediate | Video Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 254
Info: View course. $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Access to all Skillshare courses.
6. Mastering Productivity: Create a Custom System that Works
Truly successful people have mastered the art of time management, substantially elevating their productivity. Attaining and enhancing productivity is the first step to achieving your dreams and climbing the ladder of prosperity.
Productivity Masterclass (visit website) helps you create customized productivity systems and improve workflow with simple techniques. Whether you’re an employee struggling to meet deadlines, a freelancer juggling several jobs, or an entrepreneur chock-full of brilliant ideas but unable to execute them efficiently because of the limitations of time.
The Productivity Masterclass will help you create a system bespoke for you and enable you to conquer your problems. It's one of the best Skillshare classes for freelancers.
Category: Business, Productivity | Instructor: Thomas Frank
Level: All levels | Video Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 158
Info: View course. $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Access to all Skillshare courses.
7. Learn To Draw: Practices to Improve Drawing Skills
This popular drawing class (visit website) focuses less on software and more on a range of important drawing concepts. Some of the principles taught are seeing angles, drawing negative space, and value scale.
You will experiment with different materials and learn to measure properly. Nevertheless, this course is taught on ProCreate, so you will need an iPad with the software installed. For your course project, you will draw from one of the prompts they give you.
You can share your finished work for your instructor to evaluate. Career opportunities include technical illustrator, fashion designer, and tattoo artist. This is among the best Skillshare classes if you are interested in ProCreate and traditional drawing skills.
Category: Drawing, Illustration | Instructor: Gabrielle Brickey
Level: All paths | Lessons: 20 | Class Projects: 325+
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare courses in Illustration.
8. Modern Money Habits – Steps To Build The Life You Want
Justin Bridges (view course) walked away from his Wall Street career to become a fashion photographer. His goal is to help you create a custom-cut plan that puts you back in your career driver’s seat. A five-step approach carried him through his pivot. In just over one hour, he will share his approach and help you build wealth strategies for yourself.
He will also help you figure out what small changes you can make now for short-term results. It’s said that wealth is a mindset. Bridges, who maintained his level of wealth even when he pivoted, shares his personal insights. Such insights are invaluable. As the saying goes, “success leaves clues.” One of the best Skillshare classes in finance.
Category: Finance, Entrepreneurship | Instructor: Justin Bridges
Level: All levels | Lectures: 14 | Class Projects: 16
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Entrepreneurship.
9. Find Your Style: Exercises To Unlock Your Creative Identity
Your authenticity as a creator comes across in your style. In this class (visit website), illustrator and designer Andy Pizza promises to help you find yours. He presents learners with “five hands-on exercises that will unlock your artistic identity.”
Through Andy Pizza’s lessons, you will learn to translate your taste into successful projects and develop a visual vocabulary. This Skillshare class will benefit visual artists, designers, photographers, filmmakers, writers, and musicians.
By the end of the course, you will be ready to create and share your own style guide. If you feel stuck as an artist, this class could be just what you need. One of the best Skillshare courses for creative people, illustrators, and media content creators.
Category: Career, Style, Business | Instructor: Andy Pizza
Level: Beginners, Intermediates | Lessons: 13 | Class Projects: 220+
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Business.
10. Art of The Start: Turning Ideas Into High-Growth Businesses
The main learning outcome of this Skillshare course (visit website) is to “bring your concept to the next level and garner investor interest.” Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki (of Canva fame) and his partner Bill Reichert have been on both sides of the pitch.
Kawasaki takes you through the starting, launching, fundraising, and pitching stages in this course. In the end, you upload the ten-slide pitch deck you developed that will help get your dream funded. He introduces learners to the world of VCs and prepares them to communicate with investors effectively.
The class also teaches you how to build a social platform for your business. Guy Kawasaki’s impressive pedigree and charismatic presence will inspire you to create a strong pitch for your business idea. One of the best Skillshare classes in Business.
Category: Entrepreneurship, Business | Instructor: Guy Kawasaki, Canva
Level: All paths | Video Lectures: 14 | Class Projects: 44
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Entrepreneurship.
11. Social Media Marketing: Growing Followers and Going Viral
Cat Coquillette (view course), an artist, entrepreneur, and educator used social media to turn her art hobby into a successful career. She shows learners how to properly leverage platforms to reach new audiences and grow their following.
Coquillette’s techniques have won her attention and offers from Urban Outfitters, Modcloth and Water.org, among others. Her lessons focus on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You’ll pick up tips such as crafting the perfect bio and boosting engagement.
She even shows you how to decode your analytics and shares the best image-editing apps. Business owners, marketing managers and social media managers can benefit from acquiring these skills in one of the best Skillshare classes in the marketing department.
Category: Marketing | Instructor: Cat Coquillette
Level: All levels | Video Lessons: 11 | Class Projects: 260+
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare courses in Marketing.
12. The Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Steps To A Successful Writing Habit
Author and screenwriter Simon Van Booy brings you this short class (visit website) to help make writing fun. His six-step process helps you in your daily writing routine to “optimize your space for your writing style.” Van Booy has written for the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the BBC. He has also published books.
If you are looking for a creative outlet, his tools will come in handy for building a lifelong writing process. The class project challenges you to share how you used one of the steps you learned along the way. This is one of the best Skillshare courses for aspiring fiction and non-fiction authors, playwrights, screenwriters, and freelance writers alike.
Category: Writing, Publishing, Journaling | Instructor: Simon Van Booy
Level: All levels | Lectures: 9 | Class Projects: 47
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare classes in Writing.
13. Introduction To SEO: Tactics and Strategies for Entrepreneurs
This popular Skillshare class (visit website) is packed with “actionable insights and tactics for optimizing your content.” Instructor, Rand Fishkin, founder of SparkToro, will show you how to craft an effective SEO strategy and teach you the fundamentals for optimization.
Fishkin walks you through detailed demonstrations of blog posts and full site audits. By the end of this course, you will be able to effectively optimize a blog or other written web content for SEO. You will then be able to organically raise “the online presence of your business and brand.”
This highly useful skill can give freelance writers an edge. It’s also a valuable skill set for entrepreneurs and marketing professionals.
Category: Business, SEO | Instructor: Rand Fishkin
Level: Beginners | Video Lectures: 12 | Class Projects: 17
Price: View course. $15/month. Browse all Skillshare courses in Business.
14. Storytelling 101: Character, Conflict, Context & Craft
The creatives among us are all too familiar with the writer’s block and lack of inspiration they’re often hit with. Storytelling 101 (visit website) will help you find a way around that. Delivered by the New York Times bestselling author Daniel José Older, this is a beginner-level course that focuses on the fundamentals of compelling storytelling.
Aspiring writers, freelancers, content marketing managers, or even those in leadership roles can take this Skillshare course to create stellar stories and build better connections. It explains the four pillars of storytelling: character, conflict, context, and craft and equips you with the right tools to develop a captivating story.
Category: Writing, Storytelling | Instructor: Daniel José Older
Level: Beginner | Video Lectures: 9 | Class Projects: 105
Info: View course. $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Access to all Skillshare classes.
15. YouTube Success: Build an Authentic Channel That's Worth the Follow
A reliable digital presence helps you reach a global audience. Whether you want to grow your brand or advance your career as an influencer, YouTube is a perfect place to start. The YouTube Success course (visit website) is a thorough guide to building a dedicated following and creating a well-knit community.
From figuring out your niche and managing a content calendar to connecting to your followers, this Skillshare course explores all the ins and outs of building a YouTube channel from scratch. It will give you confidence and valuable tools to become a YouTube star.
Category: Media Publishing, Marketing | Instructor: Sorelle Amore
Level: Beginner | Video Lectures: 8 | Class Projects: 163
Info: View course. $15/mo. Get 30% Off Premium. Try the best Skillshare classes.
Skillshare classes alternatives: Browse our lists of best Creativelive classes, Udemy courses, Coursera courses, Mindvalley courses, or MasterClass courses.
16. iPhone Photography: How to Take Pro Photos
While most of us want those Instagram-worthy pictures that make our online persona shine, not everyone can purchase or carry a professional camera at all times. iPhone Photography (visit website) helps you make the most of your smartphone when it comes to beginner photography.
This 1-hour Skillshare class skillfully walks you through the setup and shot composition for stunning imagery while also explaining in detail light exposure, editing, and optimizing your iPhone for great photography. Overall, the course offers incredibly useful material and great techniques to learn the basics before investing in expensive equipment.
Don’t hesitate to sign up for this course if you are a novice photographer or someone looking to build an impressive online portfolio. It is one of the best Skillshare classes and courses in the beginner's photography department.
Category: Photography | Instructor: Dale McManu
Level: Beginner | Video Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 257
Info: View course. Try the best Skillshare classes: Get Get 30% Off Premium.
17. Video Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro for Beginners
Video Editing with Adobe Pro (visit website) is among the most popular and best Skillshare classes and courses, and rightly so. Video editing is an essential skill if you are a budding YouTuber. It could also open up some lucrative career options.
Videos are the best marketing tool and more impactful than any other form of content. This beginner-level Skillshare course is aimed at film students, bloggers, professionals, or anyone wanting to churn out attractive videos with Adobe Premium Pro.
Filmmaker and YouTube Jordy Vandeput expands on the fundamentals of the software and focuses on how to use them. The course touches all the bits that help create an interactive video, including custom animations, text, graphics, sound effects, and more.
There are quizzes, class projects, and several useful resources to train you beyond the basics. One of the best Skillshare classes and courses in this niche.
Category: Video Editing | Instructor: Jordy Vandeput
Level: Beginner | Video Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 90
Info: View course. From $15/mo. Get 30% Off Premium. Get all Skillshare courses.
18. Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design
Visuals send your message across better than blocks of text, and that’s where graphic designing skills can help you. If you are a design newbie who enjoys the process of creation, the Graphic Design Basics class on Skillshare (visit website) is perfect for you.
The course starts with a walkthrough of five basic design principles that lay the foundation of eye-catching visuals. Characters inherent to all great designs such as symmetry, framing, scaling, and hierarchy are also discussed.
This Skillshare course is a great starting point to brush up on your design skills. Graphics designer, multimedia artist, creative director, and user interface designer are a few of the many career options that can eventually be yours after you’re done with this class and further expand on your skills.
Category: Graphic Design | Instructor: Ellen Lupton, Cooper Hewitt
Level: Beginner | Video Lectures: 9 | Class Projects: 347
Info: View course. From $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Get all Skillshare classes.
19. Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success
Working hard for yourself and creating your own brand is ultimately far more rewarding in the long run. All the extra hours, sweat, and blood are worth it at the end of the day. With more professionals flocking towards freelancing, it’s best to know how to stand out and shine from the crowd to make the most of your time, work, and effort.
Going Freelance will help you build a brand for yourself as a freelancer. In short lessons, Claire Wasserman and Justin Gignac will help you define a clear roadmap to do so.
From figuring out your manifesto and building an attractive portfolio to pitching and networking, this is one of the few and best Skillshare classes and courses that deliver a step-by-step journey to reach financial success as a freelancer.
Category: Business, Entrepreneurship | Instructor: Justin Gignac, Claire Wasserman
Level: Beginner | Lectures: 9 | Class Projects: 207
Price: View course. $15. Get 30% Off Premium. Get all Skillshare classes.
20. Visual Storytelling: Creating More Persuasive Presentations
Presentation is an art form. Regardless of the profession, you must empower yourself with the ability to convey your message effectively. Good ideas are never taken seriously unless they are gift-wrapped in a presentation that can engage, inform and ultimately convince the audience. This Skillshare class (visit website) will teach you all the tricks.
An excellent plan or idea will land flat on its face if presented poorly. Visual Storytelling is a Skillshare course by Prezi's content marketing manager Susannah Shattuck that will help you traverse the modern era of doing business where a presentation can make or break multi-billion dollar products.
It sheds light on identifying your passion, creativity, human connection, and focus; all the elements needed to be a successful presenter. Understand the differences between sales and investor pitches and how to present quantitative results effectively. This is one of the best Skillshare classes in the personal development and business category.
Category: Presentations | Instructor: Susannah Shattuck
Level: All Levels | Video: 9 | Class Projects: 18
Price: View course. Get all Skillshare courses: Get 30% Off Premium.
21. Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability
Everyone can make a website, but it’s an easy, clear, and meaningful user experience that ensures customer loyalty and brand success. User experience design counts across all platforms, including website, mobile application, and desktop software. It’s essential to learn the basics before implementation. This class (visit website) covers those basics.
Intro to UX is aimed at designers, marketing managers, project managers, and developers involved in the process of creating a web product. It covers all the core aspects of UX, such as usability, its importance, and evaluating techniques.
After taking this Skillshare course, you will understand UX and what your website or mobile application should look and feel like. For beginners in UX design, this is one of the best Skillshare classes in this category, with over 20,000 students enrolled.
Category: UX Design | Instructor: Marieke McCloskey
Level: Beginner | Videos: 10 | Projects: 39
Info: View course. Try the best Skillshare courses with 30% Off Premium.
22. Web Design Essentials: Creating Marketing Homepages That Drive Results
A website is an indispensable part of business, one that opens ways for global outreach. Your webpage design plays a huge role in engaging visitors and ensuring growth.
Whether you’re a freelance designer, product designer, or a part of a huge design team, Web Design Essential (visit website) is perfect for getting familiarized with all the techniques that turn a mediocre webpage into one that guarantees conversions.
Learn to design a website that encourages sales turnover. Designer Dennis Field defines the important components of a great-looking webpage. From determining the objective to creating a hierarchy and user patterns, everything is elaborated for you to design a beautiful result-driven website. One of the best Skillshare classes to learn web design.
Category: Web Design, UX | Instructor: Dennis Field
Level: Beginner | Lectures: 10 | Class Projects: 37
Price: View course. $15/month. Get 30% Off Premium. Try the best Skillshare courses.
Skillshare is a great online platform offering courses and countless resources to help you learn a new skill. But even the greatest things have some cons. Let’s look at some pros and cons of Skillshare.
User-friendly Interface: The user interface is pretty straightforward, enabling the learners to navigate through the Skillshare courses, resource material, and discussions easily.
Wide variety of courses: With over 35,000 Skillshare classes, the choices are ample. Numerous Skillshare courses are available from popular disciplines, including marketing, management, design, development, writing, music, and many more.
Two-month free trial period: Do you like any of the best Skillshare courses mentioned above but don’t want to pay for it? One of its biggest plus points is that Skillshare offers access to all premium Skillshare classes with a two-month free trial period. If you like the material, you can choose to continue the membership.
Community interaction: Skillshare courses are built around group classes with maximum community interaction and back and forth feedback. Quizzes and projects are also assigned to students for real-life application of the knowledge they obtained.
Free app to watch lessons anywhere: With the Premium membership, the best Skillshare courses and classes are also available offline to watch anytime, anywhere.
Content quality may vary: Since anyone can become a teacher and start a class on Skillshare, the quality of the content varies, resulting in inconsistencies. Lack of quality control magnifies this problem. However, to get around that, just be mindful of the number of students enrolled, and go through reviews before choosing a particular course.
Video player with embedded comments: The comments in the timestamps can be annoying and hamper a clean, seamless user experience for some.
Alternatives: There are other providers available offering online courses. You can browse our round-ups of Udemy Courses, LinkedIn Courses, or Coursera Courses here.
Best Skillshare Classes 2023 – Review Verdict
Wrapping up our tour of the best Skillshare classes and courses. Considering everything above, Skillshare is an incredibly helpful learning platform with thousands of different classes to suit your needs.
It will save you from hours of browsing on the internet for scattered resource material and bring right to your smartphone a carefully designed course that equips you with everything you need.
Learn both hard and soft skills and keep allowing yourself to grow. However, take some time before enrolling in a class and double-check some essential parameters.
You can identify the best Skillshare courses for your needs by looking at the number of students enrolled, the quality of the introduction video, the table of contents and topics, the description that outlines the learning outcomes, and the type of projects and assignments.
If you have a subscription, you can try Skillshare classes and courses for free and see if you like them. You can start a free trial here. Good luck with your learning.
- Productivity Masterclass – Principles and Tools
- Digital Illustration – Learn To Use ProCreate
- Character Illustration: Drawing Faces, Figures & Clothing
- Interior Design Basics – Steps To Your Perfect Space
- Animation for Illustration: Adding Movement with Procreate
- Mastering Productivity: Create a Custom System that Works
- Learn To Draw: Practices to Improve Drawing Skills
- Modern Money Habits – Steps To Build The Life You Want
- Find Your Style: Exercises To Unlock Your Creative Identity
- Art of The Start: Turning Ideas Into High-Growth Businesses
- Social Media Marketing: Growing Followers and Going Viral
- The Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Steps To A Successful Writing Habit
- Introduction To SEO: Tactics and Strategies for Entrepreneurs
- Storytelling 101: Character, Conflict, Context & Craft
- YouTube Success: Build an Authentic Channel
- iPhone Photography: How to Take Pro Photos
- Video Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro for Beginners
- Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design
- Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success
- Visual Storytelling: Creating More Persuasive Presentations
- Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability
- Web Design Essentials: Creating Marketing Homepages
What are the best Skillshare classes online in 2023? Let us know your list of the best courses in the comments below.
Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links to some Skillshare classes and courses. courselounge may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. It does not add any extra costs. All reviews, opinions, descriptions and comparisons expressed here are our own.
