“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein

Sometimes it all just gets too overwhelming… new stuff to learn everywhere, all the time. Take the whole “Social Media” arena. Who can possibly keep up with all that stuff? Okay, there are a few people (fifty million or so) out there who have an extensive ‘online presence’ that’s all current and hip, pinned and posted, tweeted and Digg’d, but they’re from another planet. So, how can the rest of us stay somewhat current in the ever-changing online galaxy? Online learning of course!

My favorite explanation of the various Social Media venues was summed up in this little chart that made the rounds on Facebook earlier this year:

For a slightly more in-depth explanation of all things Social Media you may want to check out these links:

This previous ZCorum article provides a very clear and engaging overview: Social Media Strategies for Independent broadband providers

Social media glossary A resource that quickly and clearly explains all of the basic terms and applications.

Internet Marketing for Smart People features a free 20-part course and ongoing email newsletter.

Generally, I prefer a little structure. That’s where webinars and online tutorials come in. Give me some steps to follow and I’m there. The online training sites I prefer condense the info down to a “need-to-know”, digestible serving. I especially like tackling one topic at a time.

For the digital artists out there here’s a tutorial on how to turn photos into pop-art cartoons with Photoshop.

 Pop Art Cartoons from Photoshop

Take a few hours and learn how to create a super high-quality illustration from a photograph. (Tip: This is a great idea for a very unique, homemade holiday or birthday gift for the person who has everything).

Some other amazing Photoshop tutorials can be found at:  Photoshop advanced tutorials

Not a Photoshop guru? Here’s a free site where you can upload your favorite photos and create some really great effects. befunky.com

And, for a list of more free, online design resources check out another previous blog post by ZCorum’s superstar designer: 45 free fantastic resources for graphic-designers

Don’t forget how fun it is to learn how to do something new. Consider starting a new hobby making something yummy or useful, decorative or funky. Maybe something that takes you “off-line” and away from that ever-present screen. Not there’s anything wrong with screen time (sorry Affiliates!).

How about making a pie and mending a broken heart at the same time: www.theworldneedsmorepie.com

Here’s one close to my heart.

My very internet-savvy folks made this video showing how to make homemade pickles! This is a 100-year old recipe my Grandma Lang passed down (and they’re giving it away for free. So much for a family dynasty).

Grandma Lang’s Pickles

Cooking not your cup of tea?

Check out this very diverse list of distractions:

Learn to play poker! How to play poker

Instructables is a cool Do-It-Yourself site that has an extensive collection of user submitted how-to articles and easy instructions complete with videos and photographs. It’s a community driven website where you can submit content, vote and comment on existing content.

A few Instructables tutorials that caught my eye:

Make a wooden Angry Birds game (now this strikes me as wonderfully ironic – an internet tutorial showing how to make a wooden version of a popular electronic game).

Make a secret hollow book (if you can even find a book nowadays…don’t get me started on the lack of reading and bookstores anymore. Thanks Kindle/iBook/etc.). Secret Hollow Book

Or, maybe something decorative to spruce up the home front:

Make a Mason Jar Chandeliers (Use those empty pickle jars…Yeeha!)

Finally, here’s a link with some serious subjects. I know you’ve been yearning to take a Linear Algebra class taught by an M.I.T. instructor!

200 free online classes