The MsBehaviour Files: How to Do Everything

How-to guides, tips and tutorials are one of the most popular areas of online content these days. More people are embracing lifelong learning, and online you can learn at any time, and at your own pace.

The new wave of knowledge sharing sites are perfect for people who cannot afford to study in more traditional ways, and even top universities such as MIT are publishing their online course materials for free. Simply choose any topic that you want to explore further, and if you know where to look online you can literally learn how to do everything.Expert Village claims to be the world's largest how to video site, and if you have a skill that you would like to share, you can register as an expert. For those with a creative streak, the Art category has series of short clips on How to Draw the Human Body, you can watch How to Carve a Figure out of Wood, or Make Clay Betty Boop pendants.

There is a series of videos on How to Start and Run an Art Gallery, guides on How to Make & Use Theatre Masks with acting tips, and I didn't even know that you could Do Acrylic Painting on Feathers.

If you fancy learning how to Dance there are guides on more dance styles than I ever knew existed. You can learn how to do an Egyptian Belly dance, or various Latin styles like Samba, Classic Jazz, or modern Hip Hop stylz.

The Theatre section has puppetry, playwriting, and producing guides as well as makeup, improv, comedy and stagecraft. There are Performance Tips for Balloon Artists (a skill practiced by our own Big Idea Editor), and those craving the limelight can learn Fire Breathing Basics, though remember - don't inhale!

Videojug's tagline is 'Life Explained on Film', and there is a Get Creative section with tips on Starting a Band. There are video guides on DJing and Beatboxing in the Get Musical section, and Food & Drink has some mouthwatering recipe suggestions.

In Beauty & Style there are tutorials on the art of makeup, and Sports & Fitness has a wide range of guides on exercise. Some can be done in the comfort and privacy of a home or studio, such as Yoga and the increasingly popular Pilates. It's ideal if you can fit breaks for exercise in short bursts throughout your creative day, and is a much better way to stay in shape than an intense gym session. Videojug's tutorials are all professionally produced, but you can also upload your own how to videos and share your knowledge.

There's a smorgasboard of skills to pick up online, but how do you get into a creative mood in the first place?

I'd start with 110+ Resources for Creative Minds, from Skelliewag.org who writes that "sometimes the best sources of inspiration often lie far outside your own creative field." Every resource is a link to a place of inspiration, such as the Moleskine Project with doodles and illustrations from creative minds, on classic moleskin paper.

I'm a bit of a quote addict, so love the Collected Creativity Quotes, and 56 Creative Thinking Hacks from Scott Berkun has some brilliant ways of engaging your right brain hemisphere. Another great suggestion is using Flickr as a Source of Inspiration, with photo collections aimed at sparking design neurons, and if you get stuck then try working your way through Creativity Techniques - an A to Z.

My head is now swimming with new ideas, I've sharpened my pencils and my knitting needles are primed. My sewing machine is coming out of the cupboard this weekend, and I have some healthy new recipes to try out.

Now if only I can find out how to teleport, or bend time. Maybe someone out there is making a how to guide on it right now...

As well as being TBI's strategist, Helen Baxter a.k.a. MsBehaviour runs dance-music label TMet Recordings, 3D animation company Mohawk Media and has a fortnightly slot on National Radio called 'Virtual World'.

06/03/08