Losing weight, reducing clutter in the house, saving more money, getting organized.
Yawn.
How many lists do we need to read that guilt us into making a New Year’s resolution, one that, research shows, a third of us will break by the end of this month?
Not that it’s a bad thing to attempt to improve your lifestyle, of course.
But instead of picking a make-yourself-feel-better resolution that is easy to surrender to and even easier to forget, more people are choosing a different pledge: to learn a new skill.
“We think over the holidays, what are the one or two things that I really want to do for myself?” said Lisa Kozicki, director of programming at Emory Continuing Education. “We usually see our enrollment start to climb right after Christmas. We even get registrations on New Year’s Day.”
Whether it’s painting watercolors or salsa dancing or cooking chateaubriand, scads of personal enrichment classes are available for the ambitious.
And, unlike typical post-high school college classes, these are purely optional. If you don’t want to learn how to prune a tree, then don’t sign up for a landscape design class. Simple enough.
Here are some suggestions to get you started. Check each respective website for a full list of class selections.
Hal’s Kitchen
206B Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs. 404-847-6991, www.halskitchen.com.
Some might hear the words “culinary boot camp” and flee to the nearest Maggiano’s rather than aspire to learn about haricots verts and boerewors.
But for the epicurean adventurer – or, perhaps, the person who never learned to cook anything other than microwave popcorn – the five-week class at Hal’s Kitchen is a godsend.
“It’s great to do on your own and hone your own skills, but also to do as a couple and have that one night designated that you and your partner are doing and learning something together,” said Cyndi Sterne, creator and owner of the cooking emporium.
Throughout the boot camp, students will learn the basics of working in a kitchen, including the proper use of knives and when to use certain gadgets, as well as making soups, stocks and sauces, salad and sausages, and forms of dry and moist heat cooking.
But Sterne and Executive Chef Jessica Ray strive to appeal to all level of a culinarian by also offering specialty classes concentrating on Spanish, Indian and Moroccan foods, brunch selections (think turkey sausage patties and banana walnut pancakes) and even some food truck favorites.
Some other classes offered: Superbowl Supper (bistro sliders, raspberry chipotle wings, Boston cream whoopee pies); Chocolate in Five Courses (bacon-wrapped shrimp in chocolate grits, spiced cocoa rub-covered short ribs); Pub Crawl (Scottish eggs, fish and chips, bangers and mash; Valentine’s Food and Wine Feast (lobster brandy risotto, smoked beef tenderloin); Happy Fish (stove-top smoked salmon, blackened grouper).
Why do it: “The kitchen is the showplace of most homes these days. People want to entertain at home, but maybe they’re not sure how,” Sterne said.
Cost: $45-$350
Spruill Center for the Arts
5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-394-3447, www.spruillarts.org.
A class about the proper way to utilize your iPhone camera is cool, sure.
But the trendiest courses at Spruill Center for the Arts focus on the antithesis of technology: How to make jewelry from sustainable resources.
“Jewelry is not just your mom’s pearls anymore,” said Mindy Spritz, director of education and development at the institution.
Recent courses in the “Jewelry and Metalsmithing” program – which Spritz said is one of the biggest in the country – have swapped traditional shiny materials such as high-priced gold and silver with resources including thorns from trees, felt, cork and copper coins.
Another course uses stained glass copper foil techniques to make pendants, earrings and charms, with some special designs planned for Valentine’s Day.
Of the approximately 200 classes offered at Spruill each quarter – each usually lasting six-to-10 weeks – the majority focus on basic interests in the arts. But digging deeper into the course directory will uncover super-specific instructional opportunities, such as learning how to sell your art at festivals and landscape design for spring.
Spritz understands that winnowing choices can be daunting and suggests calling the center for guidance.
Some other classes offered: Ceramics and pottery; drawing classes and workshops; mosaics; photography; sculpture; jewelry and glass-making classes and workshops; bookmaking and paper arts; dance and fitness; writing; culinary arts.
Why do it: “This will make your life better. You get more fulfillment by enriching your week, whether you’re getting mess with clay or learning something new like painting with pastels or water colors,” Spritz said. “Some people say this is the best and cheapest therapy in the world.”
Cost: Most courses run less than $200 for the quarter, not including supplies or special materials.
Salsambo
Academy Ballroom, 800 Miami Circle, Atlanta (also monthly at Fernbank Museum of Natural History and Taverna Planka and available for private lessons). 770-896-2062, www.salsambo.com.
Alfredo Piceno knows that wannabe dancers are easily influenced by what they see on TV. Music videos, shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance?” and, the biggest among his adult clients a couple of years ago, “Dancing with the Stars,” all piqued the interest of the fancy footstep-inclined.
“The first two years of [‘Dancing with the Stars’] were great for us. But after the economy took a hit, it slowed down,” Piceno said.
With the economic forecast slightly brighter than in recent years, Piceno, owner of Salsambo and an instructor there, along with his wife, Jennifer, is back to fielding inquiries from hopeful hoofers about the hottest dance trends.
“L.A. Style Salsa” is the hip class of the moment. Also known as “Salsa on 1,” the style is most popular among the Picenos students because, Alfredo said, it’s what they see most often in TV shows and movies.
Classes – usually four-week runs, though drop-in sessions are also available – exist for all level dancer.
Regardless of skill set, Piceno is confident he can help students find their groove.
"We are known for not just teaching people," he said, "but building dancers."
Some other classes offered: Ladies-only salsa, bachata, cha-cha, ballroom, cabaret.
Why do it: “Basically, it’s a social skill,” said Alfredo Piceno. “Some want to learn to impress a significant other, others like the exercise.”
Cost: $60-$90 for a four-week session.
Emory Continuing Education
1256 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta and 1725 Windward Concourse, Alpharetta. 404-727-6000, www.ece.emory.edu.
Maybe you’re planning a trip to Italy this year and want to learn to say more than “Si, grazie,” anytime someone places a plate of rigatoni in front of you.
Or perhaps you’re new to America and yearn to reduce your native accent.
Of the 300-plus classes offered on Emory’s two Continuing Education campuses – in Atlanta and Alpharetta – languages seem to engage a growing number of students.
Learning a new language is frequently a goal of the academic-minded, especially if it coincides with an upcoming vacation.
But Lisa Kozicki, director of programming for Emory Continuing Education, said interest in classes to improve English skills has increased substantially, as well as test preparation courses.
If all of that sounds a bit too much like those college classes you tried to skip whenever possible, the school also offers personal enrichment classes ranging from arts criticism to the essentials of fundraising to the fundamentals of golf.
Those seeking professional development or require a certificate program, such as paralegal studies or graphic design, can also benefit from Emory’s massive spectrum of classes.
“We find that the kinds of instructors we hire bring such a wealth of expertise,” Kozicki said. “We’re careful to select individuals who are not only experts in their field, but great in the classroom and understand the adult student, and know the challenges of balancing work and personal, like a plate spinner.”
Some other classes offered: Event planning, self-defense, writing, Feng Shui, clutter bootcamp, landscape design, health and natural sciences, grant writing, digital photography, painting, drawing, music, management skills, career development.
Why do it: “Certain subject matters appeal to certain groups more than others, but all of our personal enrichment classes are extraordinarily broad,” Kozicki said. “You’re bound to see young people to people growing their families to active retirees.”
Cost: $100-$840 depending upon length of course.
