We all take photos but have you ever wondered why a professional photographer’s photos are always a bit better? It’s most probably because of their editing skills. By knowing how to edit a photo, one can truly bring out the best aspects of a certain shot and give it that extra dimension. 

Now that all of us are locked up in our homes (all for the better of course), it seems like we really don’t have much to do. When we were working or going to school, a little break from it all was what we all wanted. And now that we finally have the opportunity to stay home, most of us are overwhelmed by all the free time we have. However, we can take this time to not only help stop the spread but also learn new things. Here are a few things you can do to make your quarantine time a bit more interesting.

Cook up new dishes with the help of NYT cooking
The New York Times cooking is a website that is solely focused on food and cuisines from all over the world. You can go to its website or visit the Instagram page (@nytcooking) to get access to recipes of dishes from all over the world, be it hummus or a nice chicken curry. On the website, you can save the recipes you want to try in the future and it will also recommend similar dishes that you may enjoy. Moreover, as the website hopes to cater especially to home cooks, the recipes are listed in detail and it’s really easy for first-timers to navigate through them. From a simple vegetable soup to posh-looking meat dishes, the NYT cooking page has it all. 

Take short online classes
Anyone wanting to gain deeper knowledge on a certain topic they’re interested in can take online classes on a website called “futurelearn.com”. This website has courses starting from three weeks (and you can extend them accordingly) on a wide variety of topics like literature, nature and environment, IT and computer science, etc. Moreover, you can join the classes for free and you can upgrade by paying a small fee. If you go all the way, you can also receive a certificate for the chosen course. 

Make a website or learn how to code
Computers and the internet have become such an important part of our lives. However, many of us still don’t know how websites and software are made. Eventually, coding might become an essential part of our education because of just how intrinsic it is to our lifestyle. Why not get a headstart and learn right now? Several websites offer free coding courses where you can learn how to make apps and programs of your own. We recommend CodeAcademy, an online resource that teaches you the know-how of coding. At CodeAcademy, you take courses that teach you everything from HTML and CSS, JavaScript, and SQL to  Bash/Shell, Python, Ruby and C++.

Start a podcast
It seems everyone has a podcast nowadays. But, hey, we’re all stuck at home and have nothing better to do. By starting a podcast, you’re not just putting it out there for people to hear it but also for yourself—to document your thoughts and ideas, especially at a historical moment like this. You will require a phone and free online editing software. You can start a quarantine confessional, go on a rant about the things that are going on in your head right now, or talk about the good in the world or things that you miss now that you can’t go out. The list of topics is endless. It will help you keep your mind sharp and give you something to do. 

Give your home a makeover
Do you still have a cardboard box full of books that you’ve been telling yourself to arrange for the past few months? Or has the sofa arrangement in your living room bothered you for a while? Well, now’s the time to redecorate. You can use this time to properly plan out how you want your home to look like, at least on the inside. Unleash your creative side and make some fresh and new executive decisions for your living space. Move things around, play with your décor and give things a new feel. If you are feeling especially ambitious, work on a statement wall or create a mural of sorts.

Learn how to edit photos
Sure, we all take photos but have you ever wondered why a professional photographer’s photos are always a bit better? It’s most probably because of their editing skills. By knowing how to edit a photo, one can truly bring out the best aspects of a certain shot and give it that extra dimension. Now that you have all the free time in the world, why not invest in improving your editing skills? On YouTube where you’ll find plenty of videos that will explain all the complex matters of photo editing. After that, it’s all practice. Install apps like Snapseed, Adobe Lightroom and Luminar to experiment with different ideas and concepts. 

Improve your sense of style
This is a great time for you to improve your fashion sense. Fashion is not just buying new trendy clothes but also knowing how to match and wear things you already have. Browse through fashion blogs or popular fashion websites to learn some tips and tricks to style your clothes better. Learn the art of color combination, recognize patterns and learn to match them all for a chic looking ensemble. Some fashion blogs we recommend are Yokokulala, Wait You Need This and That’s Chic. Also, try the clothes you have at home, experiment and see what’s right for you so that you have a clearer picture of what you’re going to wear once it’s safe to go out.

 
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