Domestika - a stationery freaks learning playground for creatives
And why you should be careful signing up
Hi,
Hope you are all doing well. Rob here publishing this edition of the Stationery Freaks newsletter.
Myself and Helen have not recorded much the last few months but we did manage to make time to chat all things Domestika.
We are not affiliated with Domestika but I am addicted - and I give you fair warning - if you are creative and you like stationery, then you may too find you cannot pull yourself away from Domestika.
Here is the episode - and keep reading to find out more about Domestika and why I am addicted to it.
One of the things you’ll hear myself and Helen talk about a lot, and the main reason we started the Stationery Freaks podcast, is all about the potential that stationery brings.
That new notebook or pen - what can it unleash? What good can I do with my art work? What potential could be unleashed with my paints, or model making, or pens? This is why we love stationery - it’s an enabler to great things.
And Domestika courses are taught by people who have unleashed that potential - and are sharing how you could do the same!
What is Domestika?
Domestika is an online learning platform, mainly aimed at creatives. There are thousands of courses from painting tea bags (yes) to writing fiction. From creative drawing to model making. From scrapbooking to calligraphy.
Any creative pursuit you are interested in for leisure or work is found on Domestika.
Note: The majority of courses are in Spanish but the subtitles are getting better and there are now multi-language versions of the audio too. I watch them with sub titles on which also means I can watch them on the train :)
How does Domestika work?
You sign up and create an account and then pick your topic of interest. There are essentially two models.
Model 1 is pay per course. The prices vary greatly with new courses being more expensive. If you buy the course you can watch it at your leisure and it stays in your account for ever. You get access to the materials and learning resources, and you can also download them to your device to watch off line.
Model 2 (the one I have) is the PLUS. This is an annual fee but there are hundreds of free courses included with Plus. It also rotates courses around so there is usually a decent mix.
You also get one token a month which you can exchange for any paid course (i.e. a course that is not free in the plus subscription).
This is important to note, as courses that are in PLUS cannot be downloaded and you have limited access to the downloads and resources. So, if you like a PLUS course and want the goodies, you will have to exchange a token. And you only get one a month!
The PLUS is excellent though and I have sat numerous courses and flicked through them - and sometimes, I’m very glad I didn’t pay for the course or exchange a token.
Most courses are excellent, but some may not be quite what you expect - check the reviews.
Lists
You can also create wishlists. I have three lists.
List 1 is courses I want to sit. I get lots of adverts on social media from Domestika and when I see a course I like, or I find it from the explore page, I add it to my wishlist.
List 2 is courses I am currently sitting. As mentioned, free courses with Plus are not downloadable, so they don’t appear in your “purchases”. So, I add them to my “sitting” list so I know which ones I am working through. (I tend to work through a few at a time).
List 3 is courses I have sat. This list is important as it’s where I go to find reference material and double check I’m not about to pay or sit a course I have already done. My memory is not brilliant.
Any course you have bought, or exchanged a token for, will show in “my course” on your account so I tend to use list 3 just for courses say through the Plus option.
Course Structure
What I really like about Domestika is the fact that each course follows a similar structure - it’s just the tutorial content that’s different.
For example, the courses start with an introduction to the teacher. Then there is a video about influences that the author wants to share.
Then the stationery freak money pot. There is a video on materials you’ll need for the course. This is, typically, a stationery freak heaven moment. Notebooks, pens, glue, paint, materials, paper, cutting stuff etc etc.
(I sometimes just watch the materials video on the Plus courses….sad)
Then the course starts and the topics are taught by people who are exceptionally good at what they do.
Some down sides
Firstly, let’s get this out of the way - it is addictive. There are SO many courses, and many courses around the same topic also. It’s a never ending pull of new stuff to learn. For me, this is bad. My brain likes novelty and I consume a lot of the courses. Putting what is learned into action is hard - as there’s always something else to learn. But, if you want to learn new crafts and skills - then this massive selection is super helpful.
The subtitles can be pretty bad - especially on the earlier courses. Sometimes the subtitles make no sense at all and sometimes you’ll find they switch tenses, or gender descriptors (for example it may switch from him to her even though they’re talking about the same person).
If you watch on an iPad then good luck trying to grab the scroll bar and drag along - it’s nigh on impossible.
Also on iPad you may find that the next video in the course no longer has subtitles, or reverts to a new speed and sometimes the “maximise” option is missing. It’s not brilliant - but it’s getting better.
Always check out the course content and the reviews (although many are in Spanish with no translate option embedded). Sometimes the courses sound amazing but the content is lacking in clarity or focus. I’d say 98% are spot on but there are one or two that I would have been woefully sad to have paid £10+ for.
Despite all of this - I whole heartedly recommend Domestika - it’s almost like every presenter is a Stationery Freak - would love to have some of them on the show.
Recommended Courses that I have completed.
This one is epic - Visual Poetry Diaries. Lina Botero is engaging and insightful as she explores how to do visual poetry. Loved this one.
Enjoyed this one about anticipating future designs. A really good course on future thinking.
This was fab. Jose Lourenco on Stop Motion Design. Top quality.
Adam Hayes on hand lettering techniques was brilliant. Bought the notebook he uses and it’s great.
This was one of the first courses I sat and it was brilliant. Such clear direction and insights. Still practicing being able to draw like this. Mattias Adolfsson delivered.
Emily Barr is so clear and succinct about how to write a psychological thriller - exceptional course.
Jessica Dance’s course on building miniatures is brilliant. I’ve not tried to build anything yet, but enjoyed this course.
Small format lettering by Little Hannah was brilliant. I filled many a notebook learning how to hand draw letters. Such fun.
Shaun Levin’s course on creative writing for beginners was the very first course I sat and it was brilliant. Very helpful and super inspiring.
Really enjoyed this course on audio visual story telling for social media by Josune Imizcoz.
Designing products of the future was a fun course with Cecelia Tham. Lots of great ideas about spotting weak signals and designing products for the future.
This course on creating Geometric portraits in Procreate (iPad app) was brilliant. I had such a lot of fun creating a portrait. Luca Font does such a good job of explaining the process, plus lots of ideas on how to get the most from ProCreate.
My own portraits are below.
And one day I will make a puppet of myself. And this course will be one I return to - Puppet Making for Stop Motion by Adeena Grubb. It’s quite involved, as you would expect - and plenty of materials needed - but I enjoyed this course.
With that, don’t forget to check out Domestika (I have warned you how addictive it is) and please do check out our latest episode here.