Hand-Drawn Maps + Collecting Places

If you're a map lover or just want to learn a new creative skill, Anne Ditmeyer of Prêt à Voyager is teaching a map making class on Skillshare this month. No worries if you're not a professional designer or super computer literate as you can use any type of media for your creation.

The virtual class, Map Design: Learn to Communicate Places Beautifully ($20), will take place over three weeks starting Feb. 18 and is divided into three units: Hand Drawn Maps + Concepting, Mapping in the Digital Age + Alternative Guides, and Office Hours, which includes a Q&A segment and participating in a Google Hangout with the class.

By the end you'll not only have a map that plots out a memorable corner of the world, but will also interact with people from all over and discover their own favorite haunts. As it stands a nice mix of photographers, illustrators, designers, magazine writers, and "generally-non-creative-but-still-awesome-types" from 11 countries have signed up.

I think a hand-made map of my favorite neighborhood in the city would be a fun gift to give when guests come to visit. Or perhaps plot out any of my many travel adventures for an awesome addition to a scrapbook.

To enroll, click here. And while you're there, might as well check out all the other cool (and affordable!) classes Skillshare has to offer.

P.S. If you look at Anne's Paris map above for eight seconds, a little pink surprise will appear.

Image: courtesy of Anne Ditmeyer