How To Tint a Photo In Gimp 2.8

The Final Product

This is my new Twitter banner.  If you read last week's post you will recognize that this is a much improved version of the original picture I was using.  Also in last week's post I lamented my inability to get the even blue color that you see in the picture above.  Now that I have learned how, I'm going to share the steps here.

Step One: The Original Photo

The first thing you will do is open Gimp and go to File>Open. Open the photo that you want to color. In my case it was this one:

 

 

Step Two: Choose Your Color

Next you want to go to File>New and open a new project. It should already be set to the same dimensions as your original photo. If not, just type in the appropriate number of pixels for height and width.  Now you want to click on the Fill Bucket tool and make sure that FG Color Fill is selected. Set your foreground color to whatever color you will be using to tint your picture. In my case, blue:

 

 

Step Three: Add Your Color To Your Photo

Then click Edit>Copy.  Then select the window containing your photo and click Edit>Paste. It will look like this:

As you can see, the blue has completely hidden the original image, but that's okay.  We're going to get it back.

Step Four: Tint the Photo

Over in the layers window you will see that the blue color is in a Floating Layer. Right-click that and select To New Layer. Then go to the top of the Layers window and find where it says Mode. Click on the drop-down arrow and scroll all the way down to the bottom.  You will see the word Color.  Click on that, and this will be your result:

There are a lot of different selections in the Mode menu, and each one will give a different effect.  Feel free to play with them and see what you like.

I hope that this tutorial was helpful.  If you have any advice or insights for Gimp users please feel free to leave a comment.


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My Review of Gimp Photo Editing Software

Why Gimp?

Even if you have no experience with photo editing, you have no doubt heard of Photoshop. I must be honest here and say that I have never used it.  I should also admit that when I have researched it I have been thoroughly confused by all of the different versions that are available. So as far as giving you a breakdown of the differences between Photoshop and Gimp, the truth is that I am not qualified to do that.

Here's what I do know: Photoshop costs money. Gimp does not.  So if you are familiar with Photoshop and what it costs (which varies depending on the version) then you know how much money you can save by choosing Gimp.  And that's the main reason for using it.  It's free, and so far I've found it to be pretty good.

Why do I need Photo Editing Software?

I have recently written a book that I have decided to self-publish.  Because I'm really on a shoestring budget with this project, I need to design the book cover myself.  I want it to be good, so I need software that is a good deal more sophisticated than Paint.  But again, I'm on a budget, so I don't want to purchase Photoshop. So I'm using Gimp.

What do I like about Gimp?

Before answering that, I'll show you the first project I've managed to complete on this software.

 

 

This is the photo that I have now set as the banner on my Twitter page.  It is not my finalized book cover, but it is similar to what I want the book cover to be.

 

Here's what I like about this picture: I was able to blend two photos together to achieve the exact look that I had in my mind when I imagined a cover for my book.  It took many tries to get the effect that you see in this image, and the Youtube tutorial that I've just linked to was very helpful in this endeavor.  I'm not completely happy with the text that you see here, but I've been watching lots of other tutorials and am confident that I can get the look I want with the text as well, as soon as I learn the process.

 

One Possible Problem With Gimp

 

Alright, I've openly admitted that I'm a newbie here, so it's possible that I'm just doing it wrong and that there is a way to accomplish the very thing I'm getting ready to complain about.  (Update: I have now figured out a way to do it.  You can read my tutorial here.)  If you have experience with Gimp and can set me straight on this, please leave a comment letting me know.

 

I've been playing around with color manipulation.  Basically the image above is too cheerful for what I want.  My book is a paranormal mystery, and I want the woods to have a creepy feel about them. In making my Twitter banner, I did change the coloring a little.  Here's the original photo that I was using:

 

 

 

As you can see, the original image was much greener.  I was able to make it look a little more eerie by bringing the overall color saturation down, and then bringing up the blue just slightly.  However, if I really want a creepy feel to the image, I think I need to go with a different photo.  Maybe this one:

 

 

 

In this photo I have already brought down the color saturation, but have not added any colors.  I would really like it to have a blue tint, because blue just seems to scream, "spooky!"  Here's a slightly blue version of the same picture:

 

Ideally I would like it to be even bluer than this, but here's what happens when I try to do that:

I do not like this at all.  The trees look like they are glowing.  What I want is a nice even blue tint to the picture that just sort of mutes all of the other colors, but I cannot find any tool in Gimp that will allow me to do that.  As I said before, I'm a newbie, so if you know of a way to get the look I'm after please let me know in the comments.  However, my first impression of the program is that color manipulation is one of its main weaknesses. (Update: As I said above, I have now solved this problem and you can read about it here.)

My Overall Impression

Again, please note that I have never used Photoshop, so I am not prepared to say how Gimp measures up.  What I will say is that I think I'm going to be happy with my result once I get finished with it.  My main concern now is learning the advanced text options so I can put my title on the cover and have it add to the creepy look that I'm going for.  I haven't fully mastered that process yet, but when I do I might post another review.  For now, I must say that I am very pleased with this program and would recommend it to anyone who needs to do photo editing on a budget.


Remember to follow me on Twitter if you would like to know more about this blog, my book, and other projects I'm working on.

 

 

 

The Odd World of the Introverted Artist

The Art

Art, by its very nature, wants to be seen.  That's the whole reason it exists.  If something is created that serves no practical purpose, then to hide it away takes away its entire meaning.  Art is a painting that someone hangs on their wall, a song that brightens someone's day, a book that makes someone think about things differently, or a movie that helps someone realize that yes, there are people out there who understand me.  Art is a beautiful singing voice, a unique sense of humor, or an amazing talent for dancing.  All of these things can make a wonderful impact on the world, but only if they can be seen and heard.  Without an audience, art might as well not exist.

The Artist

The artist is the person who creates the art.  Artists want their work to have purpose, therefore they want their work to be seen.  Some artists may choose to hide their art away, but it is most often not out of a desire to keep it out of the world but rather out of a fear that it will not be well-received.  Many artists, however, do not suffer from this fear and bravely put their work out there for all to see. 

Quite often artists yearn for the attention that their art can bring them.  When they are told as children that they dance beautifully, or that they have a talent for poetry, that good feeling stays with them for a long time.  Many people, whether they be artists or they belong to some other profession, spend their lives looking for that kind of validation.  For many people, gaining that validation is a major motivation for everything they do in their lives.  This can lead down some very good roads or some very bad roads, depending on the decisions that are made along the way.  For the artist, the hope is that the road will lead to recognition, applause, and acclaim.  That it will lead to awards, fans, and, of course, money.  Not every artist has their sights set on being a celebrity.  That status comes with stresses that most people would not want.  But a little recognition here, a little praise there, is what drives many an artist in their quest to find their place in the world.

The Introvert

The introvert values, above anything else, privacy and personal space.  This does not mean that they are antisocial.  In fact, many introverts have friends and enjoy spending time with them.  But they don't put their entire selves on display for the world to see.  They keep some parts hidden.  In many situations, they will go to great lengths to avoid drawing attention to themselves.  Quite often they worry what other people think of them, and their natural reserve is a way of protecting themselves from judgment. 

The Introverted Artist

Okay, rather than try to speak for anyone else, I'm just going to tell my personal story here.  I very much consider myself an introverted artist.  For as long as I can remember I have been driven by a need to show off.  In school I was the annoying student who always had my hand in the air before the teacher even finished asking the question.  I did it because I knew the answer, and I needed everyone else in the room to know that I knew the answer.  When our class did plays and skits, I was disappointed if I did not get the lead role.  When I played in the school band in middle and high school, then later in college, I was upset that I didn't get as many solos as I wanted.  The truth was, I wanted all of the solos.

However, I am an intensely private person.  As a child the most dreaded question in my sheltered little world was my mom asking "What are you doing?"  I never wanted to tell her.  Not because I was doing anything I shouldn't have been doing, but because I didn't like having other people in my head.  If she knew what I was doing, she might ask why I was doing it, or if I was enjoying it, or what I liked about it, or any number of questions that I found utterly humiliating.  I still go through this today when my children catch me dancing to my favorite song, or my husband walks up behind me while I search for something on the internet.  My first instinct is to hide all of that away where no one can see it.  Not because it's bad, just because I'm embarrassed.

The artist in me needs to express myself.  I need to learn how to dance.  I need to write stories.  I need to sing.  And I need the world to know that I can do all of those things.  But telling the world about it absolutely terrifies me.  The singing and dancing bit is odd because I don't get stage fright.  If someone else puts me in front of an audience and tells me to perform, I feel right at home.  Performing makes me deliriously happy, and afterward I'm on a high that lasts for days.  But if someone puts me in a room of people and says, "Hey, Greta, why don't you sing a song for everyone," my response is going to be, "You want me to do what?" 

Here's an example.  Film-making is the newest hobby that I have developed an interest in.  Don't misunderstand me here--I'm not thinking I'm going to be the next Spielberg.  I have no delusions that the couple of little short films that I've made will ever lead me to fame and fortune.  But just the same, I want to show them off.  This led to a very awkward experience at my in-laws' house one day.  I had my first little movie saved on a flash drive, and I discreetly tucked it into my pocket on the way to their house for dinner.  Quite a few members of my husband's family were there, and I was very excited about showing them my accomplishment.  When a lull occurred in the conversation, I thought, "Okay, here's my moment."  I opened my mouth to try and say, "Hey, who wants to see this little movie I made?" but nothing came out.  My heart started racing, my palms started sweating, and I couldn't do it.  I still desperately wanted everyone to see it, so I ran to get my husband.  I whispered in his ear that I wanted to show everyone my movie, but I couldn't make the announcement myself, and I begged him to do it for me.  Which he did.   Afterward, I was left with mixed feelings.  A couple of people had complimented the movie, which made me feel good, but at the same time I felt guilty for having so blatantly called attention to myself.

This is a constant struggle for me.  There are things I want the world to know.  I want them to know that I've written a book, that I've won medals in dance competitions, that I am (almost) fluent in Spanish, and numerous other things.  But when I try to show the world those things, I often find that I can't.  I'd love to say that it is humility that holds me back, but the truth is I am not quite that virtuous.  After all, if it were true humility, I would not have this need to show off in the first place.  No, the thing that holds me back is fear.  I'm afraid that I will annoy people, or that they will think I'm strange, or that they will criticize whatever it is that I'm doing.  I am perpetually pulled in opposing directions by these two drives that are fighting inside of me.

This is my story.  I would love to hear yours.  Have you had an experience similar to mine, or do you struggle with different challenges altogether?  Whether you consider yourself an introverted artist or not, feel free to leave a comment telling me about your personal experience.


Don't forget to follow me on Twitter if you would like updates on this blog or any other project I'm working on.  Remember, I'm dying to show off to you!

What It's Like to Be a Morning Person

A Seemingly Rare Breed

When I check Facebook I am constantly confronted with funny jokes about how horrible life is in the morning.  Here is one that I actually shared to my timeline:

I shared it, not because I feel this way, but because this is a very accurate description of the way my husband is in the morning.  I thought it was funny because I am the opposite.  I get up ready to engage in in-depth philosophical debates.  Sometimes I'll start talking, and I'll say all kinds of interesting things, and my husband won't even hear me.  His excuse?  He hasn't had his coffee yet.

If what I see on Facebook is any indication, I must conclude that most of the world is like my husband.  They need just a little time to get going in the mornings.  Because I never see any funny posts about actually being happy in the mornings, I thought I'd share that here.

Not a Night Person

The way most of the humorous Facebook posts describe mornings is how I normally describe evenings.  My brain starts to shut down at around 7:00pm, and by 8:00 I'm pretty much useless.  I also can't handle a lot of noise and activity at that time of day. 

My children are older and quieter now, but I still shudder when I remember evenings with toddlers.  Their bedtime was 8:00, and I allowed very little wiggle room because I knew that if they stayed up much later than 8:00 I would start to get extremely irritable and it would result in a miserable time for all.  Sometimes it was a true effort just to endure their childish activities until bedtime.  There were days when I wished they could go to bed at around 6:30, but I knew what an insane rule that would be, so I bravely toughed it out until 8:00.  And at 8:00, the bedtime ritual began.  Of course by this time of the night I was pretty much comatose, so getting the kids into the bed was an interesting process, especially considering that my husband is a night person.

Here's what would happen.  After spending at least half an hour miserably counting down the seconds until the kids were in the bed and the house was peaceful and quiet, we would finally go into their room and help them into their pajamas.  At this point my husband would get into a playful mood and start picking the kids up and throwing them around, or grab one of their toys and make it talk in a silly voice, or any number of things that the kids loved.  And of course, because the kids loved it they would start running around the room shouting and laughing.  I would be standing in the corner with my hands over my ears waiting for it to all be over.  8:00 at night was just not an appropriate time for that much activity.  I was frequently convinced that my brain was going to literally explode.

Morning: My Alert Time

While I complained grumpily about the kids making noise at night, my husband would frequently complain about them making noise in the morning.  I, not being bothered at all by morning noise, would shake my head and say, "They're kids.  Making noise is what they do."  The fact is, in the morning, after a full night's sleep, I feel ready to take on the world.  In fact, if there's a task that I need to finish, and I start to get tired at night, I will frequently set my alarm a little earlier the next morning so that I can get up and work on it when I'm feeling fresh and energized.  Which I don't feel at night.  Ever.  But in the morning...aahh...in the morning...nothing stresses me out.  I can do anything...in the morning.

Not Necessarily an Early Riser

Maybe other morning people experience this differently, but I at least do not jump out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.  If I'm awakened from a deep sleep, the only thing I want in that moment is to return to that blissful state.  I do not want to get out of bed.  That is not what being a morning person means to me.  And it also doesn't mean that I'm up before sunrise every single day.  I occasionally sleep late (and by late I mean 8:30).  But when I do get up, all it takes for me to be completely awake and ready to start my day is being upright for about five minutes.  I don't even need coffee.  I drink it, but only because it is part of my morning routine and I like the taste.  I could easily switch to decaf and still be able to function perfectly well in the morning.  In fact I do drink decaf quite a bit because it prevents insomnia.

Any other morning people out there?  I would love to hear from you.  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know about your personal experience.

Also remember that you can follow me on Twitter for updates on this blog and all of my other projects.

The Practical vs. the Artistic: A Look at Two Conflicting Worldviews

The Practical

Your name is Carla.  You were a good student in school, which enabled you to get into a decent college.  While choosing your major, your only thought was, "What will allow me to have a stable career and a reliable source of income for me and my family?" On graduation you immediately found a good nine to five job with good pay and great benefits.  You married, bought a house, and had a couple of kids.  Because you work for such an amazing employer, you were able to take plenty of time off when each child was born.  Also, because of your great job, your family has never had to worry about being able to pay medical bills.  Your insurance covers everything.

You have no regrets about your career choices.  Your job allows you to provide for your family and that, after all, is the most important reason for having a job to begin with.  And when you leave work, you truly leave work.  You don't bring it home with you.  As a mother and homemaker, you are amazing.  You come home in the evening, throw a load of laundry in the washer, and oversee the children's homework while you work on preparing dinner.  Your meals are never fancy, but they are filling and the kids think they taste good.  After dinner you usher the kids off to the bath while you diligently wash every dirty dish in the kitchen.  You follow up with a quick wipe-down of counters and table just in time to say goodnight to the children.  Then you decide to watch a little television while you fold the clothes that you just washed.  Afterward, you go to bed and prepare to do it all again tomorrow.  In your humble opinion, you have a very good life.

The Artistic

Let's fast-forward twenty years.  Your name is Anna.  Carla is your mother.  You and she could not be more different.  You are anything but organized.  Like your mother, you also made good grades in school, but only because you were fascinated with what you were learning.  And when you decided what your major would be in college you primary concern was, "What am I passionate about?  What will I find fulfilling?"  You chose to study something incredibly impractical, but you loved every minute of it.  After college, you worked a few different jobs just to get money to pay the bills while you waited for your true career to take off.  You eventually got married and had kids, which required you to lay aside your dreams for a little while, but you never intended to neglect them forever.

Now the kids are getting older, and it's time for you to get on with your life.  You revive old hobbies that you once loved in the hopes that one of them will turn into an incredible career.  Your day-job is only part-time, but you do not suffer from having less money.  You are happy to drive an old car and find no shame at all in occasionally buying a dress from a thrift store.  It's all worth it.  After all, there is nothing more important that being fulfilled in your life, and you know that money is not the source of ultimate happiness.  You are pursuing more lofty goals than simple financial security.

The Conflict

You are Carla.  You look at your daughter, and the word that usually comes to mind is "flighty." You wonder if she will ever grow up.  When she was a child, you were happy to provide her with piano lessons and dance classes because you knew she would cherish those memories for a lifetime.  But now that she is an adult, you wish that she would just settle down.  You cringe when you see how your grandchildren are dressed, and you constantly remind your daughter that if she would just fold the clothes as soon as they came out of the dryer, they would not get so wrinkled.  When Anna responds that she doesn't have time to do that, you think back over your own life and remember how you always made time.  You can't understand why Anna won't make time as well.

You are Anna.  You look at your mother and think to yourself, "What a miserable existence."  You remember those years when your children were small and you had no time for anything that did not include diapers and laundry and play dates and bath time.  You would not trade that time for anything in the world, because that was quality time that you spent with your kids.  But you know that you could never have been happy doing that indefinitely.  You just need a little bit more from life.  Of course, you still spend time with your children now that they are older, but it's different.  In fact, it's more fulfilling because you can share with them all of your many interests and passions.  You look back on your own childhood and wish that your mother had taken the time to share those things with you.  You wonder why she never did.  You also wonder why your mother never indulges in those passions now that she is older.  After all, a retired woman with grown children should have plenty of time for hobbies.  But Carla doesn't have hobbies.  You don't understand this.  You think she is selling herself short.  You think that she poured so much of herself into raising her family that now there is nothing left of the person she used to be.  You almost pity her for that.

Other Scenarios

It's not always the mother who is the practical one and the daughter who is the artistic one.  Sometimes it's the other way around.  And the resentment can still exist when the tables are turned.  Sometimes the daughter resents the time her mother spent on all of her little hobbies instead of spending that time with her family.  Sometimes the mother thinks her daughter is squandering her potential by working a steady "sensible" job instead of following her dreams.  Sometimes this conflict erupts between fathers and sons, or even among siblings or close friends. 

Must There Be Conflict?

The obvious question here is: why?  Why must Carla and Anna judge each other so harshly?  Why can't Carla be proud of all of her daughter's many talents and just accept that keeping her clothes wrinkle-free is not one of them?  Why can't Anna see that her mother is happy in her life?  Why can't she accept that Carla does not need any kind of creative outlet to be fulfilled?  Just knowing that she did a good job taking care of her family is enough for her.

In truth these two women should be very happy for each other, celebrating each other's strengths and accepting each other's weaknesses.  After all, everyone has weaknesses, right?  So there's no need for us to judge someone else just because they are bad at something that we do well.  Or even because their priorities are slightly different from ours.  The truth is we are all different.  Anna cannot force herself to be like her mother.  Giving up the things she loves to do would be too painful.  And Carla cannot force herself to be like Anna.  Spending all of her time on things that she does not consider important would just make her life unnecessarily stressful. 

I'm sure everyone has seen this conflict in one form or another.  So the next time you are looking at someone else's lifestyle and thinking to yourself, "I just don't understand people like that," ask yourself why.  Is there something fundamentally wrong with the way that other person has decided to live, or is it just different from what you would do?  Remember that different does not mean bad.  It just means different.



Don't forget to follow me on Twitter for updates on this blog and all of my other projects/passions/hobbies...

What Kind of Supernatural Fan Are You?

Two Kinds of Fans

No, I am not asking whether you prefer Sam or Dean, though that is a valid way to categorize Supernatural fans.  But when I look at people's comments online and read people's blogs about the show, I see another organizational system emerging.  I have come to group fans by which season they like the best.

Based on my observations, I have come to the conclusion that Supernatural fans basically fall into two broad categories: those who say seasons one and two are their favorite seasons, and those who prefer seasons four and five.  Yes, I know, a true fan loves every season of the show, but which one is your favorite?  I'm sure you have one.  And I'd be willing to bet you would choose one of the four that I've just mentioned.

Why do these seem to be the favorites?

If you are a fan of the show, I don't think I need to explain to you how truly powerful season two was.  And I personally tend to lump season one with it because the two seasons together basically formed one story that culminated in...well, I won't spoil it for anyone who may not have watched it yet.  Season three, for me at least, seemed to be a bit of a letdown after the spectacular ending of season two.  But of course, that's just my opinion.

And then came season four, and the beginning of a whole new story arc.  Okay, technically it was a continuation of the events set in motion in the very first episode, but if you watch the show you know that a lot changed in season four.  The mood was different.  The consequences of Sam and Dean's actions were on a much larger scale.  The survival of the very world was at stake.  This continued until the end of season five, after which the show went into a couple of awkward seasons where the writers seemed to be trying to figure out where to go next.  After all, where do you go after you've just saved the world from...oh yeah, I promised no spoilers.

Which one is my favorite?

I have to say that I will always prefer seasons one and two.  Why?  The first reason is that I'm a horror movie buff, and I was attracted to a TV show that was based on my favorite genre.  This was something that made Supernatural somewhat unique in the beginning.  Do you remember how spooky the episodes were back then?  There was a creep factor there that just doesn't seem to be present in the show anymore.  Starting with season four, the show began incorporating more fantasy elements into the plotline, and leaving some of the horror behind.  I think this was probably necessary.  After all, how many times could Sam and Dean clean a haunted house before that story started getting old?  And don't get me wrong, I like the more recent seasons too.  I enjoy fantasy from time to time.  After all, who doesn't want to cheer for their team in the epic battle between good and evil?  But if given the choice, I'll take creepy over action packed any day.

The second reason I prefer seasons one and two is that I am a stickler for consistency, and the first two seasons of Supernatural followed very logically on one another.  The story arc never took any odd twists that made me stop and ask, "What a minute...what about (fill in the blank here)."  Season four, in my opinion, seemed to take the story in a direction that it had not intended to go in the beginning.  Again, no spoilers, but think about Sam and his psychic abilities.  Think about how the nature of those abilities changed in season four.  Now, you can argue that it was all due to the events at the end of season two.  Those events changed things for Sam and so afterward he needed to...oops, that would be a spoiler.  But anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't buy it.  Where Sam ended up at the end of season five just did not seem to be where he was supposed to be going in seasons one and two.  But again, that's just my opinion.

Please remember, of course, what I said in the beginning about real Supernatural fans.  I am a real fan, and so I have loved all seasons.  I just have a special place in my heart for those early episodes.

And you?

So what are you?  Are you a seasons one and two fan, or a seasons four and five fan?  Or do you fit my categories at all?  Maybe you prefer seasons eight and nine.  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree with my analysis of this great series.  Just remember to keep it positive.  We fans have got to stick together!


Don't forget to follow me on Twitter if you want updates about this blog.  Also, check out my paranormal mystery, Amelia's Children, now available on Amazon Kindle.

10 Tips to Help You Become Fluent in a Second Language

Let me begin by saying that I am not offering a quick fix here.  Learning a new language is hard, time-consuming work.  It will not happen overnight, regardless of what method you use.  I also need to emphasize that just one of the following suggestions taken in isolation will probably not get you to your goal.  A combined approach is best.  So, now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let's get to the list.

These are not in any particular order.

1. Use a language-learning website or app.  I have used Duolingo and Memrise and found them both to be very effective, though in different ways.  Memrise is generally better for expanding your vocabulary, while Duolingo is great for improving your grammar.  Used in combination, you get the best of both.

2. Read books in your target language.  I've heard a lot of arguments regarding when you should try to do this.  Many people say that you should get a firm grasp of grammar and have at least a modest vocabulary before attempting to read an actual book.  While I understand these arguments, I also feel the need to point out that when I began studying Spanish four years ago, the first thing I did was grab a book and start reading.  What book?  La última cáncion (The Last Song) by Nicholas Sparks.  I admit that it was a grueling process.  In the beginning it took nearly an hour to read one page!  However, the more I read the easier it became until now I can read entire books in Spanish without the need of a dictionary.  I also feel that I have a stronger understanding of the flow of the language because I immersed myself in books from the very beginning.

3. Listen to music in your target language.  People laugh when I suggest this one, but it really does work.  Why?  Think about it.  Have you ever had a song stuck in your head?  When you do, does it make you want to sing the lyrics?  Well, the same thing happens when the song is in another language.  It makes you want to learn the words so you can sing along.  And once you've learned how to pronounce all of them, you find yourself wanting to know what they mean.  So you look them up.  And because you've already memorized the song lyrics, you'll remember what those words mean for a very long time.

4. Watch movies and television shows in your target language.  This can be one of the more discouraging ways to study a language because the people on television just seem to talk way too fast.  I watched telenovelas for years before I got to a point where I could understand what was being said.  My only advice here is to stick with it because you will make progress, even if it's so slow you feel like you're standing still.  This is an opportunity to practice your listening skills, which is one of the hardest things to do when studying a new language.

5. Take a class.  This is the most obvious method, but it can also be one of the more expensive methods.  True confession time here:  I have never taken a Spanish class.  Do I want to?  Absolutely.  I've just never set aside the time or the money to do it.  What I can tell you is that you can learn on your own pretty much everything that you would learn in a class.  The difference is that, without the teacher to guide you, you have to discipline yourself to study.  That discipline can be extremely difficult, especially when you're plugging through pages and pages of verb conjugations that just don't seem to want to stick in your head.  So if you have the time an money, I would recommend taking a class.  Just remember that if a class is not an option for you right now, you can learn in other ways.  Don't give up.

6. Join a conversation group in your area.  This one may not be an option for everyone.  The town you live in may not have enough people who speak your target language to have a group like this.  And even if they do, finding them may be difficult.  The first place I would go to find out would be meetup.com.  You might just find something, and if you do this is a great opportunity to practice what you have learned.

7. Get a good grammar book.  These are everywhere, and should be easy to find.  My main advice here is to be aware of your level.  If you are just starting out, get a book that clearly states that it teaches basic grammar. You don't want to put too many rules into your head all at once because you'll just get confused and won't remember them.

8. Try language-learning software.  Rosetta Stone is the obvious one here, but there are others.  Some are very expensive, some more affordable.  I have used Rosetta Stone and liked it, but it is not the only method I have used for studying Spanish.  Shop around and find out what will work best for you.

9. Incorporate your target language into your daily life.  What most people think of when they hear this one is tacking sticky notes with vocabulary words all over their house.  That is certainly one way to do it, but there are others.  You could talk to your dog in your target language.  You could use your target language for writing out your shopping list.  If you have small children, you could speak to them in your target language. (I say small children because mine were already school age when I began studying Spanish, and they quickly grew tired of me constantly talking to them in a language they did not understand.)

10. Travel to a country where your target language is spoken.  I saved this one for last because, while it is the best way to learn a language, it is not realistic for everyone.  I have been to a Spanish-speaking country once, and that was over three years ago.  I wish I could go again, but that's just not an option right now.  What I want everyone to know is that, if you are using a few of the above suggestions, international travel is not absolutely necessary.  Fun...yes.  Educational...absolutely.  But not necessary.  So if you want to learn Italian but don't think you'll ever make it to Italy, don't despair.  You can still become fluent in that language.  And if you ever do get to take that trip, you'll be more than ready.

If you are struggling to learn a new language, I hope that these suggestions have been helpful.  Remember, have patience. It can take years, but it's so rewarding. That moment when you're watching television and you realize you can understand ninety percent of what is being said is indescribable.  So pick two or three of these, and start today!


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