Whether you’re off work or working from home, learning a new skill can be a great way to deal with the restrictions to our daily lives brought on by the need to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Take a look at these small businesses that could open your eyes to a new hobby, or even a career change.

Make Cheese With Paula

The name says it all. Make Cheese with Paula lets you learn how to make cheese, with Paula Maddison. Paula grew up on a farm and has been making her own cheese since she was a girl. She offers in-person private classes, following COVID-19 safety protocols, at her home on Gabriola Island, and sells cheese making kits on her website. Homemade ricotta cheesecake, anyone?

Lola English

In multicultural B.C., many people are looking for ways to improve their English language skills. If you’re stuck at home, this could be the perfect time to brush up on your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation skills with a one-to-one online English tutor. Based out of Vancouver, Lola English helps you learn at your own pace and toward your language goals, whether those are to improve your conversational English or boost your confidence at work.

Fine Art Bartending

If you watched Tom Cruise in “Cocktail” and thought, “I could do that,” now’s your chance. Fine Art Bartending has been catering to wannabe Tom Cruises in Vancouver for 40 years, and they’re not letting a pandemic stop them aiming for another 40. These days, classes follow COVID-19 safety protocols to keep participants safe. You can take an intro course to get a taste of being a bartender, or go all-in and take their full Bartender Certification Course. Cheers!

Dreamist Studio

Whether you want to release your inner van Gogh or just mess around with paint and pens, an online beginners’ course in drawing and painting through Dreamist Studio could be a great place to start. The 8-week “Art Exploration” program will help you explore your artistic side and get tips on everything from urban sketching to landscape illustration. Even better, you can submit your creations to instructors for their personal feedback.

West Coast Skies

If you’re interested in exploring your spiritual side, Jodie Miller started West Coast Skies to share her love of mythology. Online group courses in Tarot Card Reading and Astrology, as well as in-person courses in Vancouver and Salt Spring Island, let her pass on the knowledge she gained from her Master’s degree in Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred. Jodie’s online store sells a range of pendants, and she can also be booked for a personal Tarot Card Reading.

Beethoven at Home

There’s no better time to learn an instrument. Even if you work full-time from home, the boss will never know if you take five minutes to turn Guitar God and work on the intro riff from “Stairway to Heaven.” (The neighbours might, of course.) Beethoven at Home’s name sets high expectations, but the Vancouver-based school of music offers music classes for all levels. Find an online teacher for everything from the accordion to the xylophone.

These are tough times, but stepping away from your news feed for a little while to learn something new could make the pandemic a little easier to cope with. And by supporting local businesses, you’re helping your community through the pandemic, too. Find more courses and other local businesses at BC Marketplace.