I'm not a very 'arty' person. I know this because I'll be impressed by most artworks I see (while…read moreother more discerning people screw up their faces) and the only thing I can draw with consistency is Homer Simpson's head. But I have found myself at this 'artists' art shop' on a a couple of occasions and found it really useful. The first time was to get some paint to cover up a scratch at an old rental property (which shall remain nameless). I took a photo of the paint and the staff happily helped me match it to a suitable paint. Thanks guys -- I got the whole security deposit back! The other occasion went to get some wrapping paper for a wedding gift. Turns out you can get brown craft paper for 80 cents/metre, which figures out much cheaper than buying wrapping paper at other shops. #WINNING!

This place is heaven for the next budding Picasso or Matisse. Stocking a vast amount of canvases,…read moreeasels, water colours, paints, glitter and stencils at wholesale prices (A.K.A. ridiculously cheap!). Whether you're young or not-quite-so-young, this place has all your arty needs catered for. There are stacks of body and face paints, as well as rows upon rows of calico. They advertise art classes around Brisbane, such as life drawing, photography workshops and they even host kids' creative workshops. So it's well worth dropping in to see what's happening in the art world in and around Brisbane.

What a Find... the most amazing, hidden away gem, underground & unexpected. A range all foodies…read morewill drool over and every food place will be 'so jealous of'. The service couldn't be equalled. The food Amazing! Don't tell anyone..

From the owner: Birrang Coffee serves incredible speciality coffee roasted locally in Brendale by Cleanskin Coffee…read moreCompany. We use Cleanskin's Old School blend. The blend contains beans from Papua New Guinea Okapa, Columbian Santa Isabel and Ethiopian Yirgachaffe Konga. The combination of these beans in the blend creates a cup that is rich and caramel with spiced fruit and milk chocolate flavours

I recently read that dabbling makes you a better business person. Maybe they made it up for the…read morepurpose of their buzz word filled article, but I genuinely love the idea of being able to dabble in all types of things from arts and crafts to social psychology and photography. Thankfully, organisations like Laneway Learning make this possible. Having watched Melbourne based friends, via gloating Instagram feeds, trundle off to Laneway Learning classes it was exciting to learn they were establishing a chapter here in the Sunshine State. It's early days and the classes are still building but it seems that each week there's something new to take your dabbling fancy. My first Laneway Lesson was in the art of Miso. For $15 ($12 for the class, $3 for materials) it was a reasonably affordable night in the heart of the CBD at Bean Cafe. Gav, Bean's owner, kept the cafe open and students could buy a cold brew coffee or wine. Each teacher is just finding their feet and there's allowances that must be made during this period. I was a little disappointed that one of the recipes our teacher shared was "just from Google". I expressed this in my feedback form as, call me a cranky old woman, but with the teacher being Japanese herself, I would have loved to take home her own recipe. But like I said, allowances must be given as everyone finds their feet and way. I learnt a few tips and tricks and have experimented making miso marinated hard boiled eggs, miso soup for breakfast and more since the class. I'm really looking forward to hopefully making it along to more classes including the one to make lemon curd and another to learn more about typography. Happy Dabbling!

I have recently attended a haircuts class, organised by Laneway Learning Team. I was surprised how…read moreprofessionally the class has been organised by the team, as well as how professional was Sara Courtney, an instructor who lead the course. The class was held in friendly environment of the Bean cafe and I have received a lot of satisfaction and useful information from the class. Thankfully to Sara, I now know a secrets of how to make great Hollywood stars level haircuts in just 10 minutes. A bit thanks to Laneway Learning Team, personally to Sara Courtney for organising such a beautiful class! Hope to see you soon! :)))))

This may not be the university for the real world, but this is the place you go to follow your…read moredreams in the face of everyone asking you how you're going to get a job afterwards. This is the place to go when the desire to work in a creative field outweighs logic and parental approval. This is the place to study fine arts, design, photography, sculpture and a myriad of visual arts. As a professional student, I've enjoyed walking the paths of many educational institutions. There's been University of Queensland, Southbank institute of Technology and Macquarie University but none compare to Griffith, Queensland College of Art. On the exterior, the QCA is in desperate need of refurbishment - walls need to be repainted, the main shoebox building should be razed and resurrected taller, angular with a funky facade made of colourful panels and glass. Strip back its worn exterior though and you'll find plenty of resources to help you achieve your career goals. The college has three gallery spaces at the Southbank campus for student exhibitions. They facilitate regular educational seminars through their network with industry and international art schools. The relative smallness of the campus promotes a sense of community and encourages collaboration across creative disciplines. I remember during my time studying an animation degree, I decided to exhibit some ceramic pieces. Even though I was not enrolled in the ceramics course, the staff from that department was extremely generous sharing their knowledge and equipment for my project. So if you've ever thought your childhood scribbles had potential or if you were begging your parents for acrylic paints by the time you were five because of the limitations of crayons, perhaps now is the time to consider a creative career.

Let your creativity flow and don't be afraid to dream. At Queensland College of Art you'll be able…read moreto develop yourself as an artist as you grow up. Let your imagination free and express yourself in your own way.