As a millennial with a knack for creativity, you want to seek out every opportunity to improve your craft, develop new skills and learn as much as you can. No matter how many hours you spend alone writing that book, fine tuning original songs or sketching, nothing beats getting out there and attending events that will help further your talents. Look no further than this list of events that can assist you in the journey.

1. Lakefront Festival of Art

June 16th-18th, 2017

Milwaukee Art Museum Grounds

Milwaukee, WI

lfoa.mam.org

One of the top 20 art festivals in the country, the Lakefront Festival of Art is an ideal event for all art lovers. Showcasing paintings, ceramics, fiber, metalwork, jewelry and more, attendees can explore and introduce themselves to various, unique pieces of different mediums, chat with the artists, and be inspired for their own works. Food and live music, right off of beautiful Lake Michigan, top off the exciting 3-day event. Be on the lookout for information on the 2017 event here.

2. Photoshop World Conference 2017

April 20-22, 2017

Orange County Convention Center

Orlando, FL

photoshopworld.com

Photography enthusiasts, rejoice! If you are serious about photography and/or photo editing and want to learn more about your craft while getting hands-on experience from the best in the business, you need to be at Photoshop World this April. Self-titled as “The World’s Largest Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photography Conference,” you are given the invaluable opportunity to learn directly from accomplished, professional photographers and retouchers, editors and contributors of Photoshop and Lightroom publications, among others.

The conference kicks off with Adobe’s Opening Keynote Presentation, led by the people who actually make Photoshop, Lightroom and all of the Creative Cloud apps. In addition to numerous workshops that focus on various aspects of photography and retouching, the conference also offers a handful of exciting events, which include: an after-hours event the first night, allowing you to mix and mingle with instructors and attendees, enjoy a buffet dinner and drinks and a live music performance, portfolio reviews with the conference instructors, and live, natural light shoots for you to photograph various subjects. To top it all off, the conference is held at Orange County Convention Center, bringing you within walking distance from shops, nightclubs and restaurants to enjoy during downtime. Purchase your tickets here.

3. Gotham Writers Free Events

Various dates and locations

Beginning January 4th- January 22nd, 2017

New York, NY

writingclasses.com

Dive into your passion for creative writing with a number of free workshops offered through New York’s Gotham Writers Workshop. Established in 1993, the company describes itself as a “creative home in New York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the spirit of discovery and fellowship.” Gotham Writers is a perfect resource for developing and improving your writing skills from experienced pros through its wide range of courses, and for the month of January, it is offering open houses of its facilities, with free one-hour classes in various courses. You can meet their instructors and get $30 off your first 6 or 10-week class.  Later in the month, Gotham Writers will also be offering free classes in fiction writing, writing scripts 101 and creative writing 101. Find the open house date/class for you here.

4. “minor matter” by Ligia Lewis

Various Dates and Locations

January and March 2017

ligialewis.com

Experience this performance that infuses dance, visual arts and theater to expose and raise questions regarding today’s time of anti-blackness. Created and choreographed by Berlin-based Ligia Lewis, in minor matter “three performers work towards a regime of time and space that builds on minor aesthetics through a dynamic interplay of the theater’s parts. . . minor matter inhabits the black box saturated with the fugitivity of black expression.” The show will be in New York City in January and both Chicago and Cincinnati in March. Click here for more information.

5. 2017 Lake FX Summit and Expo

April 21-22, 2017

Chicago Cultural Center

Chicago, IL

lakefxchicago.org

Marketed as “the Midwest’s largest free convening of artists and creative entrepreneurs,” the Lake FX Summit + Expo is a free conference for artists, creative professionals and entrepreneurs.

Last year, the event included keynotes by industry leaders, music and film showcases,  professional development panels and workshops, networking opportunities at the Lake FX expo, portfolio reviews, and more. Check the event’s Facebook page for upcoming information and updates on the 2017 event.

MADE by India McMiller