7 apps to help you learn a new creative skill

Are you a poet and you know it? Do you have undiscovered musical talents? With so many brilliant apps out there, it's easier than ever to find a new skill and teach yourself using apps and the odd YouTube video.

Read on to find an Android or iPhone app to help you learn a new creative skill.

Android and iOS, free (in-app purchases)

Eager to start writing stories, but find yourself bereft of inspiration? This inventive creative writing app is great for getting rid of writer’s block. Three spinning wheels each feature plot/conflict, theme/setting and subject/location – give them a spin and you can generate story ideas that’ll help give your creativity the boost it needs.

Download the app from Google Play or iTunes.

Android, free

Get in touch with your inner David Hockney with this acrylic painting app that will soon have you playing about with the real thing. Easy-to-follow videos and tutorials take you from the very basics through to more sophisticated tasks, such as painting portraits and still lives.

Download the app from Google Play.

iOS, free

We all yearn for the singing voice of Kate Bush or Whitney Houston, but sadly some of us are not in their league. This learn-to-sing app however aims to have even the most fog-horned of us sounding like an angel in no time. Vanido sets up daily exercises for you, and you can pick which songs you’d like to practise with.

Download the app for iPhones.

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iOS, £2.99

With 20 instructional videos that take you, step by step, through the five classical ballet positions, this app will soon have you dancing with the decorative grace of Darcy Bussell. The videos start easy, becoming more difficult as they go on, but they’re nicely short, so it never feels too punishing.

Download the app from iTunes.

Android and iOS, £5.99

If you have an itch to start writing poetry, or simply want to learn more about it, then this must-have app will make your life a lot easier. It boasts an ideas generator that produces words based on your mood, an up-to-date dictionary and thesaurus and an audio recorder that allows you to practise reading your poems aloud.

Download the app from GooglePlay and iTunes.

Android and iOS, free

This beginner’s app allows you to learn, step-by-step, the basics of playing the piano, from reading sheet music to playing with both hands. Place your phone or tablet on your piano and the app will immediately recognise which notes you’re playing. But don’t worry if you don’t have access to a real piano, as the app also allows you to play its touch-sensitive on-screen keyboard.

Download the app on GooglePlay and iTunes.

Android and iOS, £5.99

iOS, free

Most knitting apps tend to cater for seasoned knitters only, but thankfully this one is open to all. With easy-to-understand instructions and with lots of new patterns added every month, this is a great app for beginners or those that want to get back into the knitting game after a long time away.

Download the app from iTunes.

Words by Steve O'Brien

Photo by Daria Tumanova on Unsplash