Try Something New: Free or Cheap Online Classes From Local Experts

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Writing: Santa Rosa’s Dani Burlison, whose latest short-story collection “Some Places Worth Leaving” was published in February, is hosting several online literary events. Monday mornings, her drop-in writing group meets via Zoom to respond to a prompt and discuss what they’ve written. “I am not charging for this (especially for nurses and restaurant workers), but if folks feel like donating a buck or two, I have Venmo and PayPal and will happily accept what you can offer,” she says. Also coming up in June: Writing Through Crisis with Tomas Moniz. daniburlison.com/events. (Jessamyn Harris)

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Music: Musician Rachel Walters Steiner typically teaches voice, guitar, and ukulele at Petaluma School of Music, but now she and her fellow teachers are meeting students via laptop. “It’s important to keep singing, playing, and teaching during this time,” says Steiner. “The use of music to soothe souls is not going anywhere. It’s here to stay.” For now, Steiner says she’s tapping into the stories her grandparents shared about living during the Depression and World War II. “All their stories of getting by and having no clue of when life was going to be better... It’s about putting one foot in front of the other and finding fun.” petalumaschoolofmusic.net

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Cartooning: Sonoma has a rich ’tooning tradition, of course, and the current cartoonistin-residence at Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schulz Museum is leading free online drawing classes, no experience required. Each weekday, Joe Wos of MazeToons posts a YouTube video that leads folks through a new subject — goofy-looking dogs, imaginary monsters, jungle critters. Classes run about an hour or so, the perfect length for luring older kids back to the fun of pencil on paper. Wos, who has been drawing since he was 4 years old, has an easygoing, line-by-line manner of teaching that works even for the most hopelessly non-artsy. Give it a try schulzmuseum.org/howtotoon.

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Fitness: The popular sweat-drenching workouts provided by Sonoma Fit gyms in Sonoma and Petaluma are now available online (for free!) via Sonoma Fit’s YouTube channel. Classes range from high-intensity interval training to low-impact strength workouts to yin yoga classes that preserve your physical and mental well-being. sonomafitness.com. (Courtesy photo)

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And Santa Rosa’s new Rise Cycle Co., which opened just five weeks before shelter-in-place orders took effect, has stepped up with free streaming stationary bike workouts as well as a pair of easy mat classes that don’t call for any special equipment. risecycleco.com. (Courtesy photo)

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Cooking: Michael Volpatt of Guerneville’s Big Bottom Market chose to meet the boredom of sheltering in place at his home with a slate of delicious recipes, live- streamed for friends, regular customers, and anyone else to follow along. Roasted carrots with turmeric and honey, gluten- free apple-almond tarts, and penne with roasted garlic and lemon cream are just what the doctor ordered. facebook.com/bigbottommarket. (Alvin Jornada)

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Gardening for food: With all the time we're spending at home and in our backyards, victory gardens are making a comeback. Gardening is a way to stay busy and build self-reliance in uncertain times. And you don't need a lot of space to grow a little bit of food. Sue Lovelace, a Sonoma County Master Gardener who specializes in home-grown food, suggests starting small with a raised bed or a few pots with beans, tomatoes, or herbs. "When you grow it yourself, you know how old it is and how fresh it is," says Lovelace. sonomamg.ucanr.edu

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Knitting: It’s been said that knitting is good for mental health, and Santa Rosa’s Cast Away Yarn Shop is ready to answer the call. They maintain a knitting pattern website (place-marker.com) with downloadable projects at a range of levels from beginner to expert. Mother-daughter owners Justine Malone and Cleo Malone will also mail orders to fiber crafters who need supplies like yarn, needles, hooks, carry bags, and more from the store's many high-quality offerings. castawayyarnshop.com