52skillz celebrates a year of trying new things

For Stephen Robinson, exploring caves and driving go-karts with former pro racers have been part of the day-to-day in the past year.

As the creator of the 52skillz blog, Robinson set out last fall with the goal of learning a new skill every week for a year. Documenting the process via weekly videos and blog posts, the 52nd skill went live on Robinson’s website on Oct. 14.

“I had this massive list of things I wanted to do and never followed up on,” Robinson said. “I had no one to hold me accountable to finishing stuff, so I created the blog to make sure I followed through.”

Robinson said that he, like many people, accepted finishing their work or school day and watching TV instead of doing “super amazing shit.” According to him, it is social accountability that pushes people to do new and exciting things.

After a year of learning new things, Robinson said his first few weeks of not doing the blog have been somewhat uncomfortable.

“I’ve been going a bit stir crazy,” Robinson said, laughing. “It’ll be nice to not have a weekly deadline to hit, but it feels like my kid is leaving the nest.”

Robinson pointed to a trip to Detroit when he explored abandoned buildings as the most fun he’s had this year. He called climbing into the city’s various abandoned churches and apartment complexes, “one of the last true forms of exploration.”

In terms of the experience that would have the most lasting effect on him, Robinson said his experience surviving in the Amazon was above the rest.

“I went into the Amazon rainforest for three days with a machete, a guide and a backpack,” Robinson said. “That one gave a lot of perspective in terms of appreciation through deprivation.”

Skill #52 posed the biggest challenge for Robinson, as it involved constructing an enormous Rube Goldberg machine that would serve as a journey through the year and other 51 skills.

“I’d imagine that 200 to 300 hours went into that thing,” Robinson said. “I was really lucky that my buddy’s parents let me use their shop, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to do it.”

Entering the fifth year of a psychology degree, Robinson said that there are many ways that learning in the classroom can apply to the outside world. Promoting the series and marketing meant using the skills he gained in his psychology classes in a practical way. However, psychology wasn’t the only thing he learned.

“After the Rube Goldberg machine project, I can MacGyver anything now,” Robinson said. “Give me paper clips and a hot glue gun and I can make anything.”

Future entries on the website will focus on in-depth learning on specific skills, though he said he had many ideas, Robinson knew where he wants to start.

“One of the things I definitely want to do is become a zombie survival expert,” Robinson said, “so stay tuned for that.”

When asked about how others can start learning in the same way he did, Robinson gave the example of the skill that made him the most nervous. According to Robinson, he would never have gotten on stage to do stand up comedy without his support network.

“I think it’s important to find what interests you, then get some friends together who will make sure you do it,” Robinson said. “That’s how you do new things and get stuff done.”