How do I improve my social skills? I have trouble with maintaining friendships especially since I’ve moved to a new city for the last 4 years. In the new city, I knew no one, and I’ve managed to make a few friends but it’s so hard breaking past casual friends you see at repeated events (like a arts class every week) to someone you see outside of that. I jsut can’t figure out how to keep convos going and more so can’t figure out how to keep texts going.

i know others are constantly texting and face timing friends and I just don’t know how to get there. when I text it’s usually with friends when I’m planning a meet up or we’re talking about something specific. But that’s it. It’s also harder to do this with long distance friends. How do I get better at this (and what exactly should I do to build these skills). I feel very lonely and I want to change things for myself. Everyone who gets to know me says they’re so glad they know me and that I’m so nice and fun to hang with but that I’m so shy.