Wanting to be an artist or creative is step one. Following through means investing in learning your craft, but we’ve heard from so many aspiring artists and creatives who feel unsure about where to start and so we’re incredibly grateful to the artists and creatives who’ve agreed to share their stories of how they learned their craft.

Megan Lotz

Being an educator not only means you are getting to help others learn something new, but that you are also constantly learning new things. While I studied wildlife biology and ecology and other related topics, and spent a lot of time hiking, camping, kayaking, and just spending time in nature in general, it was more learning how to engage with incredibly diverse audiences as someone who always considered herself to be not a people person. Read more>>

Teri Swinhart

I have always loved working with my hands and knew I wanted to pursue a career in art from a pretty young age. I have an incredibly supportive family and when I was in high school my grandparents were kind enough to gift me a beginning torchworking class at The Vinery (a small glassworking studio in Madison, WI). I fell in love with the process and ended up pursuing both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Glass Sculpture. Read more>>

Chere Brower

I learned my first fiber art technique (knitting) on a trip to see family when I was 13 years old. I remember seeing my younger cousin working on something and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. When I asked her to teach me, what resulted was a few hours of multiple ladies surrounding me and working hard to impart their knowledge. I was a third of the way into my first scarf when I left that trip and I was hooked on crafting. Read more>>

Fermata Blaize

Last week, I released my first single, Cleanse The Soul, under the musical alias, Fermata Blaize. I have several other tracks in the chute ready to go. I am beyond excited to have taken this first step as a musician and songwriter. I’ve been working towards this time for years, and I know, in many ways, I’m at the very beginning. Read more>>

Mikel Arrindell

Being self-taught in this field of design is rewarding yet frustrating. With every project there’s a small whisper of doubt that creeps in, allowing a moment or two for you to second-guess yourself. Yet the relief and accomplishment outweigh those thoughts every single time. Learning to lean into that doubt has been the most challenging part. Read more>>

Amy Weil

When I was an art student at Tyler School of Art, I was working primarily in oil paint. I loved the medium and the wonderful fluidity and viscosity of oils but was always frustrated with the slow drying time. there were a couple of students at the time who were working in encaustic and I admired their work but continued to explore oils to push my ideas. It wasn’t until many years later, that I began to use encaustic paint. Read more>>

Gary Hunter

When I first started, I wanted to just have a business in addition to my corporate career. I am a convicted felon and never thought id be head hunted for a job. Especially… Amazon! I beat out several hundred people from all over the country to become the Facilities Coordinator at a new Amazon location. Read more>>

Vivian Sofia Mora

When I first started thinking about earning an income with my art, I felt very overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the current technology-driven industry. Although I had some experience in graphic design and related softwares, I came with a background in traditional studio practices. Early on in my journey to be a full-time artist, it became clear that I needed to learn a whole new set of skills and software programs. Read more>>

Elena Martini

I’ve learned everything I know over time. I have done several artistic workshop over time but I didn’t attend the art academy. So , over the time , I continued to paint, draw and improve myself every time. Every times I finished a painting I always found something I would have done differently , and in this way I improved my art. Read more>>

Jorge Mascarenhas

I’ve always liked to draw and since a very young age knew that I wanted to be a professional artist. My father used to draw comics about his fictions soccer league and that was a major inspiration. He was also a big influence when it came to work discipline and loving what you do. I did not have formal art training until I took my first college class. Read more>>

Dominique Noelle

In this industry you never stop learning. From the evolution of products and application techniques, whenever you feel you have mastered your art there is always more to learn. The way I keep updated is by looking to the past, imagining the future and supporting the beauty creatives of the present. Read more>>

Amy Wetterlin

I grew up in a household that did not celebrate holidays (except Thanksgiving) or birthdays. I didn’t have toys or anything to play with. My dad would bring home blank pads of paper from his job and give them to me, and it’s there that i learned to draw and create. I spent hours drawing. I learned to copy things first. Read more>>

Lawrence Q Hu

Growing up in the early 2000s and 2010s, I was exposed (pun intended) to film photography. Usually in the form of disposable cameras sent to Walgreens for processing, my parents regularly put together albums of their and our family’s lives throughout the years. I never really got my hands on anything until the advent of the smartphone and, while lacking in functionality we’re accustomed to now, was exposed to photography for the first time. Read more>>

Lawrence Whitener

In 2012, NYC Acting Coach Tom Todoroff challenged me to become a full-time Actor. Because of him, in 2013 I was cast In author David Baldacci’s “Wish You Well” where David convinced me to follow my life-long dream dream of becoming a writer. I immediately signed up for Yale screenwriting professor Marc Lapadula’s class. While learning the art of screenwriting for four years, I also volunteered at my local television station where I became certified as a cameraman, director, and producer. Read more>>

Anthony (Maxx) Anderson

Growing up music was apart of my life. From having a father that was a DJ, and then went to work in television to taking band as an easy elective in high school music always had a part in my life. Read more>>

Parker Gibson

At the beginning I learned technical skills through print magazines like Advanced Photoshop Magazine, online blogs like Abduzeedo or PSDTuts and through other designers I met online. This started in 2008 and continued through 2012 for me focusing on photoshop and adobe illustrator while I was going to school. Read more>>

Katie Krell

When I first started dabbling with resin as an artistic medium, there weren’t many resources and not many artists willing to share secrets or knowledge about using resin artistically. It was still a pretty untapped medium. It was a long journey and a lot of money spent just experimenting on things that didn’t always turn out how I wanted them to. I eventually set it aside in frustration for a few years. Around the time of the pandemic I decided to get back into working with resin, having so much time on my hands! Read more>>

James Cardwell

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to elaborate on some of the things I’m passionate about. We previously spoke to my photography business, so today I’d like to share about my experience being a musician working in the DFW metroplex. I began playing guitar when I was around 10 years old. My older brother gave me an older Japanese Stratocaster knockoff, and I was captivated. Read more>>

Khrissy Briscoe

Learning the craft is so important. Always be a student of the game and willing to be open minded. Find someone you admire or are inspired by and follow their blueprint. In my opinion these steps are a key to success. Read more>>

Joanna Faivre

I have learned the craft of makeup in a professional school in Paris (Ecole de maquillage Avant-Scène) and that was one of the best decision of my life. To begin discovering the world of makeup, we first learned art, I drew, painted, played with primary colors and learned how to create 3d dimension using light and shadows, first on paper, then only on a person. That gave me a base technique and knowledge I couldn’t live without. Read more>>

Daniel Juravlea

When I first started learning how to create 3D artworks using Blender, I was fascinated by the limitless possibilities of expression it offered. Through my artworks, I was able to explore different concepts, convey emotions, and express my thoughts in a way that I couldn’t with traditional 2D forms. As I continued learning and practicing, I discovered the thrill of creating something new from scratch, of combining ideas and elements to create something unique, and of seeing my imaginations come to life. Read more>>

Cory Hayford

I learned about photography by taking a chance and investing in my craft. I did not know anything about a camera, but I knew I had a passion for photography and thought, why not? It never hurts to try. Knowing what I know now about photography, what I would have done to speed up the process is get into the community with more photographers and learn from them. Read more>>

Nicole Washington

I started working with clay on a whim and learned mostly through trial and error. I watched a few videos and bought some clay and went for it. Looking back I wouldn’t do much different except for more research. I would look into the different brands of clay and find nicer metals so they wouldn’t tarnish. Read more>>

Khalilah Sanders

Learning candle making during the pandemic was a great way to engage in a creative and productive activity. I started by researching different candle making techniques online, gathering the necessary materials such as wax, wicks, and fragrances, and researching the proper techniques in creating a high quality product. Read more>>

Stuart Loughridge

By learning the craft I think of the countless of hours and days that I have spent making a piece and having it not work out, for a number of reasons. This is the nature of investigating new mediums and trying new things. My finances are humbled by these errors, yet I keep at it. To investigate the craft often means sacrificing something, whether that be a trip with friends, an evening out, groceries, etc. Don’t let the sacrificial alter get dusty. Read more>>

Elizabeth Leitzke

I learned photography formally at the University of Miami where I earned a degree in Visual Communications. But overall, it’s a combination of my formal education and going on to learn on my own and from the local photography community. I’m not sure that I could have sped up the learning process, but I do know that if I had had a stronger foundation where photography is concerned, that it would have helped me make better use of my education. Read more>>

Dave Morgan

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that introduced me to my creativity at an early age. I grew up drawing and I mostly drew ninja turtles and battle scenes from fictional wars I’d create in my mind. I did it every day for years and that’s basically it. Read more>>

Michelle Sastraatmadja

I started getting into filmmaking while in undergrad at Pepperdine University. I went to Pepperdine having just left a BFA theater program in NYC and not knowing what I wanted to do in my life other than the fact that I knew I wanted to be a storyteller. So I just declared a major in media production, thinking that maybe I’ll be a reporter or something. Read more>>

Alexandria Linton

Not to sound cliche but I picked up a camera one day & dove into the craft head first. I knew absolutely nothing about a high quality/complex camera or an editing software, in fact somedays I feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface. I do not have an elaborate story to tell or a master plan to give you. Read more>>

Joseph “Joezart” Dozier Jr

I started learning the basics of music when I was about 6 years old. Over the years I’ve realized that the most valuable thing I could’ve done starting off was mastering how to play EVERY instrument in the world. The most essential skills in music from my perspective is songwriting & dynamic voice pitch control. Read more>>

Will Lord

Our band, American Megafauna, formed when three of our current members, Will, Aidan and Alex were all attending Southwestern University together. We were all enrolled in the music program and so even though we all had a lot to learn we were already competent enough on our instruments. So when we first got together and started jamming, we though it would be easy since we already knew what we were doing. Read more>>

Dave Sarabia

Art is always evolving and so do I. Understanding that idea was something I learned as I went through my art journey. Learning about myself allowed me to learn more art. Finding ways to relate everything back to art was a breakthrough for me to understanding the craft. Read more>>

Nathan Sebakijje

Here are some nuggets of advice I’d give on learning and honing your craft: Read more>>