Deviating from industry norms is one of the most common characteristics we’ve seen among highly successful brands and professionals and so we’ve asked some brilliant folks to give us real life examples of how they do things differently from the industry standard.

Alex Ubatuba

I had a growing interest of how to work with glass. The material always fascinated me when I was growing up. As a teenager, I began collecting glass pipes . I met a pipe maker and bought a piece off of him on the lot of a Widespread show at UIC in 1997. At that point I realized, these were made by a person and there was a lifestyle attached to creating these objects. Summer of 2000 I signed up for a couple of glass blowing classes through the Art Institute of Chicago. After successfully creating some basic objects, I brought my finished pieces to two local glass artists in my hometown. They recognized some skill and sold me one of their torches. From there on I was wanting to learn as much as I can and eventually took on an apprenticeship with them. Read more>>

Danielle Alhassid

Animation is magic! I arrived to NYC from Amsterdam in 2018 for an exchange program at the Cooper Union. I took a stop motion class and fell in love when I discovered my paintings could move. I learned how to connect one image to the next and suddenly they came alive. After that I couldn’t do anything else. Every material I worked with “asked” me to become a film. Read more>>

Andrien Trujillo

I started learning photography pretty early, before high school. My uncle was a photographer and my uncle and aunt had a mail in film processing business; and starting learn from him. He gave me some dark room equipment and showed me b/w and color processing. Let just say I was the only student in high school doing color printing. After high school I went to community college and then finished at Rochester institute of Technology for my bachelors degree. There I learned the basics. Upon graduating I was hired through an alumni placement program and started working for a Studio where I assisted multiple photographers. Read more>>

Judy Campbell-Smith

I have been writing stories ever since I was a little kid, but I always kept my stories for myself because I was scared to let anyone read it. It wasn’t until a family member asked me to write a children’s book for publication that discovered I really liked writing for kids. I reached out to an established author for advice, and she encouraged me to join the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Through SCBWI, I was able to connect with other writers and join a critique group to get feedback on my writing. I also started taking webinars and taking courses to learn more about the craft and business of publishing. Read more>>

Ilya Dynov

My skills have been built up from a combination of taking lessons, playing in bands and orchestras, listening to music, studying books, playing different styles of music.
Knowing what I know now I would have focused more from the beginning on the styles of music I really wanted to play and I would have explored more old and traditional jazz repertoire from the beginning. I always wanted to play jazz related styles of music, however in the environment where I grew up, finding people to play this style of music with was very limited. Read more>>

Black Benji

I taught myself the craft by observing others. I wish I invested in the craft earlier because that would’ve definitely sped up the process.The only thing that stood in my way was me. The master skill that I’m thankful to have learn is engineering my own music. Read more>>

Armin Mersmann

My father was an artist, and I was an only child. We immigrated from Germany when I was seven years old. He made art, and I thought all fathers were artists. I love to draw and draw all the time. Early on, I could not speak English, but it was a way to communicate, and it was a lifelong lesson. I am very much into the narrative with all my work. I never consciously chose to be an artist; it’s just what I loved to do. Read more>>

Angel Isaac

I remember Dave Chappelle mentioning in an interview that in his early years starting off he would watch the working comedians & watch the open mic comedians.
It was like a type of validation cause I had already been doing just that. Having a mentor no matter what career you choose is definitely a must & mine just so happen to be Dave Schwensen (Author of “How To Be A Working Comic.”) or as I call him “Señor Dave” who taught me more about the business side of things & how to conduct myself professionally at comedy clubs. Read more>>

Nima Fakhrara

I learned what I do by immersing myself in the work—first as a composer, where I trained both formally and through relentless trial and error. Scoring for film became my gateway into storytelling, and from there, writing and directing felt like natural extensions. Each discipline taught me something different about timing, emotion, and human behavior. Looking back, I could’ve sped things up by letting go of the idea that I needed permission or mastery in one area before stepping into another. Just starting, creating, failing—that’s where the real growth happened. The most essential skills for me have been listening, discipline, and curiosity. Read more>>

Sarah Chu

Dance, for me, was kismet. As a shy four-year-old, Mama Chu signed me up for ballet so I could make new friends. Little did she know the lifelong journey baby Sarah was about to embark on.

From my first ballet class, I was hooked. Later that year, I added tap and jazz to my repertoire, eager to explore more styles. I longed to pursue dance more seriously, but as a child of immigrant parents, my family simply couldn’t afford intensive training. Devastated, I let go of my dream of becoming a professional dancer and shifted my focus to higher education. Read more>>

Bruce Schlehuber

I learned commercial advertising photography through a mix of university education, hands-on experience, working with clients, and constantly refining my craft. Shooting for brands, working on set with creative teams, and problem-solving in real-time taught me more than any book or course ever could. Read more>>

Will Endter

I first learned the basics of music production how I imagine most people in my generation have: through YouTube tutorials and just plain messing around. In the beginning it was really difficult to pin down exactly what I wanted to do with my music, and my main pursuit now is to really nail down what it is that makes my sound unique. This is something that I wish I had focused on more when starting out. I wish I had focused less on trying so hard to fit to one genre/style and instead just let loose and find a sound that is separate from what I already know. That mindset was the biggest thing keeping me from both getting better at my craft and also really enjoying what I do. Read more>>

Elliot Slade

So technically, it was out of necessity. I’m one of those people who need to know everything behind the creative process. I spent years learning how to direct through reading and practice, then devoted another year to cinematography and studying films… but the truly significant learning came later. Read more>>

Claire Wang

After buying my first 35mm film camera, I started to watch videos on basic camera knowledge. This includes learning about ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, all three of which are the most basic camera mechanics a photographer should learn. To be more specific, the ISO determines how bright the image is, the aperture adjusts the depth of field, and the shutter speed controls how fast the shutter fires. However, as I furthered my exploration, I realized how important the technical aspect of photography is. My work is always driven by my intuitions and emotions, yet it lacked certain techniques since I never received any professional training or coaching until my sophomore year in college. Read more>>

Natalie Parker

I’m completely self taught. School wasn’t an option because of money and health issues. Instagram, Google, and Pinterest became my main teachers. One good way to learn that I have found, is to find art/artists that truly inspire you, and try to analyze them. Why do you like them? What is it about this piece do you like specifically? It could be the medium, the subject, the arrangement, the color, the style, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. More than likely the artist you’re asking, were in your shoes a few years ago. Don’t underestimate the value of copying. I’m not saying just copy someone else’s work line for line and say it’s yours. But, at the beginning of your artistic journey, it is vital for learning the essentials and basics. Read more>>

Jessica Anderson

During the pandemic I took an online weaving course that really got me started on my weaving journey and my love of fiber arts. My type A personality enjoyed the detailed instructions and precise pattern of the project. From there I took a few more classes and scoured YouTube for any information on weaving techniques. After exploring different styles and learning a variety of stitches, I was able to experiment with more of a free form flow (instead of always using patterns) and slowly, my own style started to emerge. Learning to let go of perfectionism and enjoy the process was difficult for me. I always want my end product to be picture perfect. Once I was able to let go of that expectation I was able to fully enjoy my weaving process. Read more>>

Don Finklea, Jr

I learned acting through a combination of formal training, personal mentorship, and life experience. Initially, I pursued theater classes at Coppin State University under the guidance of Professor Amini Johari Courts, who provided my foundational skills, specifically teaching me the Meisner Technique, and confidence. Later, studying under Kathryn Laughlin at Performers Studio Workshop in Tampa further sharpened my craft, teaching me professional audition techniques, industry know-how, and the Eric Morris acting method. Most recently, I’ve expanded my training by studying Uta Hagen’s acting method in classes at HB Studio. Read more>>

Brett Moffatt

From a very early age, I developed my skills by meticulously copying images from magazines and books through drawing and painting. This practice laid the foundation for my artistic development. Eventually, I progressed to drawing and painting from life, which further refined my observational abilities and technical execution. Read more>>

Dan Ross

My journey into photography was actually seeded by my interest in weather. I’ve loved thunderstorms since I can remember, and once I was old enough to drive, I began venturing out to look at them – aka storm chasing. Naturally I wished I could take the clouds home with me, thus photography became a must. I started at the bottom with disposable film cameras, getting awful, poorly exposed shots that did no justice to the skies I saw. I had to invest in a more legitimate camera, and so I did. Luckily, my brother was already deep into nature photography and served as a guide for me to learn the essentials of the craft. Read more>>

Soul Stuf

Poetry was never something I thought I’d want to pursue professionally, but had always been in the background of what I do. Growing up, I had an instantaneous love of the stage and performing arts (a place I felt most understood), so I gravitated towards the platforms front and center for me: music, dance, acting, etc. I also really enjoyed listening to rap and hip-hop, so I learned some of the basic mechanics of verse and flow, though I never felt confident enough to really write anything. I did, however, become pretty fluent in freestyle after years and years and practice. Read more>>

Emily Mueller

I studied drawing and painting in college, but have a multimedia and kind of scrappy approach to art making. I’ve bounced around with different materials and techniques so sometimes a project will require me to learn something entirely new. Read more>>

Victoria Williams

My journey into balloon art began with a single virtual class, but it was YouTube and hands-on experimentation that truly honed my skills. Through trial and error, I discovered what works best for me and how to create stunning displays.The key to mastering balloon art? Patience. It’s a skill that requires time, effort, and dedication. To deliver exceptional results, I always allocate several hours to perfect my craft.One obstacle I’ve faced is self-doubt – not knowing my worth. It’s essential to recognize your value and abilities, as undervaluing yourself can impact your confidence and the quality of your work. Read more>>

Erin Wright

Learning to run a business isn’t something to be rushed, although developing a cooperative workflow would have skyrocketed my efficiency and time management early on.
With that in mind, I never realized how little I knew until working here.

Previously, I had a consistent background in media production and marketing. Since joining Silver Canon, I learned to run a business. The day-to-day operations, margins, and joy of the job came together over the nearly 2 years I’ve helped run this place. I’ve learned to be an accountant, salesman, technical writer, project manager, marketer, analyst, researcher, and so much more to keep the ball rolling. Read more>>

Yana Renea

I can honestly say, in regard to both PERFORIMING & HAIR BRAIDING, what I do is God given talent, mixed with consistency, years of trial and error, support and resilience.
It has been me just figuring things out as I go. Hell, I’m STILL learning lol.

Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?

I wish I would have believed in myself sooner. There are a few contributing factors as to why an adult would be slow to believe in themselves, some of which affected me for sure, but I do wish I realized I was a badass sooner. Read more>>

Ashton Hardy

Way back in my elementary school days we had an instructor come in a few times and start teaching us the basics of video editing. That sparked my intrigue past just filming and I eventually started to teach myself more skills at home on the home computer. As I got older and took some more classes, I found more softwares to try and play with and just kept teaching myself. I think the biggest obstacles were being limited to school programs for a while and only having the tools they allowed. It gave me some good basics though and know where to start. Read more>>

Jaydon Kuntz

When I first started High School, I struggled to stay focused, with my thoughts jumping from topic to topic. Everything changed when I enrolled in a Media Studies class. There, I was introduced to basic film editing tools and started working on footage from various school events. As I spent more time editing in a dark room, something clicked—I became deeply immersed in the process, and my focus sharpened. Read more>>

Penny Vahka

Drag has a lot of moving parts, and it isn’t as simple as say learning how to ride a bike! Makeup, wigs, sewing, performing and so much more! I didn’t Come into the drag scene with a Drag family, I really Started at ground ZERO! My first full face of makeup was all from Walmart, and I would sit and do my makeup every night taking pictures to track my progress, and making adjustments the next night! That is pretty much how I learned Everything that comes with drag, and I am so grateful that’s how it happened! Read more>>

Nathan Simpson

So much of my journey has been shaped by trial and error. I never had a clear vision of what I wanted to do, and it took me a long time to figure it out. But what I’ve learned is that the process of trying—and sometimes failing—is where the real lessons are. It’s in those moments that you discover what works, what doesn’t, what excites you, what comes naturally, and what requires more effort. Looking back, I’m really grateful for that exploration. Read more>>

Jaina Cipriano

I didn’t pick up a power tool until my mid-20’s. Once I did though, I couldn’t put them down. I read ferociously about building. One blogs advice has always stuck with me – “If you can’t get to the end of a project, realize you did it wrong and have to start all over and do it happily, you’re not made for the DIY life.” We learn by doing and re-doing. Reconceptualizing my failures as experience helped me step back from the pressure of learning something new and allowed me to rapidly prototype and explore new materials and tools. Read more>>

Radhika Joshi

I started Kathak when I was just 6 years old. Honestly, at the time, I had no clue what Kathak was, and I definitely didn’t know it would become such a big passion of mine. My mom enrolled me in classes, and before long, I started really enjoying it. I’d come home and practice the dance routine over and over again, with my mom being my ever-patient audience. I think I picked it up faster than some of my friends, so I ended up moving to the next levels of Kathak quicker than most. Read more>>

Comedian A-Train

I appreciate the term “learning” the craft. Learning implies a process. Not quite achieved. The mechanics of comedy are something that is pursued. The writing, timing, storytelling, creating premises, characters, and backstories, adequately expressing our point of view, and landing punchlines are things comedians continuously labor to work out. No joke is ever mastered. We just get to a point where we’re satisfied with it. That’s the learning and the work part of what we do. Honing our craft is done by studying those we consider to be “the greats,” and also, absolutely nothing develops a comedy muscle like stage time. Read more>>

Sarah Nocquet

I learned the rules of screenwriting during my film &amp; television production degree at NYU. We were taught all about structure, character journey, balancing wins and losses… And I love those things, I’m a fan of structure. I love figuring out a script like a puzzle or a math problem, where pieces fit together and equations balance out. Learning to <i>be a screenwriter</i> has been a separate process, that I’ve undergone outside of academic framework. As with any art, you need to practice and iterate in order to develop a personal relationship to your craft. Read more>>

Kate Keery

When I was a kid, I was fascinated with art. I loved drawing the moment I was able to pick up a pencil, and by the time I was in middle school, had a natural talent for it without having any “formal training.” At fourteen years old, I started taking private art classes with a local artist, Susan Kneeland. Every Thursday my parents drove me 30 minutes north to a tiny studio tucked away behind a rustic farm house. There, Susan guided me through the basics of art making, from color mixing and “loading your brush” to composition and form. Read more>>

Rose Rosolino

Hiya, my name’s Rose Rosolino, they/them, I’m a transnonbinary voice artist in Los Angeles, and it’s lovely to meet you. Thanks for your interest in my story!

That story starts in New Jersey, where some of my earliest memories are of me parading about onstage, performing as the villain of many children’s theatre shows. Whether it was as the green and cackling Wicked Witch of the West in <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> or as the disheveled and cruel Shockheaded Peter in circus productions of the German cautionary tales of the same name, I hit the ground running and thrived playing lovable bastards and unforgivable scumbags alike! Read more>>

Stephanie McGovern

I am an interdisciplinary artist working in textiles, sculpture, collage, video and performance. I’m formally trained as a weaver, and have been working in the craft for over thirteen years.

I was first exposed to fiber art when I was seventeen years old while performing in the production <i>Dancing at Lughnasa</i>. My part required that I knit during many of the scenes, so I learned to make scarves with my fellow cast mates. I had always been an artist, exploring mediums such as drawing or painting, but there was something about the applicable and tactile nature of creating with fiber that instantly hooked me. Read more>>

Samia Fakih

I’m a visual artist who loves making illustrations of everything, and I do mean everything. I have spent thousands of hours on classes, tutorials, books, podcasts, videos, all about how to watercolor, or use gouache, or practice digital art. But in the beginning of my road, absolutely nothing prepared me for how hard it would be to actually learn how to <i>learn art</i>. Although making art had been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, finding a way into the practice was harder than I thought. No one tells you it’s all fun and games until your eyes are practiced enough to see flaws in what you do, and joy can quickly be replaced by frustration. Read more>>

Nate Williams

Like many skills, I think learning to effectively write music for visual media requires constant iteration. You just have to do it a lot, and it starts to seep into you. I began to understand this idea as I practiced the cello regularly in high school, and I realized that I needed to approach writing and producing music with the same dedication. There’s really no shortcut around the time that needs to be spent to develop a high-level skill. Going to school put me in an incredible environment to iterate on my craft and hone my skills with an amazing support system. It put me in the same room as people who excelled in many areas who I could learn from. Read more>>

Bridles

A friend once asked me, “<i>Haven’t you practiced enough?</i>” This question helped me to start creating and stop just practicing. Later, I realized that creating was the <i>real</i> practice. This shift in approach exposed my gaps in understanding and guided my path through the nebulous, multidisciplinary art of music. There is no right way to understand or interact with music. All that matters is what comes out of the speakers. Neither music theory nor audio engineering is <i>essential</i> to creation, but that both are <i>important</i> — so why choose just one? Read more>>

Minni Hein

To speak of how I learned my craft, let me start by saying what I currently do: I create meditative, energy-transmitting mandalas. As much as I love art, I am fascinated by learning itself – I am also an art teacher. I believe the human experience is a fascinating, uncomfortable, wonderful and miraculous opportunity for our souls to grow. So whatever I find a piece of information or a cool method, whether art-related or something else, there is always this tickle in the back of my brain asking: how can I share this? Also, I know that learning happens best with experience, rather than listening to someone’s words. Read more>>

Carolina Hoar Perez

Before becoming a Social Media Manager, I started my online business as a Virtual Assistant. I quickly learned within my first year that the tasks and projects that brought me the most joy all surrounded marketing. I found myself excited talking about content strategies for platforms like Instagram and Pinterest – so I knew by the start of year two it was time to make the pivot. Read more>>

Mary Ann Bernal

It is said that everyone has a book inside them waiting to be written. Easier said than done. Becoming an independent published author takes a lot of hard work. Since I have a degree in business administration, I took all pertinent courses exploring creative writing through weekend workshops, seminars, and specialty schools. Read more>>

Brie Pereboom

I became a boudoir photographer by accident, or serendipity, rather. I was always fond of photography. Growing up it was one of my favorite past times; I loved taking photos on disposable cameras and getting the film developed. As I got older, I was constantly asking for new cameras, digital, film, it didn’t matter. I just wanted newer equipment that would give me better results. I’ve always been fond of capturing memories or creating memories around photography. Read more>>

The Cherry Club

We learned how to navigate musicianship by staying consistent. There’s many aspects of being a musician that leave people feeling uncertain about the path they’ve chosen, but staying consistent helps us learn new things every day. We also rely on each other and the friendships we’ve created to grow, because with learning new things comes a lot of failure and a lot of people to lean on in those times. I like to say in the music industry, nobody knows what they’re doing. So part of music is learning new ways to approach it every day. There’s no secret sauce to achieving artistry, but our method has been consistency, friendship, and creating goals. Read more>>