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.

Marco Alexander

Being an artist of any sort, is subjective. There are many people that would argue that there are no prerequisites and levels of training that one must have, in order to be on a certain level of “Original Artistry”. I am not one of those people. I am a firm believer, as a classically trained musician, that one must train very hard and long in a given field, in order to become an “ARTIST”. The term itself has been jaded and thrown around, I believe. Read more>>

Rachel Nace

The only way to learn is to do! I was put in dance when I was 3 years old. When I was 7 I received a letter inviting me to audition for a youth ballet in Pennsylvania. At the time, I was the youngest accepted (though it paved the way for a new program that was implemented about 4 years later). When I was 10 I was asked to assist teaching the younger dancers and at 16 was named the Artistic assistant and Ballet mistress for the Youth Ballet. Read more>>

Ashley Bishop-Diggs.

I have always been naturally extroverted, always interested in the arts. When I was a little girl, maybe 5 or 6 I told my parents I wanted to be a singer and that I wanted to be an actress on The Young and The Restless. My parents, especially my father always nurtured that; I assume part of that stemmed from him once being a singer as well. Through my younger years I sang in the church choir and auditioned for every show in the small town I grew up in. I went to college and jumped right into voice and theatre, strengthen my natural talents. Read more>>

Mariana Lozano

I began being interested in photography from an early age. I remember back in 2008 when point and shoot cameras we all the craze. I would take my mom’s camera behind her back and take pictures of literally everything. Sunset, snap, pretty tree, snap, my brother’s, snap. I just remember being obsessed with taking pictures and wanting to be a photographer when I grow up. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have started sooner. Right out of high school I wanted to go to school for photography but I found myself full of fear, self doubt, and limited resources. Read more>>

JD Allred

I learned by trial and error and by absorbing as much information as I could from online sources such as YouTube and pipe making forums. I’m self taught so having the direct mentorship of an experienced pipe maker would have greatly sped up my learning process. I think patience is an essential skill for me in pipe making. Read more>>

6roovy Studios

I learned music production from watching YouTube videos, a close friend and reading forums, blogs and books. Knowing what I know now, I would have acted more rather than overthinking certain decisions, being a little too cautious held me back for some time. Being able to navigate the internet and being part of computer science were definitely handy for making the digital process of music easier to work with. Read more>>

Andy Tetteh

As an actor it is important you educate yourself on filmmaking,so when I chose this path I first off started researching on what actors do then I continued and enrolled in a film school and that’s where I fully learnt everything with regards filmmaking. To be an actor one skill that is essential is learning the craft of acting,how to express yourself in a scene so you can be one of the best. Read more>>

Taran Champagne

I started off learning Chinese martial arts and lion and dragon dance while I was a student at the University of Florida. Once I relocated to Texas, thanks to the Army, I was able to find my Sifu (teacher), Michael Thomas, who has imparted to me more knowledge than I ever would have imagined possible. Read more>>

Halle Edwards

There are varying answers to that question. I’m still learning, since I never went to school for the arts, I tried to create great relationships with experienced mentors in the art community to reach out to for seeking advice for art skill related questions but even for business related questions. Taking art workshops in your local community can teach you the basic knowledge on color theory, perspective. Read more>>

Christin Neal

Performing stand up comedy is a much more tedious task than it looks from the outside. It is more similar to my embroidery than one might think. It starts with an idea, but you have to write it every different way until you find the best combination. You have to perform it many different ways. It is good to have good friends in comedy who can help you hone and joke and give you critical feedback. Read more>>

Tra` Slaughter

I feel I learned the most about what I do now buy trial-and-error. When I first started creating art, I was scared of new mediums. I only painted with watercolours in high school and quit for several years after that. When I picked painting back up, acrylics were what were available, so I picked those up and used them similarly to the watercolour. It wasn’t until I got my first actual studio in a building with other artists that I began to branch out with mediums. Read more>>

Kendel Boone

I learned to be a photographer through trial and error. I picked up the camera and started by photographing my family. To speed up my process, I think I would have invested more in classes. Overtime I learned the essentials of photography such as rules of thirds. There is something to be learned and admired by learning the basics of any craft. It not only enhances your ability to deliver but also sets you apart. Read more>>

Raven Cornwall

I learned my artistry skills 10 years ago by consistently watching creatives on YouTube and investing in Makeup Classes to improve my skills and learning other artist techniques. When becoming an artist practice makes perfect so I wouldn’t want to speed the process. Makeup styles are always changing I believe it’s important to keep up with the latest trends and being knowledgeable about beauty products. Read more>>

Lindsay and Robert MacLeod

We learned to design and build lanterns the old fashioned way- by apprenticeship. Working under master craftsman, John M.Gantt, we had the opportunity to learn every aspect of making a copper gas or electric lantern, all by hand. From concept sketch to scaled drawing, drawing out patterns with hand-tools like a French Curve and laying them out on a flat sheet of copper, cutting, bending, and soldering, everything revolved around attention to detail and accuracy. Read more>>

Sloke One

I have been involved with art since I was a child. Growing up in Austin,TX, I was always drawn to Graffiti Art which I was exposed to from skateboarding. The graffiti scene back in the mid 80’s was small and underground. I tried “tagging” but really wanted to learn how to “Piece”. In 1990 I met an artist by the name of SKAM ( Supreme King Al Martinez ). Read more>>

Sonya Palumbo

I mostly use acrylic paint in my artwork. Funny enough, I use to hate painting. I tried painting once in middle school and the process stressed me out so much that I told myself I would never paint with acrylic again. I stuck to sketching in my journal and eventually began using watercolor. Read more>>

Senam Palmer

Cliche but yet hard to commit to, ALWAYS take it slow. It will help you so much, speed is a byproduct of accuracy. I still need to invest in this discipline cause it helps control my rhythm/lead playing a lot. I really adore players that can do things like subdivide and not just on drums. Patience pays off and figuring out formulas will help give you roadblocks to knowing YOU want to sound. Anything can distract (thats life) you from your goal, so just stay regimented to what you are trying to achieve and you’ll see what you are working towards come to fruition Read more>>

Anthony Mitchell

I began exhibiting art skills as early as five. Didn’t really know that my “drawing abilities” were a real “thing” until my art teacher told me I was good at it. At that point, doodling and scribbling were something we all did in class to stay busy, and with me not knowing any artists, never saw myself as one. From that moment, and with countless hours poured into my craft, I finally have gotten comfortable sharing my passion for art. Read more>>

Rachel Means

Along with natural creative abilities, I attended numerous classes to refine my skills and learn new skills/terminology. Observing fellow artists, reflecting on my process, and creating work helps as well. My creativity was also encouraged which helped me delve deeper into observing, reflecting, and creating. Read more>>

Bethany Blanton

I began my love affair with photography when I was just a teenager, when I carried a disposable camera around in my bag everywhere I went. Back when you had to wait an hour at the local pharmacy for them to develop your film – kids today will never understand that level of anticipation! The desire to capture moments and preserve memories is in my blood. Read more>>

Akeara Williams

I love the way I learned about photography. It wasn’t an easy talent and it didn’t come naturally to me. For that reason alone, I tell anyone who has a passion for something that if they want to make it their lifestyle, they have the ability to because talent is not a main factor. You just have to want to. When I made the decision to start photography, I jumped right in. I was horrible lol. I couldn’t understand why my work was awful. Read more>>

Kevion Devante

Being a musician at a young age helped me learn about LIFE! When I achieved scholarships for college I began to integrate my scientific academia with the creative understanding of “nature” and “sound” and how it applies to everything around us! I started to teach myself more about the universal language independently during my time in Asia. Read more>>

Phoenix Malone

I pretty much taught myself everything in the beginning. I studied different creators and learned how to deliver comedy in the style of a skit. I was mostly inspired by Chapelle Show and how Dave Chappell would make these crazy metaphors and hypotheticals come to life. I wanted to do that. So I started recording myself on my iPad and I used this really basic editing app. I pretty much found my style through trial and error. Read more>>

Monika Salazar

The very first time I saw the term “microblading” and what it was, honestly, was on Instagram. I was working at a studio doing full body waxing and I specifically remember waiting in my wax suite between guests with one of my coworkers aimlessly scrolling, when I saw it. I’m pretty sure it was an ad or sponsored post about microblading. As a couple years went by at the waxing studio I started to notice a lot of my clientele were people asking me to wax and shape their eyebrows. Read more>>

Amanda Howell Whitehurst

This may sound like a cliche, but I have been drawing ever since I was a little girl. I remember in elementary school, I used to love making picture books. I think that planted the seed and grew into my love of art. I really started getting into illustrating portraits when I was in high school. There was a point in time that I stopped and ventured into other artistic avenues, I came back to illustration full force, just about 10 years ago. Read more>>

Casey Langford

When we started out it was more than just learning how to pour candles but also learning to cut glass for our vessels. Both of which came with their own sets of challenges. When we were cutting our bottles we were hand scoring our cutline and using a hot water and ice bath method to break the bottles. Let me tell you, we lost a ton of bottles – thankfully our friends and family provided us with plenty of empty beer, wine and spirit bottles! We learned pretty quickly that upgrading to a wet saw to cut glass was hands down the way to go. Read more>>

Halo Grey

I did my year long apprenticeship under Eric Caves in Baltimore MD. The apprenticeship was rough, very rough. I made no money, cleaned floors, cars, tubes, needles, stations, for months with no pay or tip or even a thank you. I understood though, that all things that were worth having must be earned. I am so grateful for this because I feel as though the younger generation of people, not just tattooers, are ungrateful for most things. They want instant fame, instant gratification, instant recognition. I wish more people were giving the apprenticeship I had, I feel the craft would have more respect. Read more>>

Katharine Schooler

I got interested in photography when I was in middle school but didn’t actually learn how to use a camera until my photojournalism class in my junior year of high school. After I learned the basics I just started practicing on literally everything. I would ask friends if I could take photos of them, and I would ask my mom if we could go drive around so I could take photos of random places. Anytime I traveled somewhere I always took my camera and would take pictures of absolutely any and everything. Read more>>

Chanel Diane

I learned how to cook from the women in my family! I come from an African American/Bahamian background so we believe in bold punches of flavor. To this day I call my Mom to ask her about pairing spices and flavors when I want to come up with a new dish. I think taking a cooking class or working in a kitchen would’ve taught me more about techniques and food presentation. One of the main ways I continually challenge myself is to step outside of the box and experiment. Similar to what children do when they mix things that we’d never imagine putting together. This is a necessary step in having fun and being creative in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake! Read more>>

Terrica Mathis

For me and my cohosts, becoming podcasters and running a YouTube channel was definitely a trial and error process. We had a ton of ideas and we knew the content we wanted to create and the direction we wanted to go but we didn’t quite know how to get there. It took a lot of googling and a lot of experimenting before we finally fell into a grove and got a routine down. I think our biggest obstacle was and still is, our distance. Read more>>

WhoisBrax

The biggest thing when it comes to mastering your craft, is to make sure you’re working on it everyday. On the music side wether it’s recording, writing, making content, or practicing performing, I’m constantly working on my skills everyday. You have to fall in love with your craft and the process of developing your skills. I also had good mentors such as Mike Maven and Youth Soul Love, who are constantly challenging me creatively; which has helped me elevate my sound. You have to remove the “yes” men from your creative process and learn how to take constructive criticism. Read more>>

Alec Sartain

I took initiative. Instead of putting something down when you get discouraged (for whatever reason), you gotta stay on it. It’s the only way you’re going to get better. I had an older step brother who download Fruity Loops 3, but had said I’d never figure it out. Also paying your dues. I wasn’t satisfied with just making beats, I wanted to learn how to engineer songs as well. I had to pay for that knowledge & training, along with my own inner will-power. Read more>>

Jake Coughlin

Well, photography has always been a passion of mine since a young age. I’ve told this story before but when I was a young kid, about 3 years old, my mom told me I’d always steal her camera and run around the house with it. I guess it’s safe to say I’ve always had a passion for cameras and photography. When I was about 10 years old or so, my Nana got me my first point and shoot camera from a pharmacy and that is really where it all began. I would just run around the backyard taking photos of whatever I could find. Fast forward to about 18 years old, I purchased my first proper DSLR camera and I was fascinated with it. Read more>>

Carmen Sclafani

I’ve always been creative since I was a child and actively explored it.  Whether it’s design projects, music, writing, producing a record, or landscaping my yard, I’m always in motion and it’s still a continuing process. I can’t really say what I may have done differently. We all have our own unique circumstances and paths, but I think the things that help speed the learning process are our own willingness to pursue things and our experiences that shape our views.  Life is filled with obstacles, but those are also learning experiences of a different kind Read more>>