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.

McCall Bliss

We’ve always been pretty self-taught when it came to music. I find that we learn the most from our friends and from always trying to be in the same room as talented and creative people. Sometimes I wish we’d been able to go to school for music or spent more time on it in the early days, but I feel like finding the type of music that you want to make is a personal journey and you’ll reach it on your own when the time is right. Read more>>

Bethany Rizor

Sewing and designing has been a part of who I am starting from a very young age. It really all started at the dining table when I was about seven. But as a matured I did not even consider sewing and designing a valid career. I was always involved in the arts and knew that one day I would be some sort of creative professional. I’ve dabbled over the years in architecture, fine arts and also journalism. But I consistently found myself drawn back to sewing. Read more>>

Juan Carlos Duron Martinez

I would say I’ve learned to do what I do now which is a mix of things; painting, photography, merchandising, digital design, and installation. All through trial an error. A big part of it is having the drive and passion for it. But I also believe it is important to be curious and inquisitive about everything. I’ve been expressing myself creatively for years. Read more>>

Dana Fortino

I went to cosmetology school shortly after realizing I was NOT meant to go to college and had dropped out. I was able to complete my initial schooling for cosmetology in about 9 months , which is fairly fast for the 1200 hours required by state board. But I do however wish, looking back, that I tried more to participate in the extra “clubs” and certificates they were offering when we were students! These would have helped me excel so much further early on in my career, and feel much more confident and comfortable jumping into this industry. Read more>>

Betsy Enzensberger

Well, I didn’t learn resin sculpting in school. I actually studied abstract painting as an undergrad. While the techniques I use now were learned elsewhere, I do still use color theory and composition from my studies all the time. I even paint some of my larger sculptures. So, I suppose my current skills are a culmination of a lifetime of being in the arts. Read more>>

Al Martin

When starting off as an actor, I knew right off the bat that training was ESSENTIAL. In anything, if you want to become exceptional at what you are pursuing, you must train hard and work at it constantly. I started by picking up as many books on acting as I could, as well as finding a great class with an instructor who was vetted and acclaimed. And, you know what, I’m a firm believer in everything being in the right timing. Read more>>

Heather Ward

I have been using makeup since I was about 15-years old. Back then, I kept things a bit more natural. Only neutral tones, natural lip colors and blushes, nothing that differed greatly from how I looked without makeup. It was when I was 16 that I began expanding my color palette. The boy was very controlling and would tell me if my makeup didn’t “look right.” Once I was out from under his control I began looking for new ways to express myself. Read more>>

Jacob Turley

It takes a lot of time, self dedication, and repetition to become a professional creative. Building up an Art career takes a lot of patience. There’s nothing you can really do to speed the process but put your nose to the grindstone. Especially if you do not have an agent for freelancing it can be a daunting task to find work. Some skills that are most essential to being an artist are consistency and being relentless. Read more>>

Tonya Caver

Everything that I learned I learned from practice and persistence. Since the beginning of my journey I have had one goal; “Today I am going to get better!” In my free time I’m always researching new skills or grabbing anyone I can to try out new concepts. I wouldn’t change anything about the process thus far. My mistakes helped fuel my successes. The learning process is vital and I welcome it each day. Read more>>

Dennis Johnson

In my opinion observation has been an essential skill to learning and honing my craft. Most of my art career has been spent experimenting or watching someone else us the tool I wish to master. Through observation I learned how to hold a brush and how to care for it. Observing other artist helped me to adopt may different methods. To accelerate my growth I wish I would have learned to practice more effectively. Read more>>

Jacob Humber

I moved to Nashville and started reading every book and interview I could find about writing songs, all the while stumbling and crashing through writing my own. Like any craft worth learning, song craft and writing are skills that you never stop learning and growing in. Read more>>

Pascale Jarvis

The practice of block printmaking – a technique of printmaking that involves carving, usually by hand, custom stamps called “blocks” – came to me inadvertently as I attended art school to study creative writing. Taking an Introduction to Printmaking class to escape the monotony of the written page, the deeply physical, iterative nature of carving a block to print made my brain buzz – that is, until the critiques of my work by my classmates brought me quickly back to a harsher reality. Read more>>

Jermaine Jackson

At first I just enjoyed going to restaurants, then when it became a regular thing so I decided to start documenting my experiences. Soon after I decided my entire Instagram to my adventures. Read more>>

Drumz & Rosez

I first started learning/pursuing music in 2011. I started off by selling my music on Craigslist. I had someone contact me & he told me he was interested in my production. His name was “BUSY B” & til this day he’s a great friend of mines. He started teaching me everything that he knew & he really helped me get to where I am today. Read more>>

Heather Foxwood

Drawing has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom told me I began to draw as soon as I could hold a pencil, and by 2 years old, was so critical of my work, that I actually stopped drawing for a whole year! Once I got over that, I self-taught myself by soaking up books with art I admired and observing daily life. In High School, I took every art class I could, but was unable to go to art college due to the cost. Read more>>

Samuel Greenhill

I started when I was a little kid and asked my parents if I could use their phones. They would let me take their phone and try all the different angles of photos. This freedom to use their smartphones was precious. Having this early start helped establish a lot of my craft. Over time, I got more involved with Photoshop and editing and learned to blend both more seamlessly. Having Photoshop class in high school jumpstarted a considerable interest in that field. Read more>>

James DeWalt

The funny thing about me is that I just started my business and put out my first single in 2020-2021, at the age of 30. So I am just now using all the concepts, advise, and experience I gained from the age of about 14 to now. I sang a a young man in community plays and talent shows for the beginning of my years but My favorite play was THE HERITAGE PLAYERS. This historically influential 4 day Black history play at Willingboro High School gave me all the feeling that I could sing, dance, act and direct for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Alli Paige

I have been writing songs since I could talk, but only started taking music seriously since my junior year of high school. I decided to take up guitar lessons, and with the help of my teacher, I started writing my own songs. I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my music, so it was hard for me to show my teacher at first, because I wanted them to be perfect before anyone heard them. Read more>>

Jayda Clark

Learning to use aromatherapy while simultaneously healing my own heartbreak has not been an easy journey. I learned about the benefits of aromatherapy while receiving my 1st Reiki healing session in 2010. From that moment I started using it in my daily life. I was putting droplets of Lavender on jewelry, clothing and diffusers to be sure I had it with me. It prevented or sometimes stopped my panic attacks. Read more>>

Jordann Wine

I learned to do what I do today with lots of trial and error and time. As a kid I always took art classes and continued in high school, so making art was always something I was doing. I continued my arts eduction after college at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts in Paros, Greece. It was here where I learned more traditional art skills and techniques like figure drawing, oil painting, and painting from life. In my free time, I experimented with glitter and geometric abstraction. I believe the traditional foundation gave way to truly push my geometric abstraction work. Read more>>

Ryan Kelly

I am mostly a self-taught leather crafter. I had been exploring some different creative outlets, including some woodworking and metalworking. When I became interested in leather work I already had a foundation in how to visualize and execute an idea. The medium of leather was different, the techniques were different, and most of the tools were different. There was a lot of trial and error at first. Honestly, there is still a lot of trial and error to this day. Especially when I’m trying a new technique or method. The only way to learn something is to do it. Listen to what other people in the craft have to say. Admire their work and learn from them but don’t copy it. Read more>>

Alexis Walker

I learned how to paint by sitting with myself in emotion- this was in 2019. Painting seem to make time go by and felt like a form of escapism that also released the emotions I’d felt so profoundly. I was at a time when I’d finally started to regard myself as beautiful, so I’d often times use myself as a character in my paintings to convey a certain message or express a different emotion I’d explored. Read more>>

Alnev

I always had a passion for writing. In elementary school, I would write short stories and poetry. I think at my core, I’ve always been a writer. I started writing music at fifteen, when I had recently joined a new school in Pennsylvania called “Bais Menachem YDP.” It’s an incredible Jewish school that just so happens to be filled with creatives. At that point, I had pretty bad stage-fright. Read more>>

Sikha Das

I mostly learned digital art on my own when I was in middle/high school – experimenting, practicing, and looking at tutorials online. This was even before Youtube or social media was ubiquitous, so it really required a lot of playing around with the tools. At the time, I taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator and basic concepts about how to work with shapes, brushes, and other tools. Read more>>

Brian Genthner

I first learned some woodworking skills while in high school. The school had a vocational center attached to it and I completed 3 building classes (wood technologies 1 &2; Residential Construction). As for my welding knowledge, it started when I attended adult education courses and has continue through having some different jobs. I still continue to learn new things with each skill daily. I also look on Pinterest and YouTube for new techniques for builds. Read more>>

Sylwia Oles

My travel blog is made possible by a combination of skills I’ve acquired over time. I have always been interested in learning, so I find ways to pursue my goals. When I was interested in photography, I bought a DSLR camera and signed up for a beginner’s photography class to learn how to use it. Then, I just practiced until I got better. It was the same with web development. In terms of my writing skills, I developed those in college. Read more>>

John Coleman

I have been drawing since age 5, watching my mother and various teachers mold my ability over the years. After high school I started drawing again as a hobby which eventually, led to me wanting to build my Social Media presence to gain exposure. It was because of Social media , I transitioned to learning Digital art using Procreate. Read more>>

Dylan Hyman

I thoroughly enjoy teaching myself skills – not exclusively art & illustration, but in all areas of life. I believe learning things by yourself gives the mind a greater attachment & fundamental understanding of the skill at hand. This doesn’t mean I don’t research the skill beforehand or ask for help when I need it, but I like learn from my own mistakes & continually improve. Read more>>

Noshir Mody

I’m a self-taught musician but that does not mean I locked myself in a room and one day emerged knowledgable and proficient. Rather, I would say that I accepted opportunities to learn from everywhere. From a very early age I deeply appreciated music which then became my passion and even though I went to school for engineering I pursued a parallel path of composing, performing and producing music because its process brought me great joy and satisfaction. Read more>>

Dezmond-Dane Michel

It took me a while! I initially would just listen and write along to any and everything, with my brothers and friends in my youth being the truly gifted ones. After seeing how relieving it was for them to create, I took the advice of my peers & mentors and found a way to create that fulfilled me. Started as lines, which turned into poems that turned into songs! Read more>>

Madi Low

Starting out, I literally had no idea what I was doing with music. I just used to chop samples & put them together in my best 9th Wonder impression. Over time I learned via trial & error. But of course youtube university solved a lot of problems that I came across. Read more>>

Jaida Narkon

In 2011 I started my freshman year at Mount Ida College in Newton Ma, earning my undergraduate degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. During my 4 years there was when my interest in graphics and different media started. Read more>>

Antonio Woods Jr

I’d learned all of what I know in music by two individuals which is my best friend Marquez “Soulaykami” Alexander & Randy “R.E.T. On The Beat” Thomas. They both taught me the skills needed in my field as they are music producers as well despite the fact that I have outside sources as well but as far as the learning process goes, I wish I’d learned the business early so I don’t have to stumble a lot but that takes the whole point of my journey. Read more>>