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.

Connie Chau

Growing up as an art kid, I struggled to answer the question of how I learned my craft. I taught myself drawing and received instruction from teachers. Looking back, I realize that I spent nearly five years in my comfort zone. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I started to focus on developing my technical skills. Read more>>

Winnie V.

I launched my first blog with Blogger when I was in high school. It allowed me to combine my passion for writing and beauty into a single space. I loved having the freedom to create whatever came to mind. Read more>>

Clara Mount

I would say I was entirely self-taught, but I had support from others who were learning these skills at the same time. I went into this knowing nothing about how to record audio or how to produce a podcast, and now I’ve hosted three unique podcasts and have helped two other podcasts get off the ground. Read more>>

Corbyn Goodermote

So when I was about 11 or 12 I was gifted my first ever camera, and I pretty much instantly fell in love with photography. I brought it to every family function and hang out with my friends so I could practice using it as much as I could and just capture every moment that I was a part of. Read more>>

Jessica Hewitt

So I’m a UI Designer, but within the past 6 months or so, I started learning 3D/CGI art. I’ve always been passionate about learning different creative fields – but this one was just on another level in my mind. It was kind of this mythical beast I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take on, for several reasons. Read more>>

Jaclyn O’Reilly

As the co-founder of a marketing agency, it’s funny to reflect that I never studied marketing in school—not directly, anyway. I was a broadcast journalism major in college and have two Master’s degrees: one in linguistics and the other in digital media. School equipped me with many skills, but application came only by learning on the job. Read more>>

Andrew Springer

I think that one of the things that draws each of us into music and creating specifically is that there is always something to learn, somewhere to go from where you’re currently at. For me, specifically, it has been a big journey with my voice. I’ve taken vocal lessons for this most recent EP cycle, and I saw the benefits actively paying off before my eyes over Memorial Day weekend when we were having a writing session for our upcoming full length. Read more>>

Camille Smura

Media production, as a whole, has both an intrinsic skillset involved as well as an extrinsic one. You can learn all of the software, budgeting + scheduling rules, rate and union stipulations, quote-unquote best practices, etc. And, though these are all necessary, knowing these alone will not just allow you to produce good content- that takes life experience. Read more>>

Spencer Welch

I’ve always been an artistic child, I’m pretty sure it runs in my family. I love making paper outfits and designing things with leaves and sticks,. When my older sister wasn’t around, I’d take out my notepad and copy her drawings from her sketchbook. I want to draw just like her, because to me, she was the most amazing artist. As I got older, I continued to practice drawing, but I was never “the artist”. Read more>>

Tom Sys

When you ask someone how they learned to do their job, the wide majority will answer you with the name of the college they went to. I, too, won’t leave my education out, but that’s only a part of how I learned to do what I do. Read more>>

Sarah Michals

I received my Bachelor of Science in user-centered design and communications at UW-Whitewater. Immediately after graduating, I started working for a digital agency where I held many roles including copywriting, web design, testing and project management. Working in an agency taught me a lot about building great relationships with my clients and my colleagues. When you work with awesome people Read more>>

Lauren Zavala

How did I come to learn to do what I do? Well, it’s been quite the journey, filled with ups and downs, but ultimately shaped by an honest passion for creativity. For as long as I can really remember, I have found the world of painting and crafting to be something that really relaxed me Read more>>

Michael Jeni

Learning how to produce music & write music is something that is forever changing. For me I started learning how to produce music by learning what styles of music I like, the type of beats and what tempo is best for me. That all helps with the writing process. The writing process for me is humming melodies & words. If I’m feeling sad, happy, emotional, I’ll write about it. Read more>>

Je-Wan Herbert

Ever since I was a child I have always had a passion for creating. I have a variety of family members who also create. As that passion continued to grow I began seeking more knowledge in this area. went to art school. Then continued my journey on my own finding knowledge from wherever I could. When it comes to the craft of creating art, practice makes perfect. Read more>>

Jennifer Borcea

Learning the craft of tango is an ongoing process of self discovery, humility, artistry, creativity, and ultimately co-creation. Tango is a magical dance that involves improvisation between 2 people, the music, the floor, and the space over time. It teaches you a deeper understanding and awareness of yourself – meaning deeper consciousness of your body and how it moves, Read more>>

Alfredo Ott III

As an artist, there are so many ways to express yourself. I think that artists choose the medium that feels right to them at the moment or one they have somewhat come to feel comfortable with. With me, I tend to stick to a few that I know I can express my thoughts clearly with. Read more>>

Cenema Judd

In the beginning I learned the art of face painting through trial and error. I was able to research products and purchase things that were professional and safe for the skin, but I only had pictures of other peoples work and tried to figure things out on my own. Read more>>

Steve Rivers

Learning the trade of songwriting and production has been a mix of both mentorship and trial & error. I’ve been very fortunate to learn from some awesome engineers, producers, and songwriters, but for me personally, the best learning has come from experimenting and “failing forward”. Read more>>

Amaris Trask

Well I’ve been singing since I was a little girl & rapping since I was 16. However, I knew nothing about the business side of the music industry. So once I turned 18, I decided to take a deeper look and study the game. Read more>>

Sara Luna

I began my artistic journey in digital illustration and later pursued Visual Arts education. I wouldn’t change a thing—I believe each step led me to where I am now. Digital illustration shaped my unique design approach while exploring acrylic yarn and then dyeing my own yarn led me to spinning and creating custom eight-tone gradients for my pieces. Each skill I acquired is essential for my current artwork. Read more>>

Bb Blue

For me, my creative path has been a 15+ year journey of finding my sound, learning my influences, and constantly developing my skills in each aspect of song craft. I always pick up something new from everyone I collaborate with. I also use my heroes as my mentors and study and analyze their work. Read more>>

Randi Steingold

Initially, when I got into creating was purely for enjoyment, without any formal training. However, I discovered a passion for crafting necklaces and found the process to be incredibly fulfilling. As I transitioned into making ceramic products, I applied the skills I had acquired from creating tiles to my jewelry-making endeavors. Read more>>

Palestina Jaber

Historically, Palestinian embroidery is passed down from one generation to the other while having tea time. A group of family women usually grandmother, mother, and daughters gather every day or week and start producing hand embroidered pieces while chatting and drinking tea. Read more>>

Allison Canfield

I started learning photography first by picking up a camera! I was constantly asking questions to any photographer I knew or even people who just had a camera. I was able to shadow a photographer on a couple sessions and from there, I just started taking photos of anything I could! As I started to turn my hobby into a business, I dedicated much more time into learning. Read more>>

Jeremy Williams

Learning the craft has always been a very strenuous process for me. I’ve always had aspirations to be the best in my field and leave a legacy. Growing up in Whitehaven, a predominately black community in Memphis, showed me that one wrong decision could alter your reality so it was very important to be socially conscious of your environment and where you place your energy. Read more>>

Mia Rago

I grew up with my dad singing Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin around the house, while my mom shared her love for Elvis Presley. My parents were always playing music in the car and throughout the house. Being submerged in music this young led me to begin singing at a very young age. I started off singing Frank Sinatra, mostly, Read more>>

Chris Nicolaou

I’ve been producing music for roughly 11 years. But, it’s only recently (over the last three or four years) that I’ve actually earned recognition for my work. That’s because it took roughly seven years to become worthy of recognition, period. My partner at Phantom City Records, Read more>>

TAYLOR PRATT

Learning more about this hobby is what sparked my interest to create my business. I watched numerous YouTube tutorials to teach myself the ways of photography. I learned that most of my learning came from experience. With what I know now, if I could have done anything to speed up my learning process, it would have been to shadow more photographers and learn from them . The most essential skills I have learned are Read more>>

Paula Jensen

Everyone has to start someplace. Most of the time starting any new adventure feels clumsy and awkward. Insecurities rise up and tell you to give it up. Stop trying, you’ll never get this. Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who can just jump into a thing and be good at it, the rest of us feel inadequate learning a new skill. Feeling that inadequacy is part of the learning process. Read more>>

Conner Grimes

I grew up working with my hands a lot. I enjoyed making things, drawing, and any sort of creating. I also worked with my family’s landscape company. Starting out the jobs were tedious such as weed picking or mowing, but as I got older I was given more responsibilities with the “fun” projects. Read more>>

Elliott Nes

All of my work is self taught, so really the key for me is to just keep making things. I looked up and I’ve been painting stencils for over a decade now (which sounds great in a pitch email). I think also, I always try to experiment with something new in every piece or work, Read more>>

Samantha Vanderson

I spent a lot of time practicing. I brought my camera with me everywhere I went shooting just about anything I could! It really helped me learn more about the equipment I was using and I spend a lot of time experimenting with my camera and settings. Read more>>

Justin Fondrie

I initially learned photography through high school and then college courses. I also attended graduate school for my MFA. I wanted a well-rounded educational approach to all thing’s Read more>>

Spencer Brown

I think in some way or another, I always had an interest and passion for words and language and books. Even before I could read or write, I remember taking books off my dad’s bookshelf and looking at the print inside, holding the weight of it. So it began there, and grew more and more as I began to fall in love with reading. Read more>>

Ian Ash

Working with my voice teacher Dr. Tom Weis at Carroll University! He really helped me grow and develop my voice in a way where I could sustain singing in a healthy way for a 3 hour vocal session in the studio, or a 3 hour show with The Last Bees. He helped me find my natural tone, and when I graduated, he helped me pivot from classically trained singing to the more straight-style singing with no vibrato more commonly found in the pop/rock world. Read more>>