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.
Ahkira Ware
I’m an all-around artist and forever a student of life and my crafts. While I consider writing to be my first love, photography has been a very interesting and important part of my artistic journey. Growing up, my mom was the family historian; we still have huge storage bins full of family photos and portraits of almost every close and extended family member. Read more>>
Mike Amarico
I started out when I was 11 or 12 with skateboarding, taught me heaps when it came to camera work, and editing, I had a shitty little camera, it was called a “Flip Ultra HD Camera” If you search if you’ll laugh so hard haha, and editing in iMovie, so i really started out with video work, until I got in photographing my mates skateboarding, a few months later, which I found a lot more fun, probably because it was easier than taking video, and with editing photos you can really get into a flow, set some nice lighting, play some tunes, and just chill, whereas editing video makes me want to snap my laptop in half most of the time haha. Read more>>
Elenor Post
Like many artists, I have been creating since I could remember. However, in high school, I often prioritized other subjects and thought I would pursue a career in another field. That eventually changed thanks to my incredible art teacher. I started considering art more seriously, investing time into my work and falling in love with painting. Read more>>
Gary Watson
I’m much more widely known as a hip hop emcee/rapper/lyricist/song-writer, for my catalogue of works under the artist name “Sivion”. However, those that have really followed along on this journey with me for the past 3 decades also know that I’m a saxophone player (mainly tenor, but I do play Alto, C-Melody, and Soprano). Read more>>
Tyler Davis
I learned the foundation of my current artistic approach during high school, where my art portfolio and advanced placement art classes played pivotal roles. It was in these two classes that I began to view painting and printmaking as central elements of my artistic expression. These environments granted me the freedom to explore and let my creativity flourish without constraints. Read more>>
Xten Ancona
I always enjoyed dancing growing up but in a casual setting at family gatherings or with my grandma who always encouraged me to dance. My parents enrolled me in a couple of dance classes growing up but it wasn’t until I was 16 and in high school that I truly fell in love with dance and started training in hip hop and Latin fusion style dancing. Read more>>
Magda Love
I believe one of the most exciting things of being an artist is experimenting with different technics and allow yourself time for play. Discovering new technics and mediums can open doors to develop your artist vision further. I have become known for large murals and I love painting them, but I have spent the past year in my studio experimenting with sculpture, textiles and mix media. Read more>>
Samantha Heim
Growing up I ignored film credits and, honestly, I didn’t know the difference between the several producer titles. Always working in a space of content creation, before that was attributed to social media, I’ve been fascinated with capturing the every day minutia of life. It took several jobs and working behind the camera, in the edit room and with various clients to realize that I love the leadership, organization and logistic aspects of filmmaking. Read more>>
Lulu107
Since I was a child I always enjoyed drawing, painting, pretty much anything creative! Growing up I had lost interest and inspiration to create art! It took my father’s passing to jump start my love for art again! I quit my job and learned how to spray paint! It wasn’t easy at first like anything in life! But you keep practicing and developing your skills! Read more>>
SAM BRAMBLE
My journey learning how to work within the the various mediums I like to work within as an artist (drumming, photography and collage design) stems all the way back to my childhood . A huge pillar in my journey has been the privilege of having a mother and father who are artists themselves and raised me in a very creative environment, encouraging me on a daily basis to experiment expressing through painting, collage, drawing and other mediums. Read more>>
Max Ridenour
Though it’s a bit cliché, art is something I’ve had a lifelong interest in and have known I wanted to pursue in some capacity since I was a little kid. I think the first major leap I took towards figuring out my own craft was when I became interested in Photoshop sometime around 3rd grade. I got a copy of Photoshop Elements for Christmas and started to teach myself the basics of image manipulation- this was very inspired by the abundance of silly, absurd Internet art that I frequently encountered when using the family computer, circa 2010. Read more>>
Taji Israel-Cazembe
I realized I wanted to do stand-up when I was 16. I was on my high school’s improv team for four years. That ignited my love for performing. I always loved making people laugh; it made me feel good. That’s how I connect with people. I make them laugh and then I can navigate a relationship from there. I took a stand-up class in 2021 because I had no clue what a joke was or how to write one. Read more>>
Daniel Alexandre
I cared very little about music for the first 15 years of my life. I was way more interested in playing sports and reading books. My father was a singer and guitarist and he signed me up for guitar lessons one summer. I really enjoyed the learning process and the challenges I would give myself to improve. Mostly, I enjoyed learning songs with my Dad and trying to surpass him in skill. Read more>>
T.I.D KÀI
It took alot of time, effort, curiosity and most importantly patience to get to the level I’m at in my profession. I have always searched of new methods on how I could grow as a musician and also as a producer, Curiosity always got the best of me and that helped me alot in my journey, Yes, sometimes it was not easy but I had my family’s situation backing me up and also as a motivation. Even now, I am always working and always willing to help others in need in my profession. Read more>>
Beatrice Alberti
Learning the craft is very simple, you simply need to have paper and a pencil, and you can alredy put it into practice, there are countless books on rules to follow and various tecniques, what is really important, is consistency and practice not every piece needs to be a masterpiece but every piece needs effort. Read more>>
Justin Wilder
Anyone starting out in songwriting mostly focuses on making lines rhyme. A good songwriter tells a good story. A great songwriter makes you feel something when you listen. When I started stepping into that realm of songwriting, the art is saying something you’ve never heard before, making the story match the tempo and feel of the music, then making it as catchy as hell so it’s stuck in someone’s head. Read more>>
J.V. Hilliard
The panel topic will be learning the craft and starting my career earlier. Read more>>
Alyssa Taylor
Around the start of 2020, I started to make art a priority in my life. I decided to leave my current profession (as a musician at the time), and pursue something else entirely. The pandemic halted most of my work in music; orchestras were no longer performing and any school I was working with at the time was also closed. Read more>>
Dontre Everett
Ever since I was a child I wanted to become a chef. The passion awoken within me whenever I saw grandfather cooking in the kitchen one day, and my first thought was “ wow that’s so cool!”. Ever since that day I was telling everyone wanted to become a chef. So the first thing I learned to cook was scrambled eggs haha. I was pretty much self taught, but of course my mother taught me the basics. But most of my knowledge just came from trial and error, and a bunch of research. Read more>>
Doug Schmude
An independent musician these days has to wear a lot of hats. I’m a songwriter first and foremost but have learned to add on recording engineer, producer, graphic artist, booking agent, music video maker, roadie and promoter. It’s pretty interesting doing all these aspects but sometimes hard to lose sight of and find time to just work on the reason why I do it all, which is ultimately songwriting. Read more>>
Kelly Jackson
Though I spent the bulk of my years as a public school music educator, I often supplemented this with passion projects in the performing arts. In both GA and NC, I’ve served as Music Director for theatrical productions, accompanist with choral ensembles and churches, pit musician for musicals, music arranger and conductor for ensembles, onstage performer, and Content Creator/Master Trainer with Drums Alive, Inc.–all of which feed my desire to work with talented and like-minded humans who similarly believe that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Read more>>
William Atkinson
I am a self-taught artist (I am not advocating being self-taught or professional training – this was just my path). Since I started in street art, I truly worked alone and at night. Everything I did was trial and error. There was a lot of experimentation and then self-assessment as to what worked or felt right. When street art started to gain traction, it offered feedback from a community, which was great. Read more>>
Cameron Landers
I began playing guitar in the fifth grade. I began with droning on the low E string and playing a melody on the A string. It was simple, but this was the foundation. Later, when I began to be influenced by East Indian music, I found that beginning stage of learning the guitar helped me understand the fundamentals of melody and the power of that droning style. I would watch and listen to other guitar players, see what their hands were doing, hear what came out of those positions on the guitar neck. Read more>>
Maryann Charmoz
When I look back on changing careers at age 65, I guess I was taking a chance, but honestly, I never thought about it. I just plowed ahead, picked a new direction, completely submerged myself into it and with that sense of dedication, I have become successful. You have GOT to love what you do, otherwise you will struggle which will cause frustration and ultimately you will question why you are doing it at all. Read more>>
Laura Woodworth
I’m a big proponent of honing your craft. As creatives, we can never stop learning, never stop growing. I’ll never forget reading a script from a fellow writer who had asked me to offer input. It was clear that at some point in his career, he had stopped growing as a writer. Don’t let that be you! I’m always looking for new insights, new growth opportunities to elevate my writing. Read more>>
Valerie Shavers
Most of what I do and know how to do, I learned from messing up. I have tried a little bit of everything until I found things that stuck. I wish I would have tried even more different mediums, taken or applied for more opportunities, and not be afraid to “waste” money or time. Because at the core- I love words, painting, and drawing. Read more>>
Malik Noir
Yeah, nah, learning the craft can be incredibly painstaking, as just like any other art, music is a direct imitation of the creators perception/creative perspective of life. It’s all generated by that person’s experiences, and you can really feel it when an artist’s real life qualities shine through in the creative product. Read more>>
Micah Versemann
My path to being a film producer hasn’t been a traditional one. I’ve never attended any type of formal film school or even a college that had a film program. My knowledge came from just getting out in the world and making projects, forcing me to learn as well as investing in relationships with people that were willing to take the time and answer questions when I had them. A big part of those relationships has been my podcast. Read more>>
Emma Pantall
I learnt to weave through trial and error. The internet was a huge source of information, but for me it was mostly experimenting with techniques, colours, tools and supplies until I organically fell into the style that best represented who I am. I have long been interested in art and creating and i even work in a creative field (im a camera opertor for tv shows and documentaries). a long time lover of natural fibers i’ve had a growing collection of yarns and fibers without a real purpose as to what i was going to do with them. Read more>>
Hope Misterek
It’s true what they say about how many hours of practice you need to put in to be an expert. But beyond that, to be on the top of your game, a lot has to do with your nature as a person. I took a course at the makeup designory in LA in wardrobe styling and that gave me a lot of technical knowledge and some insight about navigating the profession on an interpersonal level. Read more>>
Tara Lynn Weeks
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Northern Michigan University with a concentration in Drawing and Painting. I was obsessed and painted every chance I got for a decade or two, until one day I sat down to create a commission and felt completely burned out. No part of me wanted to start or complete this piece. I felt lost, but over time realized that it’s okay to take a break from creativity once in a while. And not feel guilty about it. Read more>>
Grant Whitson
Regarding drums, I first took an interest when I was in 4th or 5th grade shortly after Green Day dropped American Idiot. Tre Cool’s drums sounded amazing and I was always tapping on any solid surface after that. It drove my parents just crazy enough to get me proper drum lessons and a starter drum set so they wouldn’t have to hear me tapping on desks anymore! A couple years of lessons later I was playing in a number of bands while in high school. Read more>>
Kayla may Suarez
I had the opportunity as a kid to tap into my creativity in many different ways, Mostly becuase I was so wrapped up in my imagination all the time. In high school I had the privilege to attend an art focused high school and developed a work ethic for my craft that at a young age. I also took an unconventional for college and went to an acting conservatory. Knowing what I know now, the only thing I wish I had done differently was travel more. Read more>>
Natalia Andreeva
My artistic journey commenced early in life, initially under the guidance of my grandparents and later at the Children’s Art Studio. This passion led me to pursue formal art education at the university level, and my commitment to learning persists to this day. Read more>>
Cath DeStefano
I don’t remember saying yes but the seed was planted. I entered a countywide speech contest when. I was barely old enough to know what I was doing. I memorized the Gettysburg Address. I didn’t win. But, after that, a small stint as a student teacher during college moved me along the path of teaching/speaking. And then I met Mary Alplanalp. Read more>>
Tion Thomas
My journey into photography first started around 2017 when I was participating in an after school program that my mother had signed me and my sisters up for. During the program I ended up meeting this wonderful lady named Ms. Erin, who provided me with my initial experience with a camera. She taught me how to network with others, appreciate the value of the craft, and forward my skills for my future. Read more>>
Beau McCall
I am self-taught and so there was a lot of trial and error learning how to create wearable and visual art with buttons. There aren’t many people who use buttons in their practice so there wasn’t a blueprint or school for this medium. Read more>>
Jamie Fontana
In my pursuit of building mastery in my mixed media art practice, I’ve embraced my distinctive path. I do this through consistently drawing inspiration from the endless wonders life provides, especially human nature, emotions, the subconscious, and child-like curiosity. I am guided through these themes by a variety of artistic techniques, especially that of surrealist automatism. Read more>>
Sofia Norschau
No journey is the same. Learning just the craft of acting is really just living. It wasn’t what I was gonna do as my full time. After acting on stage for a few years I decided to learn more and applied to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. During my time there it all went by so fast, it has for sure been some of the most rewarding years. One of the biggest “could’ve should’ve” would be to go even further out of the comfort zone, though I really wouldn’t change anything. Read more>>
Denise Lee
For me, learning the craft is almost like on the job training. I began my career as an Artist in the midst of COVID-19. I found myself laid off from my job, looking at my four walls wondering what to do to keep myself occupied and not go crazy. At that point, the only painting I had done was in school as a child, as well as a sip and paint for my 38th birthday. I took to YouTube and began following a few channels. Read more>>
Ainsley Dack
A lot of people assume that I’ve always been a painter, but that isn’t the case. I was mostly into drawing and screen printing, and didn’t touch paints until years after my undergraduate degree. My entry into painting was unconventional. I started out by painting on clothing such as denim jackets and sneakers. Read more>>
Shamier Floyd
It started with a Modeling class hosted by Kira Kalon. She really helped mold me into being a model. From my confidence, walking in heels , and posing. With that experience going to modeling classes or just practicing small things definitely would’ve helped me starting out. Read more>>
Electra Williams
I definitely learn as I go, starting off when it comes to modeling you just do as much research and practice as you can. You really start to understand yourself and what style you like! Literally the more you practice and put your best effort the better you get it. The more comfortable and confident you get! Read more>>
Jason Adolf
Writing has always come naturally to me. When I was young, I would write short stories as fast as possible – I had to get the words in my head down on paper. I would take in my English classes with enthusiasm and try to apply what I learned to whatever I was writing at that moment. Over time, life got in the way and I got away from my craft for a bit. Read more>>
David Carr, Jr.
My dad played sax, so I was exposed to music, and music performing at an early age. I had expressed an interest in the saxophone and when I was around twelve, my dad got me a tenor. I struggled with it, and one day, my dad said, “Worry about your tone. The notes will come.” That was the most important thing anyone had said or could have said at any time in my life. Regarding music, no one has ever said anything more important. Read more>>
Bobby Bagley
In the beginning I approached art from a technical point of view. I worked on painting from the point of view of a craftsmen. I took the approach of a cabinet maker, meaning that I concentrated on the craft. Once I was happy with how I painted, then I allowed myself to be more passionate about the stories I was telling. Now I am lead by story, composition, and color. Read more>>