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.

Felice Kimbrew

So I actually started learning video production and photography way before my undergrad years. I was interested in capturing moments with my camera because for me, I thought they were special. I thought that everyone deserved to have their moments captured so they could look back on them. When I found out about a media studies program teaching students professional video production not far from me, I knew this was the avenue to take charge. Read more>>

J. Anders

I feel like it all started with my motivation to tell stories. I would seek feedback and write about whatever was going on in my life at the time. I think I discovered my gift for writing music when I was about 14 years old. I would rap my songs to peers and they would laugh at my witty rhetoric and encourage me to keep going. When I began to record songs I didn’t know how to verbally convey the type of sounds I was hearing with the words in my head, so I decided to go to school for Audio Engineering and Post Production. Knowing what I know now, I think I would have went to school for Engineering way sooner than I did. Read more>>

Yecheilyah Ysrayl

The only way I know to become better at writing is to write, so that’s the first part of my evolution as a poet and author. In my youth, I always kept a journal/diary and wrote about the day’s events. I became a writer because I was always writing. Knowing what I know now, I probably could have studied my craft more on the academic level to speed up the learning process. I regret nothing, though. Read more>>

C.J. Baumann

My skillset is primarily based on learning how to see – training to convert my three-dimensional world into a two dimensional drawing. This forces a heavy hand on the fundamentals of angles, proportions, and perspective. I draw from life from within my service as a United States Marine and often in dynamic environments. Training, operations, and deployments all serve as subject matter and my goal is to capture those events through observational illustration for the purpose of historical documentation.  Read more>>

Teddy Love

Practice and a lot of YouTube videos, When I first started I would often try to mimic other photographers in the way they shoot their pictures, Eventually I learned to shoot my own style. I think what could’ve sped up my learning process is always being consistent and always bring your camera wherever you go. The skills that were most essential is always trusting your vision and knowing your subject. Read more>>

Gregory Crowson

Photography was never an interest of mine to be honest. Back in 2017 I picked up a friends camera to help take pictures and video for creatives in the area I was living in. I had no prior knowledge so I wanted to take it serious and learn as much as I could. From day one, myself and another creative (Rey Morado) came up with the idea for Camnimbus, an Atlanta based media company providing high quality photography and videography. Everyday after we came up with the idea, I’d offer to shoot events for free or use social media to offer free shoots. That was the blueprint for me getting any recognition. Read more>>

Leah Nadeau

I started painting regularly in late 2014 when living in the United Kingdom. I was doing my masters in film theory and found that painting with watercolors was not only fun, but it helped me with stress. I learned how to paint by simply painting. I put in 6-10 hours a day of painting since I began and I learn as I create. I’m completely self taught and painting consistently every single day is how I managed to come so far and really hone my skills. Read more>>

Zay Poole

I honestly feel I was a born creative. Now I’m not saying that I didn’t have to teach myself and learn certain things but, I always had a familiar grasp on the things I did creatively even if it was the first time coming in contact with it. That I will say is natural born talent which, I believe everyone has in their own way. I can say that thanks to just shadowing, trial and error, risks and research throughout the many years is how I learned, sharpened and improved what I do today. Read more>>

Revol Ayn

Growing up, I never imagined I would end up in the world of pole and aerial fitness. As a young dancer, I was aware of traditional dance styles like ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop. It wasn’t until I was older and found fun in fitness that I wandered into more non-traditional movement disciplines like pole dancing, aerial arts, and calisthenics. Read more>>

Alejandro Guerra

I learned how to make videos through a variety of different ways, When I first started out and even to this day I watch Youtube. There’s tons of people sharing useful tips and walking through different techniques they use. Another way I learned was by interning at a studio here in town. This gave me hands on experience with industry standard equipment and softwares and exposed me to a lot of different types of video shoots. The last way I learn how to create videos is to actually just start doing it. Read more>>

Da’sha Rozier

One of the best teachers I have been exposed to is life. I’ve learned my most valuable lessons as an actress, model, and business owner through first-hand experience. Speaking with people in my field and absorbing the knowledge they were providing is influential in my success. However, knowing what I know now I don’t see how I could have sped up my learning process. I am a focused and determined woman living out the purpose God placed upon my life. I am a big believer that everything happens in due time and with each step I’ve taken to further my career it aided in the success that I have today. If there was anything I would accept earlier in my process it would be to gain patience sooner. Read more>>

Cris Eli Blak

Personally, I learned by doing. I guess you could call it being “self-taught.” I learned by sitting down and writing, and I learned by sitting down and writing really bad stuff. My earliest plays were terrible and got rejected from every place I sent them to, without fail. But that’s how it has to go. You have to write the bad stuff, you have to find your voice and your style, you have to grow – – and once I did those things, the work started to get better. Read more>>

Melena DeFlorimonte

My current knowledge of food and product photography is a culmination of several sources – observation, practice/trial and error, what I like to call YouTube University, formal online courses as well as tips from other food and product photographers. Most of my immediate photographer friends shoot portrait, lifestyle or wedding/event photography, so I didn’t have someone to bounce ideas off of or to ask questions related to my specific genre. Read more>>

Ashley Surber

Learning how to draw came first for me. I’ve always loved to draw and as a child it was a pastime and definitely defined as something you did for fun. I kept at it through high school, taking art classes whenever I could. I never considered it to be something you could do professionally until I started taking a few art classes in college. It was then I discovered it was an actual profession. I decided to change my major to fine art in drawing and painting and that’s when I started painting. I loved it! Read more>>

Karina Nistal

I had such a desire early on to become an entertainer. As a child, I was played piano, learned ballet, tap, jazz, and even karate. I joined the school choir from junior high to high school. I started learning street style dance performance.
I knew I wanted a career in music. I had the desire to record music and began to look for producers to help me develop my own sound. Read more>>

Rachel Frawley

One of the best things about being an artist is that everything is an education. My formal training has always been immensely important and valuable to me and I take every chance I can to continue it. I was fortunate enough to be able to make theatre my focus in college, and since then I’ve completed a Shakespeare apprenticeship, taken on-camera and studio acting classes, signed up for workshops, masterclasses, etc. and so forth. I’ve been lucky to study with some of the most skilled and inspiring teachers and coaches I’ve ever met in Atlanta. Read more>>

Nigel Lloyd

Honestly; a lot of trial and error. No one around me nor in my family never persuaded a career in music. So a lot of things I’ve had to learn along the way. I could’ve been more consistent earlier on in my career. The most essential skills, for me, would be resilience. Knowing how to adapt and switch gears according to the current circumstance. Read more>>

Kevin Wilkerson

I actually have two areas of professional focus, content writing and public relations executive. One blended into the other tho I started out as a writer. I learned a lot about writing from my father, an excellent writer and journalist who spent the majority of his career as editor of Tennessee Valley Authority’s two publications. I am fortunate to have picked up at least some of his writing skills and he sharpened my talent through high school and beyond. Read more>>

TiaMundria Christmas

I have always been self-taught in my creative process. I never believed there was a RIGHT way to make art. Suppose I could change the hands of time, I would go back and probably go ahead and watch Youtube tutorials. I wouldn’t watch for learning creative skills but for learning business-savvy skills. I believe talent is an essential skill but not as essential as business skills. I started my creative career while still in high school without much guidance on how to actually run a business. Read more>>

Kapil Ralli

Learning is not about earning, but a way of flowering – Sadh Guru This quote has many meanings for me. I grew up in a normal middle class family with knowledge and school were given utmost importance. Education and degree is a norm and every parent wants their kids to go to college as a bare minimum. But the school system most countries do not have a logical or practical adoption. I mean where will you apply Pythagoras or Trigonometry. Absolutely useless knowledge unless you plan to become a mathematician (which 99% won’t). Read more>>

Daniel Gamboa

I come from a musical background and was privileged to be surrounded by great teachers and professionals through my father and his coworkers. During my childhood he specialized in recording and built a studio which we still own and operate. When it comes to speeding up my learning process, I don’t believe that there is a shortcut to learning the craft of music. It is a personal experience and only advances and matures as you dive deeper into it. Read more>>

Brandon Royaltii

I learned to model honestly from just watching other top models that inspired me . Especially Wisdom Kaye of IMG Models , his poses and creative fashion sense helped me grow more confident . What I could have done to speed up my process would have been to do more research on getting on with an agency and knowing the type of photos and content that is needed . Especially being versatile knowing runway and print shoots . As far as skills honestly you just need to work on your model face . Read more>>

Delia Ruiz

As a little girl, I always loved books (even though we didn’t have many in my home). I also had numerous journals where I would write poetry, discuss my day, and create stories. Many of the stories were influenced by the books my teachers would read and also by my culture. Having great teachers inspired me to become an educator and help my students feel seen. During college, I took a children’s literature course where I first learned about the Pura Belpre award and started keeping a list of Latinx authors. Read more>>

Brittany Kennedy

I learned how to mix and create from YouTube university, and lots of research. though I was already some what knowledgeable in herbs and essential oils. I Learned more about the legal side just by following more inspirational and other business or wealthy people on social media, getting information from friends and family, and also once again by doing my own research. Knowing what I know now, I could have saved money and cut down on some of my mistakes. Even down to the legal portion. Read more>>

Leon Young

As a child, I came from broken home with tree brothers and an alcoholic mother. We never had a lot and always moving to city to city, school to school. I never had a normal child hood and used drawing as my escape. I would draw on walls, school desks and everything I could. My mother didn’t care what I was doing and where I was. 3rd grade we finally stop moving around and by that time I had notebooks full of drawing and Ideas I drew out on paper. drawing I was free of feeling hungry, cold and forgot the pain of being beaten. Read more>>

Jamal Markell

So like many, I grew up singing in church. My family is filled with singers, Musicians, and artist. So it’s a gift that was given without choice . And I’m grateful lol. But over the years it’s been my duty to sharpen and perfect my gift . But there was also a short gap in between me growing up singing and finding my voice now .Right after Highschool I found myself procrastinating and not being able to tune in to my artistry . At one point my blockage was so sever I became completely hopeless for a moment. Read more>>

Miranda Squillace

As most artists do, I began creating at a young age. I was using books like “Drawing for Beginners” or “How to Sketch”. Most gifts I was given as a kid were art supplies or drawing books. I was fortunate enough that my parents supported my talent and encouraged me to continue making art. I was also fortunate enough to attend a high school that had a well-funded art program. I learned all the basics from my teachers, including blending, shading, perspective, etc. Read more>>

Rachel Segal

My father was an amateur photographer and he put a camera in my hands when I was about 5 years, and a few years later he built us a darkroom in our basement. I guess you could say that this is in my blood. When I started. out with photography one would take pictures and have to wait to see the pictures they took with original 35mm cameras and film, I almost miss those days. That being said, with DSLR cameras I do love that I can see and work with what I took right away. Read more>>

Anthony Dempsey

In magic, most successful magicians will have a mentor who will show them the ropes and help put them on the right path with their performances. Basically like a director would help actors with a play or film. In my case, my mentor was the Amazing Aussie Tommy Garbin. I would create a magic or mentalism routine on my own and then take it to Tom to have him critique and shape it into the best performance possible. Read more>>

Harmony

I began singing at 3 and it’s all a God given gift! Over time and with the help of some great influences, i’ve been able to hone in on my craft and perfect it, but by no means do I think I’m anywhere close to being perfect. I think being more experienced now I should’ve bet on myself long ago. Through the years I think the ability to always be willing to learn has help me remain humble and advance along. People have been the biggest obstacle and still to this day is an obstacle. Remember not e everyone wants to see you succeed. Read more>>

Jada Dodd

Being self-taught has been a fun, but stressful challenge. I attempted to go to school for photography but always had trouble with wanting to stay focused in the classroom for various reasons. The main reason was that I wanted to challenge myself to see how far I could go with this new craft on my own. It’s something that I wanted really bad at the time, but I had no idea how much photography would change me. Being able to be my own person and do what I want with my photos was the most essential part of who I am today. The main obstacle that got in my way was myself. Read more>>

Christina Lee

I grew up enamored with illustration. I was an avid reader and drawer all throughout school. Seeking a creative career as a second-generation Korean was always a huge risk, so I went to a research university for my undergraduate degree and stitched together an informal illustration major by studying fine art and communication design. Although I think of my undergraduate years fondly, my favorite period of time was when I formally studied illustration abroad in London at the Camberwell College of Arts. Read more>>

Joseph Rojas

Trail and Error, however it really started with learning to over come my self doubt, and being able to take a risk and betting on me. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted I would tell anyone who would listen that I would create my own stories, that I would create those escapes, that I would create! It started with recording a movie review with my phone in a dark room, at an ugly angle, and making one of the worst things ever, to prove to myself I wanted nothing else. I kept making video after video, making small improvements, finally signed up for a production class to get some more hands on experience and to continue to build self confidence. Read more>>

Skyler Heck

I’ve had a fascination with music ever since I was very young, and I can only infer that it has a lot to do with my dad having been a musician my whole life. I’ve seen photos of him holding me in his lap when I was too young to even properly support my own body, so it kinda checks out that my brain was into it even before my body could be. Read more>>

Kristopher Williams

I actually went to school for Animation, but I ended up changing my major to graphic design. School really didn’t teach me anything but the basics. I wanted to get more in depth with creating. So I started watching YouTube videos, and really tried to find my way in the creative field. My mindset has always been the type to learn beyond my expectations and challenge myself to not settle in one area. The skills that I find the most essential would be typography. Knowing what typeface to use with any given scenario helps tell the story with any given project. It helps to bring your visions to life. Read more>>

Sidney Allen

As an artist who hosts workshops to teach my technique, I feel that I should start by sharing that I learned by attending art workshops, art classes, and art camps. One of the best ways that I learned art was from art teachers who kindly and effectively shared their knowledge and techniques with me. I think that speeding up the learning process is not as important as really absorbing those lessons. Some of the most essential lessons learned relating to my art were about shape, composition, value, and emphasis. Read more>>

Xenia Leonteva

As the story goes for many of us in the Oriental dance, it all started with an inspiration. In my case the inspiration came upon me at some Moroccan restaurant during my short visit to Washington DC. There, I had my first live encounter with a Belly dancer. But my fascination with this dance art goes way back to the days of Shakira’s “Whenever, Whenever” release. I remember watching the clip with awe, thinking how surreal her moves looked. My craze for Oriental dance was fueled by curiosity, wonderment, and lots of glitter! Read more>>

Angelica Nor

My whole life I have been surrounded by music. My grandfather was the second chair violinist of the Florida Symphony and my mom a choreographer of the Colombian TV Shows “El Show de Jimmy” And “Baila de Rumba”. My brother, a drummer and metal head taught me basic music theory and would show me a few things on the drums. This inspired me but music always seemed so intimidating. Until one day I decided to break the ice and dive into the vast world of music. Read more>>

Avont Garcia

Growing up i was the worst at drawing. I would compare myself to the other kids who at my young age were just making these insane creations. I would print out dragon ball pictures and draw them on printer paper. My only teacher is really just trying something, sucking at it, taking a break from it and coming back stronger the next time. Read more>>

Suru Ayo

Honestly, I was born this way. Having an eye for aesthetics, design and curation came naturally. God blessed me. I figured out I loved poetry at a young age and fashion soon after. Those to things taught me structure and the process of cohesion. Knowing what I know now if I could have had a designer for a mentor or even a museum curator I could have skipped a lot of things including art school at the University of Houston. The most essential skill in the art/creative world in my opinion is your eyes/imagination. Read more>>

The Accident Theory

We were inspired by the big music movement that was the late 90s/early 2000’s. Most definitely inspired by the people who decided to tune their guitars down lower and sang the way they wanted to sing their songs without any care in the world.. Read more>>

Shek Tarawallie

My journey to becoming a fashion designer is one that I didn’t expect for myself. As a child I feel like fashion always hovered around me, but it never seemed like something that was possible to achieve. However, my childhood was decorated with glimpses into beauty and fashion. My mother & aunts would compete with each other on who could dress my cousins & I the best. I would watch them get ready for parties and me enamored by their beauty, the colors, the shapes of the dresses, and the fabrics. Read more>>

Eric Ross

I learned the art of beat mixing music at a young age of 16 in NY. I had a “Boom Box” with 4 tape decks, 8 speakers and an Alarm system. We would take the Plastic covers off the tap decks and use the back of a pencil to speed up or slow down cassettes to beat match. Of course, it wasn’t the smoothest process, but it worked. From that point I was introduced to Turntables at underground party events. Read more>>