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.
Heidi Stangeland

I often hear people say, “I could never do what you do,” or “How do you manage to write all those different characters? How do you know what they’re supposed to say?” My response is always the same: Read more>>
Darren Martin

Photography was always something I was interested in as far back as High School. I joined the yearbook staff and that really set off my passion for photography. Read more>>
Keary Alaniz

I learned how to record, mix, and master music at Hocking College in the Music Management program. In order to speed up the learning process I volunteered and looked for side work in the audio engineering field. Read more>>
Sara Bruce

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m more of a hands on, visual type of person in learning how to do something. Photography especially weather photography while storm chasing is definitely not an easy task, let alone just going out there and doing it. Read more>>
Michael Dalluge

I learned how to make mixed media art in high school! I took three classes of painting, drawing, and AP art. I didn’t quite learn my specific art style by being taught it, rather I was provided the tools to experiment and toy around with to develop my current art style. Read more>>
Chuck Pebenito

There never was a linear path to my career now. But 3 important things helped establish my career today. 1. I went to school to learn the fundamentals. Read more>>
Andy Huang

In order to get the most out of a craft that you’re pursuing, having a personal interest on top of your professional interest is essential to accelerate your progress and learning. Read more>>
Jonathan Feldman

After finishing high school, I went to college to study Biochemistry. However, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. Following my older brother’s advice, I pursued Art Criticism. Read more>>
Juston White

The internet. Whenever I needed help in any aspect I would just always look it up. It was honestly the speediest way to figure things out in just about anything. Read more>>
Neville Parker

I opened my first gallery in 1995 selling both my own creations and other people’s art. Before I embarked on my journey as a full time artist and gallery owner I was running a mid sized engineering company. Read more>>
Baxter Suber

I learned as a teenager the first time by picking up the cans and painting everyday. To speed up the process I wish I wouldn’t have taken a 10 year hiatus from the craft, This caused me to basically start over the second time around. Read more>>
MéShyia Bradshaw

At the start of my pageantry journey it was a habit of mine to surf through coaches/titleholders social media. Doing this simple task allowed me to focus on the tips and tricks they’d leave behind in videos or posts! Read more>>
Nathalie Tran

I started contemplating an artistic path after wandering way too long not knowing what I wanted to do. I got my first iPad with the first pencil, I saw the Procreate application that I wanted to use, Read more>>
Lana Hawk

I spent a lot of time learning photography by taking courses online, classes in person, reading resources, and attending a few workshops. Read more>>
Stuart Gauffi

For me, acting in general, and voice acting in particular, has been a lifelong passion. As a kid, I was fascinated by voice talents like Mel Blanc, June Foray, and Rich Little. Read more>>
Maritza Lisa

I’d say I’m primarily self-taught. Online tutorials and classes have also been helpful resources. Looking back, having a mentor or focusing on targeted practice in specific areas might have accelerated my learning. Read more>>
Janelle Sy’mone

I learned from watching and listening to amazing entertainers do what they do. I knew I wanted to sing when I heard Anita Baker or Whitney Houston’s voice, and I knew I wanted to electrify the way that Micheal and Janet did. Read more>>
Kendra Nicole

Most of what I know, I have learned in school or it has been self taught. I enjoy learning in my free time and doing research. Art class is always a good time because there’s so many projects to get started on. Read more>>
Noah Densmore

Learning your craft takes time. I started filming weddings in 2019 and I still am continually changing and perfecting my approach to this craft. I’ve taken a few online courses over the years which have also helped out tremendously in the beginning stages too! Read more>>
Emma Bryan

I learned how to model from observing. I find myself to be very good a mimicry, so I would watch videos online of professional models working to give myself a basic overview of what to do in front of a camera. Read more>>
Gris Manzanares

I am a person of empirical learning, so everything I have learned about my acting I’ve done it “on the stage.” I have carefully chosen my guides and teachers, because learning about artistic topics is something very sensitive. Read more>>
Jay Johnson

I started creative pursuits with writing fiction. I was using Audacity to mix songs like Get Your Shine On and Go DJ by Lil Wayne, and stumbled upon Fruity Loops 4 Demo and tried my hand at a couple of beats. Read more>>
Patrick Chidiebube Ozuma

My life as an artists started at a very young age, I grew up as one of the talented kids in the street, making the best toy cars, disassembling and assembling electronic gadgets and of course recreating drawings from comic books and all magazines I could lay my hands on. Read more>>
Brian Park

The most important thing is to maintain a healthy relationship with the craft. No matter how skillful you are, if you can’t enjoy the time you’re spending with your craft, it will eventually fall apart. Whether it’s your partner, work or passion. Read more>>
Francesca Virginia Coppola

My journey as an artist has started at a very young age, when I worked through collage and ready-made, although I didn’t know anything about their historical context. Read more>>
Jamie King

From the moment I heard rock n roll radio in the mid 1970’s, I knew I wanted to be a performer rather than just a spectator. While I was drawn to artists of the early/mid 70’s initially (The Rolling Stones…. Read more>>
Lukas Kuich

I learned my skills as a videographer through internships and various jobs. These hands-on experiences were invaluable in teaching me the technical aspects of videography as well as the nuances of the industry. Read more>>
Marco Dela Torre

In regards to my music, it’s a matter of dedicating the time to it. In this day and age with easy to come by learning resources on all steps of the music production process, it’s never a magic pill and you still need to take the painstaking repeated trial and error in getting your ideal results. Read more>>
Emily Chamberlain

Ceramics has been a profound journey for me, one that began with the spark ignited by passionate teachers and has since evolved into a lifelong pursuit of creativity and discovery. Read more>>
Shemicka Johnson AkA Meeka Starr “Your Favorite Stylist”

When my parents separated, I moved to California, and we didn’t have much money. I loved clothes and fashion, but since I only got new clothes twice a year, I would upcycle my old clothes into new items, from new outfits to bags. Read more>>
J$20 The Presidential King

Like everything with repetition and win and losses. Improving what works and working on what didn’t and understanding why it didn’t. Gotta be strategic in everything you do to obtain success. Read more>>
Harvey Holmes

I learned photography through a collaboration of YouTube tutorials, books, but most importantly, practice! Many people go to school to study photography. Read more>>
Meghan Clarisse Cave

I have tried to surround myself with a lot of great musicians – all so much better than me. I’ve been really fortunate to learn from them – everything from recording to performing to booking and playing and songwriting. Read more>>
Jackie Morera

The fun thing about being a writer is that reading voraciously is the best way to learn. While I mostly learned the craft by appreciating storytelling in various forms (film, TV, theater, music, etc.), I also found free resources online. Read more>>
Lindsey Creel Cherry

My work is a culmination of the skills I have pieced together throughout my life. I began drawing in college as I was too timid to take art in high school. Read more>>
Misaki Uehara

To master nail techniques, specialized knowledge is essential. Attending nail school provides opportunities to learn from experienced instructors, observe techniques firsthand, and practice. Read more>>
Amita Basu

I’ve learned to write primarily from studying stories, mostly in the form of novels and films, and more recently short stories. I’ve always been an avid reader, but some years ago I realised I’ve forgotten much of what I’ve read. Read more>>
Jessica Grande

I am a digital content creator and marketer born and raised in Nashville, TN. I love challenging myself to learn and create in different mediums across the digital landscape. Read more>>
Randi Skye

Well, I have always been one of the funniest in the room. I was given an opportunity to get on stage and I felt so comfortable and at peace! Read more>>
Cassie Duncan

To learn stand-up comedy means just doing it. You can practice your jokes in your apartment (which I do) but you don’t know if they’re funny until you do them on stage. Read more>>
Jocelyn (Ziying) Zhao

Growing up, I spent over ten years learning painting, which helped shape my artistic aesthetics, craftsmanship, and spatial imagination. However, I yearned for something beyond traditional methods of expressing creativity. Read more>>
Alex Wood

I first learned about how the journalism world works when I began my podcasting career in 2020. I was always given advice left and right from people who worked, mostly in NASCAR, and did freelance work and they gave me advice regarding finding stories and reporting. Read more>>
Gabe Castro

I’ve been interested in film since I was a child. In Middle school, I worked a job on the weekends at a small flea market. Every dollar earned was saved towards buying my own camera. Read more>>
Jessica Michelle

My process that has helped me grow as a model and entrepreneur is first and foremost know what kind of model/ entrepreneur I wanted to be and how I wanted it to be presented to other then diving deep into a game plan on how I could make it happen like studying the craft itself and implementing what I learned towards my vision! Read more>>
Alejandro Morán

My path to digital art began as most artist journeys begin, notebook paper and an idea. I had an idea one day in middle school but I was frustrated that I couldn’t draw it. Read more>>
Terry Johnson

Rapping came a bit easy as I’ve been a big writer since middle school doing poetry and writing short stories. As I got older I reconnected with a very good friend (age 19) named Paytience who pretty much trained and help mold my skills to be able to work on my own freestyling or writing. Read more>>
Marie Vickles

I have learned to do the work I do through hands-on experiences and applying the knowledge learned through various fields of studies – not all arts-related. Read more>>
Jacqueline Harper

When I got my first camera I knew absolutely NOTHING about photography. I used it for capturing landscapes and just random things during trips. Read more>>
Noa Lindberg

When you’re good at what you do, you seek to always learn more. When acting on set, it was never enough for me. Studying screenwriting certainly made me a better actor. Read more>>
Linda Vasquez

I am a self taught artist. I learned thru practice, observation and some schooling. Knowing what I know now, I would have put motherhood on hold a few years to pursue more art education and practice. Read more>>
Don Aguillo

Being an artist in the comic industry, if you do it as “right” as possible, demands being a life-long student. This means honesty, self-awareness and humility when it comes to the craft. Read more>>
Rebecca Rothfus Harrell

In addition to having some outstanding professors, I was fortunate enough to befriend several MFA students and Teaching Assistants in my first years at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Read more>>
Emily Webster

I began making wire-wrapped, leather, and cord jewelry in high school, spurred on by my part-time job at Michael’s Arts & Crafts. I had always had a penchant for creative projects, Read more>>
Lindsey Elcessor

Not sure what this window is for, so I’ll add some other potential themes/topics that could apply: Learning the craft. Navigating “artist” as an identity, Living as a compulsive creator. Read more>>
Stacey Gledhill

I stumbled across an art school in London that was teaching the craft of drawing and painting from life. At this point I didn’t yet want to be an artist as a vocation, I just wanted a creative outlet. Read more>>