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.

ALEX BOLIG

One of the biggest things that hold new photographers back is there equipment, or lack there of. They don’t know what camera to buy, what lenses are good, or even how to edit. This stage of waiting to buy can last a while, that’s why I recommend to just use what is accessible to you. Even something like your phone has a ton of potential and can teach you more about photography than most think. Almost all new phones have amazing cameras compared to a few years ago. Read more>>

Chris Fontaine

I learned to paint in the abstract expressionist style with palette knives through complete trial and error. When you use a painting knife the results of the intermixing of different colorful paints can provide and immediate and beautiful results even from a novice. When I first started I thought I was incredible because I was able to create some really beautiful gestural marks and create some colorful paintings. However, a colorful painting with some interesting marks doesn’t always make a good, great, or even decent painting and that is what took me the longest to learn. Read more>>

DEQUADRAY WHITE

At a young age, I used visual art and spoken word to give life to my imagination and express frustrations with societal pressures as a Black, closeted baby queer. Unfortunately, my middle school did not have any art programming so I turned to my local Boys & Girls Club. It was a safe space that consistently presented opportunities to create without fear of judgement. From improv comedy workshops facilitated by acting professionals to poetry slam teams coached by world renowned poets, I embraced a myriad of mediums and acquired interdisciplinary techniques that I continue to use today. Read more>>

Catie Shetty

I was always a creative kid. My parents got me DIY kits for pretty much everything; from water color, jewelry making, pottery, and cross stitch. I fell in love with cross stitch at 8 years old and was constantly making new pieces. At that time, youtube wasn’t really a thing, and the directions that came with the kits were terrible; so it was a lot of trial and error to learn how to cross stitch and how to make the final look of product flawless. No one in my family knew the craft either, so I am self taught, which helped me learn embroidery, weaving, sewing, and pattern making as well. Read more>>

Ryan Bigham

As a kid music has been apart of my life. From me being a choir boy in church to me becoming a rapper music has played a huge roll in my everyday life. I started listening to rap at a very young age and I’ve always said I wanted to do music. I was raised on every genre there is. I didn’t start rapping until I was 15 but took it seriously at 18 and that was all thanks to my cousin “Raetros” he really seen the potential in me and what I can do and he was the one who pushed me and taught me the basics I needed to become a successful artists today. Read more>>

Betsy Askew

I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the amazing, creative, and talented people in my life teaching me their trades over the years. I guess I could have gone to art school to speed up the learning process. Instead I chose the long road of teaching myself and using my resources. For my street art, it’s a combination of common sense and knowing the tools of the trade. I’ve learned a lot of skills over the years from wood-working to metal fabrication to screen printing, but the biggest obstacle was learning that what you think, is what you become. Read more>>

Kara (Hemsworth) Higgenbotham

While I have been trained in art all through high school and majored in Fine Art in college, I’d have to give credit to my most useful education being through teaching myself and finding classes online of every skill I could ever wonder about. I also attribute all my technical knowledge of 2D animation and character designing to Austin Community College’s program. It’s incredible, and this is coming from someone who left her home state of Texas to go to Ohio for their Disney feed program for 3D modeling. Yuck, I wish I wouldn’t have conformed to what adults were telling me; Try not to ditch your dream just because of where the ‘industry’ is going. Read more>>

Melissa Green

I am proud to say that I am completely self taught! Back when I was living in Canada, My aunt went to a bread making class with some friends and told me how much fun she had. It turned out that the teacher of the class was also a client at the veterinary clinic I worked at, so I started talking to her about it and I was going to get a group of friends together to take her class. Life happens and that didn’t pan out, but I kept thinking about bread making. I eventually decided that I was going to just try to do it myself, so I researched it online and took the plunge. No surprise, it was a lot of trial and error at first. Read more>>

Dr. Kerry Szymanski

Stand-up comedy is a rush! There is no better feeling in the world than when an audience laughs at my jokes. I fell in love with stand-up comedy after I took a class at the Improv in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My intention for taking the class was to increase my confidence on stage and become a better public speaker. I was preparing for some speaking engagements to promote my marketing book, “Seduce Your Customers – An Entrepreneurs Guide to Marketing”. After I finished my first performance and the laughter filled my veins, I knew I found a new calling. To become a stand-up comedian takes a lot of hard work, dedication and tenacity. I spend hours every week watching, learning, writing and performing stand-up comedy. Read more>>

Annette Barbieri

I am largely a self-taught artist. When I went to college I majored in psychology and later studied interior design. I would have loved to have studied art, but it didn’t seem like a viable career at the time. It was much harder to make a living as an artist back then. There was no social media and artists depended on galleries to make a living. While working in another field, I still would paint and draw in my free time. I used to draw realistic portraits but found the need to loosen up and started exploring abstract painting. Read more>>

Vanessa Fortenberry

What I am cognizant of today as it relates to being a writer, I learned from others. I did not know instinctively how to be a good writer or even a great writer (I am still pursuing “greatness”). When I began writing, the stories were in my head and I penned them, but I soon realized that I needed guidance in the writing process. Scripture states, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). Read more>>

Ali Hopson

“Fake it until you make it” is how everyone starts. Right? I find peace and encouragement from one of my favorite productions, Rocky Horror Picture Show. “Don’t Dream it. Be It!” For me, the value of the message has been in the lessons of growth, failing, and recreation over the years. I have been in the film industry for over a decade and an artist my entire life. Over time, I have learned: a good work flow; lots of hacks for working on the go; and a community of artists & professionals who have become family. Read more>>

Niya Rose

Some people think Modeling is getting in front of a camera and taking a picture, however its much more to it ! It took me about a year or two to fully get comfortable as a model and I had to learn by researching other models, studying poses & practicing my walk on a daily. It took me a while to realize the dedication and practice it took to learn my angles, one thing I wish I learned sooner. Read more>>

Celita Williams

There is no better teacher than trying and failing. And there is no second-better teacher than the feedback from others. Whether it was becoming a better IT professional, writing or performing a better poem, or building a better mechanical keyboard, all of these crafts were learned as a result of the repetitive process of trying, testing, refining. Read more>>

Allyson Roth

My learning process began in elementary school with my grandmother. I spent a lot of time with her as a kid and often helped her make stuff for craft fairs. I learned early that a hot glue gun is definitely hot if you touch the glue to soon and to go straight to cold water. I remember watching painting shows and wood work shows with her. Not sure where I got the inspiration from but she let me use a butter knife and try my hand at soap carving. She was amazing. I miss her. Later in middle school and high school my mom and I started Tole painting. Read more>>

Kelly Evans

My first introduction to ceramics was while finishing up a studio art degree at the University of Central Florida. I was mainly focused on illustration there and learning any medium that would allow me to illustrate my designs, art books, print making, drawing etc. I happened to sign up for a wheel throwing class toward the end of my time there simply to fill needed credit hours and I really enjoyed it. I ended up taking an advanced wheel throwing class my final semester and had so many ideas for things I wanted to make that I knew I would need to find a way to continue after school was finished. Read more>>