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.

Ayesha Hussain

Learning the ropes of my craft has been an exhilarating journey, deeply rooted in the colorful chaos of Pakistan’s bazaars and the cherished moments spent with my mom in Lahore’s bustling markets. It was during those bazaar trips, surrounded by a whirlwind of fabrics, colors, and textures, that I first felt the spark of creativity igniting within me. Those moments were pivotal, shaping my path and solidifying my dream of becoming a designer. Read more>>

Carey Crim

My path was a little circuitous. I learned by doing. There are so many ways to get there. I feel like we get fed this story that the only path is an MFA, which is certainly a valid and useful choice, but not the only one. I was part of a writing collective in New York called Write Club. We decided to mount our own work. My first play, Growing Pretty came out of that group. I also directed it. It was in a small theatre in Midtown. I learned so much from that process and got my first agent. I was also lucky to be connected with The Purple Rose Theatre early in my career. They premiered my first three plays and, really, that was my graduate school. There is nothing like getting a play on it’s feet to teach you very quickly what works and what doesn’t. Read more>>

Ashlie Crystal

I learned how to DJ from my boyfriend Ryan, known as Dj OSHN, during COVID-19. Ryan, a friend of mine, and I were having a wine night, and I was discussing my love for techno, and I envisioned myself playing techno. That night, I decided I wanted to make DJing my career; I had a few shows lined up, which made me practice and become dedicated. Knowing what I know now, to speed up my learning process, I would learn how to experiment more with looping. Looping is an essential part of DJing, which adds different characteristics to a set, makes it more unique, and showcases my DJing skills. Read more>>

Haunz Noire

Writing poetry came natural to me as early as 7 years old, I would write little short stories about everything under the sun, that always had a rhyme scheme, over time it turned into me writing raps to my favorite songs, writing a poem about a day in the life of a HSGCA student, to later take a performance poetry class in college and then it was only up from there. Read more>>

Deejay Saint

I learn through YouTube academy but I think if I found I school or someone to teach me one on one it would have accelerated my skills. Read more>>

Samina Martens

Quite a few different ways. Firstly, I think just reading and watching everything I could get my hands on was where my education started. Watching films outside of my usual genres, or older movies, or foreign movies. Reading anything and everything, from scripts to articles to novels to short stories. All of this helped me develop a sense of my own creative taste, but also helped me understand the basic tenets of storytelling: what works, what doesn’t work, and why. Another big learning opportunity is obviously the people around you. It’s a very basic rule that exists within the entertainment industry: if you want to DO a particular job, try to work for the person who is CURRENTLY doing that job. Read more>>

Claire Dougherty

I’ve always loved doing all kinds of crafts and art. Its just in me to create, whether it’s graphic design, painting, collage, needlework, sewing, gardening, ceramics– anything with my hands. My mom encouraged my creativity and shuttled me around to art classes. She was a museum docent and always supported artists by buying original art. Her influence laid the foundation for a visual life. Read more>>

Leila Majlessi

Growing up I had a love for movies and filmmaking, especially being surrounded by my dad’s side of the family. My dad, who passed when I was young, was an editor back in Iran before he moved to the United States, and in a weird way I feel like movies kept us connected even after he was gone. As I got older, I found myself falling in love with writing throughout high school, and after I got accepted into USC’s screenwriting program, that love for writing just kept growing. Read more>>

Toby Lightman

I have been a professional recording artist for over 20 years, and had the pleasure of working with many prolific producers in the music business, most of which were men. As a woman and a songwriter, I never felt fully comfortable sharing my lyrics, let alone with older male producers, regardless of their success. The studio should be a safe space to share feelings and to capture your talent in its most genuine form. However, I never felt that the producers around me, understood, let alone connected to my songwriting. I was a 20 year old woman and they were 50 years and older! Read more>>

Paige Harbison

I first got published when I was 19 years old. I am positive that the reason for early success is because I was young and naive enough to not overthink it. I had learned from stories by osmosis, consumed storytelling through books, movies, music, and real life. My mother and aunts were all published authors, so it didn’t seem like an unimaginable dream. And then after my first three books came out, I got smarter and worked way harder. I started to see how much I didn’t know, I started to question the value of my previous work and agonize over what the right messaging was to send out into the world. I had the practical skills. I understood plot and character inherently, but I didn’t know what to do with it anymore. I was overthinking everything, and became resentful of my past successes, thinking of them as thin and worthless instead of recognizing their value. Read more>>

Courtney Miller

I have always been a creative individual. Growing up, I found peace in spending my nights afterschool deep into any art projects. Luckily, I feel as though I was born with a creative talent. I’ve always tried to bringing my creative visions to life, and expand my artistic skills. That’s really how I ended up being a set decorator/production designer. The crazy thing about this job is that you’re always learning. With every project you take on, there will be an ask that you’ve never done before; one that you’d have to leverage your knowledge and research new ideas. In terms of creating visions for the overall film, I mostly learn from observing; watching movies, TV, and my mentor. When learning hard skills (such as making a lightweight tombstone), I typically pull knowledge from previous experiences/art classes or use trusty YouTube. Taking art classes in college can provide you with a lot of working knowledge. Read more>>

Kateryna Boldyrieva

Destiny Matrix is a relatively new field within numerology, and I am frequently asked how to learn it. My response is simple: it is best to study it through a formal school or private tuition. While there is a wealth of information on the internet regarding Destiny Matrix, much of it lacks structure and depth. Additionally, there is no opportunity for direct feedback or guidance from a teacher. Without structured learning, it is impossible to gain a profound understanding of the system. If free resources were sufficient, teachers would have long since abandoned their practices, and schools would have closed. Read more>>

Amrita Singhal

How did I learn the craft? This is a complicated query posing as a simple question. I think I learned to paint by being madly in love with the act of creating and with oil paint itself. This ongoing obsession includes some of the following (in no particular order): The physical act of smearing paint on surfaces, experimentation with materials/ideas/color/texture, the marvel that is art history, the experience of the natural world. I’m constantly learning. To be even a passable painter requires considerable discipline and commitment. It also helps to have a tenacious, rebellious self that can handle all the rejection that comes with being a painter. Read more>>

Mitch Herrick

I build, restore, and fix guitars during the daytime at a shop that I own on my property in Jupiter, FL … and at night, I play music out live, in all sorts of venues and all sorts of ensembles.

Looking back, the path to getting good at both of these skills was very similar. I came from a family of artists, musicians, and people generally pretty good with their hands. So I think the skill set was there from an early age; just by osmosis. But, I always really enjoyed and was drawn to music, and creating things … whether it be sonically, or just making something pretty. And I had a grandfather and an uncle that could fix just about anything, so they were a really good influence on that side of things. Read more>>

Sonny Faraimo

I first learned playing football from my dad along with all the coaches I’ve had from 6U-8U. Knowing what I’m starting to learn now, football is a game of inches & about perfecting your craft & the position you play down to a tee. I wouldn’t want to rush that process at all. The most essential skill to me is to be coachable & allow your coaches to be able to mold you into what they need you to be for the benefit of the team. An obstacle that tends to get in my way is getting in my head about a mistake or any short comings I have in a big game. As a competitive player, you have to be able to get out of your head & get back into a headspace where you can be an asset to your team & not a liability. Mistakes can be turned into lessons learned. Read more>>

Danielle Key

Well, being a Spiritualist, I would say that it runs in my blood, Therefore, it was bound to happen one day. I grew up in the church and I attended FAITHFULLY! Being so, I acquired a lot of knowledge that I live by to this day, however, in this lifetime I also found myself praying to God and asking for the truth in which I was led out of Religion into a path of Sprit. I’ve been more aware of myself ever since. I don’t think there’s nothing that could have been done to speed that process up. Beautiful things happen in perfect timing and that’s something that cannot be rushed. Read more>>

Eleni Christou

I started dancing at a very young age. Before i could even write or read. My family decided that i had to take dance lessons so as not to “annoy” everyone by dancing all the time and all over the place. That was the first step. No one expected that what they gave me would turn up to be a gift for life. I as well could not realise that, even years after. Read more>>

Brad Rickert

I’ve been doing stand up comedy for over a decade and did my first sets as a 14 year old in rural Indiana. At 19, I moved from Indiana to Chicago to begin my pursuit for a career in comedy. I spent my 20’s trying to perfect the art from of comedic performance whether it be in the discipline of stand up, improvisation, or acting while touring the country with Chicago as my homebase. Feeling I had hit a ceiling of sorts and inspired by the stagnancy of the pandemic, I made the decision to move East. Moving to New York at 30 I made the decision to work harder than I ever have before, going to open mic after open mic to show off the comedic chops i accumulated over my decade in Chicago. Read more>>

Noa Sinclair

My outlet for performing has kinda just always been around. When I was younger I was always singing in choirs, acting in theater productions or dancing on some stage. It wasn’t until I was 18 that I started getting 1 on 1 vocal training. Being enrolled in various arts programs growing up and attending an arts oriented high school have also been part of my learning process. I started playing guitar about a year ago, with no connections or teacher to learn from in person I began watching tutorials and lessons on YouTube and applied what I learned in my own practice sessions. Knowing more than I did before allows me to add more depth when curating my sound for a gig. Speaking of sound, I think learning how to maximize minimal tech has been one of my strongest assets. Read more>>

Rachel Rader

I’m not sure there’s ever a straightforward route for artists, but my path has been a wildly unexpected journey. After going to art school, I lived a life determined to say “yes” to whatever job opportunity or experience that might lead me further down a path towards being an artist. In my 20’s, I moved from Virginia to the Pacific North West where I had the opportunity to work in production jobs, assist amazing artists, teach and get involved in the amazing Craft community in Seattle and Portland. I learned so much from the generous community of artists that embraced me as I navigated finding my voice in my chosen Craft materials: glass and metalsmithing. Over time I made work, applied for exhibitions and craft shows and dove right into the business side of Art. I wouldn’t change anything about the way those early years informed me as an artist and a young person finding my way. Read more>>

Laurie Moore

I’ve primarily learned through self-education. I’m constantly reading—books written by other painters, historical texts, and anything I can get my hands on that deepens my understanding of art. When I made the decision to present myself as a professional artist, it felt like my passion turned into an obsession. I’m a busy mother of three (11, 9, and 2), so my time with my materials is more limited than I’d like. However, even when I’m not actively painting, I’m always thinking about painting. Read more>>

Emily Randolph

Creating artwork is all about building blocks, building skills. There is no fast track. Everyone learns at their own pace. I started with photography, which honed my eye. It taught me composition. It taught me about the necessity of contrast. It taught me about lighting. These skills and many more were very important building blocks for me for when I picked up a paint brush years later. Read more>>

Seulgi Kim

I’ve always been driven by curiosity and a desire to complete projects. I learned motion design by diving into online tutorials, getting feedback from peers, and taking on challenging projects. My passion kept me pushing forward, especially so I could tell my own stories through motion.

One important lesson I’ve learned is to avoid complacency, because thinking I know enough can stop growth. To speed up my learning, I could’ve focused more on structured courses and building a solid foundation early on. The key skills for me have been adaptability, storytelling, and staying open to experimentation, with self-doubt being the biggest obstacle I’ve faced. Read more>>

Kiera Wynn

I learned braiding from my mother. She stayed doing hair whether it was family friends or stranger it was a head to be done at least every other day at the house lol I remember being 9 picking up my dolls trying to braid it’s hair and I’m like this ugly I can’t do it on this so I started playing in my sisters head one day I did my sister hair my momma saw her hair and let’s just say momma pass the torch I did my sister hair and my friends hair and have been growing and blossoming since. I don’t think it’s really anything I could have done to speed up learning to braid and do hair but staying consistent and continuously practicing is essential to keeping up with the trends and new styles being created as the world age. Read more>>

Sylvia Davis

I started by watching YouTube videos… over and over and day after day. I should have gone over to see my friend who owns a bead store who also does silversmithing. Or I could have taken classes in how to create wearable art. But, there are so many good “how to” videos that allow you to learn from home at your own pace. Also, I started during the COVID lockdown. Thank you YouTube! Read more>>

Breyanna Clifton

Learning the craft of wedding content creation wasn’t easy when I first started. I began my journey at the end of 2022, a time when there weren’t many wedding content creators in the industry. I wasn’t entirely sure how this space was supposed to operate. The only person I knew of in this field at the time was PlanwithLaur, who had just started sharing her experiences as a wedding content creator. I reached out to her, and she graciously shared some invaluable pointers to help me get started. Read more>>

Ingrid Schmaedecke

I recurrently hear my father point at anything say: “I could make that”. Being a woodworker as hobby, he does make lots of objects — not only perfectly functional, but also of intricate design and craftsmanship. We would build birdhouses together as a kid, when I still lived on the farm in the countryside in southern Brazil, where he keeps his woodshop. Outside the workshop, I was always drawing, painting, or making small craft projects with my mother. My parents aren’t artists by trade, but they’ve always been naturally creative, and I grew up surrounded by their books: encyclopedias, tales, dictionaries, cookbooks, biographies, Brazilian literature — and simply plain beautiful books, with stunning covers and illustrations. Immersed in beauty, we hardly ever talked about creativity, or art, directly. Read more>>

Miss Marshn

My first major creative influence in life was my father. He was an artist by trade selling personal and commissioned work as well as creating some of the most incredible/iconic indoor murals in Tucson in the late 90’s early 2000’s. From nearly the youngest age I can remember he began teaching me how to work with different mediums, the fundamentals of shadows and light, color, texture, lettering, dimension. By the age of 11 he’d taught me the basics of how to airbrush and use oil paints. I assisted him on some of his murals and painting the interiors of homes. I spent countless hours watching him pour his subconscious onto canvases and bring entire universes into being. In my early teens I was heavily influenced by skateboard graphics, tattoo magazines, pinup girls and Frank Frazetta’s artwork and would frequently trace or re-draw my favorite designs and pieces. Read more>>

Elle Conwell Radiant Blooms

I am incredibly grateful to the two flower shops I worked in before starting Radiant Blooms. While working as a designer and delivery driver I learned how to arrange flowers, how to assemble elaborate floral installations, and how to understand a couples’ wants and needs for their wedding. Since I did not obtain a formal education in floral arranging, these years of working allowed me the knowledge and experience I needed to design wedding and event flowers independently. Read more>>

Oyenike Okelola

As a makeup artist, the journey often begins with a deep passion for creativity. and beauty.I believe consistent practice, and experimentation building connections with other artists and assisting seasoned professionals are also crucial steps in refining one’s craft. Read more>>

Ryan Lytle

My entrepreneurial journey started almost by accident when I was 13. I wanted to create a YouTube channel, but instead of launching it, I became obsessed with designing its branding and spent hours tinkering in Photoshop, trying to make everything look just right. What started as a hobby quickly became my first business. Read more>>

Maya Skye Henderson

I was always desperate to be a filmmaker, but for years I was in this hellish precognitive state, just watching a bunch of men on YouTube with mirrorless cameras & wide hands show off teal-orange vacation footage and shout about the unforgivable sin of ever making anything that doesn’t look capital c: Cinematic. Or unprofessional, which of course is code for: never let the audience know you don’t have a lot of money, like it’s embarrassing. This was maddening and set me back intellectually. I regret feeling like there was some special product I needed to buy or skill I needed to learn or video I needed to watch about filmmaking before I could begin. Read more>>

Sara Lam

My journey to community organizing has been a combination of formal education, lived experience, and self-driven exploration. My academic background in psychology, gender studies, and nonprofit management provided foundational knowledge, but the most valuable lessons came from my own life. I connected and analyzed critical feminist, race, and disability theory to grappling with my own identities and growing up across the Midwest. I learned through trial and error, from planning workshops to running advocacy campaigns and from engaging with peers who had similar and different lived experiences. Read more>>

S. Christopher Kuithe

When I was around five, my mother told me that I had a spiral bound notebook where I would draw the Spice Girls platform sneakers in different styles. My favorite Spice Girl at the time was Baby Spice. I even named a turtle after her (insert crying emoji). When I was in second grade I remember my teachers taking notice of my drawings, but didn’t really start practicing until I was about 16. I first began with rough fashion drawings, and I mean VERY rough. For Christmas that year I got a book that teaches you how to draw, but instead of reading it I just tried to imitate the drawing examples that were provided in the book. Read more>>

Layla Robinson

My learning journey in dance has been unexpected yet rewarding. I started taking classes at the age of three and have consistently trained since then. The most significant growth occurred between the ages of 10 and 16, when I dedicated multiple days each week to various dance styles in a highly competitive environment. This atmosphere pushed me to excel, but I often let my shyness prevent me from seizing opportunities due to fear of how I would be perceived by others. Read more>>

Derek Ellis

Well, learning how to be a writer or poet comes with many different avenues of learning, I feel. The first one was I was an aspiring musician for a number of years while I attended Western Kentucky University, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky from the fall of 2010 to the winter of 2015. I was originally going to school to be a high school english teacher, but after taking a creative writing course I was urged to change my focus to English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing. It was during the creative writing workshops I learned more about language–how to create rhythms and rhymes that were unexpected. While I was doing that, I was working in restaurants and playing in bands. The first band was a Christian Pop-Rock group called The Royal Knockout, where I played bass guitar, and while I didn’t write many lyrics for the band, I was surrounded by a number of much more talented musicians than I was. Read more>>

Alesandra Álvarez

1. How did you learn to do what you do?

I think much of how I learned to do what I do stems from the way I was raised. Growing up in the countryside with my siblings where it was all about discovery, understanding the world and ourselves through experience. That kind of upbringing taught me to sit with the unknown, embrace it, and even find beauty in it. It’s about connecting the visible with the invisible, the tangible with what lies beneath the surface. Read more>>