Often there is no book or course to learn how to do what you want to do – so how artists and creatives overcome such challenges? How have some of the most talented artists and creatives in the community managed to learn their craft?

Ananya Devarajan

I learned to write by writing—a lot. I started out posting original fiction on Wattpad, which I like to affectionately describe as my training wheels era. It gave me a space to experiment, figure out what kinds of stories I loved telling, and, most importantly, learn how to finish a project. Read More>>

Joe Kleon

I learned by simply shooting as many concerts and portrait sessions as possible. I chose not to take any photography classes, or read any photography ‘how to’ books. I wanted to learn without my mind being muddied by ‘rules.’ I do not like rules. The photography rule of thirds is one example. Read More>>

Ruben Carrillo

A lot of YouTube videos and Google research honestly. First I had to learn how to record myself because I started off rapping over other people’s beats. I had been writing since I was about 13 years old but never recorded anything. That was another learning curve I wasn’t aware would be an issue. Read More>>

Kenny Page Jr.

 

To learn to do what I do, I have pushed and practiced. I’ve been drawing my whole life. I successfully convinced my parents to let me go to a public arts school in sixth grade. From then on, I’ve drawn nonstop. It has always been part of my daily education, my leisure time, my work, etc. Read More>>

Ana Gómez Villafañe

I learned to do what I do because of my incessant curiosity about all forms of art. I’m the type of person who wants to try everything, who finds value and excitement in pursuing multiple interests at the same time, even when they seem to contradict one another. In fact, I think that that duality and juxtaposition makes it even more interesting. Read More>>

Charity Green

I learned How to sew when I was a little girl. My father is a master tailor and my mother knows how to sew as well. I would Have sleepovers birthday parties and my cousins and I would Make custom pajamas and pillows (so cool)! Sewing was just a hobby for me that eventually turned into a business. Read More>>

Paz Aboujaoude

I wouldn’t say I learned how to be an artist, that’s something that has come naturally to me. I have been drawing and creating for as long as I can remember. Art has always been an outlet to me and a form of therapy. Read More>>

Ian Dawson

My artistic journey began at a very young age. My mother, a ceramics artist and painter, introduced me to the creative process by teaching me how to work with clay as a child. Some of my earliest memories involved enjoyment in creating things with my hands. Read More>>

Heidi Aderman

I first learned through personal experience. My ideal client is who I was at 27: feeling stuck by life’s demands, lacking the time and energy to pursue my passion for music, and believing my circumstances made success impossible. Everything started to change when I hired a coach who taught me about limiting beliefs and how our thoughts drive our actions. Read More>>

Briana White

I learned to write through a combination of reading, personal experience, and consistent practice. Writing became an outlet for me to express emotions, tell stories, and connect with others. Over time, I studied different writing styles, challenged myself with new projects, and learned from both my successes and mistakes. Read More>>

Perlizbeth De Leon

Every creative outlet I have I first taught myself. With dance, I started by being coerced into a church dance with my best friend Rebecca when I was in 2nd grade. I didn’t get back to dance until high school when I started copying moves from YouTube videos. Specifically, one dance for a whole year. Read More>>

John Orlando

I learned podcasting from one, 2 hour seminar that I took at a local community college. This class gave me the basics on how to podcast. The majority of what I needed to learn was done via trial & error. To speed up the learning process, I could have researched & reached out to the podcast community that existed in Columbus, Ohio. Read More>>

Unyque Burnette

I am at year 8 in my career. Being a cosmetologist that brings an income is not something that happens overnight. it requires the ultimate amount of patience. Read More>>

Nicolas Arturo

When it comes to the craft performing arts, I like to think of it as wearing the white belt in martial arts, specially the acting craft is so mysterious that I’ve learned that every part of me navigates different to get to that “click of connection” with a moment of truth. Read More>>

Matt Canerdy

I am self taught mostly. I did eventually take guitar lessons for a few months and took lessons on drums briefly at first. The first big break for me was playing at church. Read More>>

Zoe

I am self-taught and have learned through a mixture of curiosity and obsession. I have always been drawn to the arts in every medium and particularly to the past. A lot of it has come from a disposition which I believe draws me to figures and fashion of the past, a nostalgic and ponderous tendency. Read More>>

Deaton Gabbard

There’s a reason I expanded beyond being a working actor and independent producer into teaching and mentoring. When I first started out, I didn’t have anyone helping me navigate the process. Looking back now, there are things I could have learned in months that took me years to figure out. Read More>>

 Nessa Amherst

I didn’t really have formal training in acting until much later in life, with the exception of some acting classes at Indiana University Northwest and the University of Missouri-Columbia as an undergraduate. I was always under the impression that I was simply good at what I did because a lot of people complimented on my performances onstage, and I didn’t need any one-on-one acting coaching. But I think after extended Read More>>