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?

Laura Maresca-Sanatore

I learned everything about design from my old boss. I started at her company on the financial side, working on making the business more profitable and working on better billing practices. When you are working on the numbers side of things requires you to get familiar with the business, processes and products. I became part of the support staff that would order materials for jobs, work with the clients more behind the scenes and coordinated deliveries/trades. Read more>>

Ben Wagner

Finding people who can honestly tell you what you’re doing wrong (and right) is essential. So much of being creative is trying new things and seeing what works. Seeking feedback and learning how to process it has helped me be a better songwriter. Read more>>

Bryan Howell

The way I “learned” this craft–if anyone really truly learns it, or just gets at a stage where they have it down and hopefully continue to hone it with each song and performance–was by repetition mixed with trial and error. The first time I performed in front of an audience, I got so nervous that my leg was twitching up and down involuntarily, and my hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t properly play the guitar parts I myself had come up with. Read more>>

Shaylin Richardson

I had a more traditional apprenticeship which started with me doing shop work and learning the business itself which has benefited me in more ways than most. I didn’t pick up a machine until 8 months in, where i started to tattoo pig ears as practice before I touched human skin. The only thing that stood in my way as far as progressing was myself. Read more>>

Dj ThreeSixty

To be honest, I’m still learning. I will never stop learning this craft. There are so many different skills and techniques when it comes to being a dj. I do have to give credit to Dj Money Mic, he took me under his wing and has taught me a lot. I think knowing a wide variety of music helped with my training. When I first started training I was working a full time job so I couldn’t practice as much as I needed to. Read more>>

Max MacVeety

I started out learning fundamentals from other producers and beat makers. In the past few years, a bulk of what I’ve learned is just from producing singers and also producing/mixing my own instrumental music. Read more>>

Tianna Davis

I started learning how to do all of my crafts during my childhood. With dance, my mother enrolled me in my first class when I was six years old. Throughout my childhood, I learned multiple dance styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, pointe, and modern. I also trained on a dance scholarship at American Heritage School under the direction of Renee Monique Brown. In the summers of 2013-2015, Read more>>

Jada Carpenter

What I do is something that takes time, I’ve learned that practice and taking my time is the best way to progress. Knowing what I know now, there is no way to speed up my learning process. My learning process is one that takes time and patience, you can’t rush creativity. The most essential skill to have is consistency, knowing that you have to keep producing, regardless of the circumstances. The only obstacles that stood in my way of learning was me. Read more>>

Elijah “LX” Harvey

It’s interesting. I’ve been a self taught musician since I was 5. My first instrument was Piano/Keys. When I was younger, I was inspired by Disney themes and video game music. You could ask anyone back then and even know, some of my production for songs sounded like themes vs beats. I just thought it was impossible to be able to do that so I decided to rap. Read more>>

Zak Nevers

Everything I’ve learned has come fairly self taught. To speed up the process I suppose I could’ve taken more music lessons to skip over learning poor habits or not having to figure out certain tricks that would’ve helped save time overall. The most essential skill was my drive and ambition. I’ve personally always been a “busy body” but nothing like music has ever grabbed my attention the same way. Whether it’s about an instrument, an artist, genre or the business aspect it’s always been a conversation I’ve loved to have. Read more>>

Amber Williams

It took me over 5 years to really work on all of my endeavors. A lot of it came naturally and the rest of it was a-lot of hard work. I think when you’re juggling multiple thing you really have to keep yourself balanced and on your toes. The best skill I learned was to keep learning. Read more>>

Celeste Rodriguez

I learned by doing. My hands are always moving, and so that naturally turned into creating. As a kid, I found drawing and painting, and as an adult I learned to polish my skills with experience. I went to college for art, and while it can be a controversial investment, I am really glad I majored in art. It gave me the time and space to create. I was surrounded by creativity and motivation, and it helped me grow into the artist I am today. Read more>>

Amber Cobelle

Learning to be an artist is a lifetime process. That’s what makes it so rewarding. It’s a journey that travels with you. I’ve come to the conclusion that creativity will happen when it’s needed. Of course, you push yourself for new ideas and inspiration but again, it’s just like life, you attain new skills when you find yourself in that position. Read more>>

Brianna Manaco

I’ve always considered myself a crafty gal, so learning a new, hands-on skill was something I’ve always enjoyed. Early 2020 I found a huge bag of embroidery floss that I’ve had for years that I once used to make bracelets as a kid. I decide it might be fun to give embroidery a try, so that’s what I did. Read more>>

Kelly Collette

I started standup comedy by going to open mics and shows 3-4 days a week for a year before I ever got paid to host a weekend at a club. There is no better teacher than real experience. You can read all the books on writing jokes, you can practice in the mirror, but until you go up on stage and try them out, you don’t know anything. You constantly have to work on a joke until your body language, delivery and voice are doing the joke justice. Read more>>

Joel Rising

I have studied many different artists to get to the point that I am now. I mostly learned by watching other artist’s creative process. I would watch for hours, and afterwards, I would gather all my own materials and recreate other’s techniques. I can remember as a young boy watching street artists paint all day. I would stand there for hours watching and deconstructing their methods so I could go home and create my own paintings using their techniques. I spent a vast amount of time learning through plain repetition until I had mastered a skill. Read more>>

Luna Day

When it came to songwriting it was pretty much a hands-on approach at writing versus for various popular songs. I wrote my first cover song in fifth grade that was my own rendition of ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ by Aerosmith and have been writing since. I later switched to rap and hip-hop around my freshman year of high school back in 2011 and would practice with friends and close family members who also enjoyed the hobby. Read more>>

Jaadyn Rogers

The earliest moments of curating my world of photographs began when I was in the 8th grade. At this time, I certainly didn’t understand how the quality of my gear would make such a difference. I specifically remember purchasing a $50 point-and-shoot camera from Ebay, hoping to achieve what at least $1000 worth of equipment would actually produce. Read more>>

Leira Cruz Cáliz

I am self-taught. I do not have any formal training or education in art, so almost all I know is what I have learned from playing with art supplies through my years of making art for myself. I am an artist only part-time, I do have a 9-5 job, and a daughter I adore, so time has always been the resource I lack the most. Read more>>

Faith Blackburn

I started being interested in making my own clothes when I was 15 because I could never find the clothes I imagined in my head and if i did find them, I needed my clothes to fit perfectly. After learning basic sewing with books and videos I decided to go to Art School for an Associates Degree in Fashion Design. I graduated when I was 19 and started an Internship at a custom wedding dress and alterations shop. I also interned for a former teacher who taught me leather sewing and I learned that this was my true passion. Read more>>

Lindsay Jones

After rejecting most art classes until my senior year in high school (mostly because I was a very intimidated student), I discovered that fine art was what I was most interested in, so I pursued it in college and even went on to get graduate degrees. It wasn’t until after I was done with my undergrad that I realized I had no idea how to make money as an artist, I just knew that I loved making art. I had virtually no education or skill with digital art programs like Adobe Illustrator, or Photoshop, so I taught myself once I was out of school. Read more>>

Chonta Hickman

I learned to do my craft from taking classes to learn basic skills. Something I think I could’ve done to speed up the learning process is more freestyle projects and giving myself the space to mess up and learn from it early in instead of doing many things by the book from being afraid to have failed projects. The main obstacle that stood in my way was me and my self doubt I stead of just going for it right from the start. Read more>>

Julie Ter Borg

I grew up within a very hard working and creative family. My father, a chemistry teacher by trade, was a master builder. He built my childhood home from the ground up. My mother, a history teacher, learned how to can/preserve food from our small farm and is an incredible baker. Both of my grandmother’s were seamstresses so they made me wonderful costumes and outfits. Read more>>

Ryan Jordan

As a kid, writing was my chosen form of expression, and art was the talent that was recognized and nurtured. The first industry I entered was Tattooing. I was 16 trying to sway an artist to tattoo something I had drawn on myself. He told me no, but was impressed with the artwork, and offered to teach me. I eventually opened my own shops and learned everything I needed to market them from Youtube and online courses. I’ve always been eager to learn as well as ambitious, so that sparked a habit of diving into anything that interests me. Read more>>

Allison Meriwether

I’ve never really stopped learning about art making. I’m always learning something new or applying a new technique to my practice. I search for opportunities to learn whether it’s in the form of a workshop or class, or listening to a podcast or reading a book about an artist or art practice. If there were ever a time that I could have sped up my learning, Read more>>

Holly Walker

I don’t think there was anything I could do to speed up the process of learning about my craft. I think the idea of trying to speed up the process can be unhealthy or even something a person can obsess about. “Write what you know” is a rule I’ve lived by for all of my life, and so that’s what I did: I wrote about my experience and what I saw around me. Self awareness is key, but also being able to live in the moment. We are all so go go go (which I am guilty of). Sometimes it’s okay to allow yourself to live in the moment. Read more>>

Hannah Strickland

While majoring in Communication at UNC Wilmington, I found myself drawn to gathering. I was 18 when I began working events within my major. The first event I assisted in was a Dress for Success fashion show. I helped my advisor with the process and found it exciting. It was a creative outlet, but more than that I found myself able to problem solve creatively on the spot with lots of eyes on me. Read more>>

Emily Tran

I was in middle/high school when I discovered graphic design and video editing. YouTube was exploding in popularity and I remember watching YouTube videos and being impressed and intrigued at how these videos were pieced together. It was then I discovered editing applications – such as Adobe Photoshop and Premiere – and was determined to recreate all the cool graphics and effects I saw in other people’s content. Read more>>

Amy Hodkin

I’m really grateful for my art education here in the UK and I know I couldn’t have got to where I am without it. The tutors during my Art Foundation encouraged me to continuously draw, paint, play and experiment. I found their passion for art and design so invigorating. Read more>>

Gui Agustini

Years and countless hours in class, studying, reading, practicing, obsessing over it. Not sure I could’ve done anything differently to speed up more process. I wish I had started earlier, but other than that I think I did the best I could to speed up lol. Read more>>

Florina Petrescu

I started my violin journey when I was 8 years old. I had to practice every day to become a professional violinist later. This is a craft that takes time and effort. I did not have much time to play when I was a child. I had to dedicate most of my time to practicing my violin. It was a love-hate relationship. I liked to be by myself though. I was a single child and I would usually create games on my own. Read more>>

Jillie Kerwin

Songwriting is imagination and creativity, but it’s also a discipline and a skill. I think my mindset about it was my biggest obstacle, and once I shifted it, I have been able to write better, bolder, honest songs with clear, vivid imagery. Read more>>

Dan Kelly

For the most part, I am self-taught. There’s a lot to be said for taking the initiative to learn all you can on your own about something you have a passion for. Apart from seeking out tutorials on YouTube or via Google searches, just exploring the software, hardware, tools, and instruments on my own has been a huge help. Read more>>

Dave Zielinski

I grew up around several “do-it-yourselfers,” namely, my father and grandfather. There were always tools around and when something needed fixed, or built, they always did it themselves, whether it was working on the car, building a shed, remodeling a house. Read more>>

Damian Rodriguez

Before audio engineering full time, I was a professional musician(guitar) live and in studios. I was also working on experimental music with Roland Perez on SeventyThree records. We handled all the production duties but my knowledge of acoustics and recording techniques were nascent. After several projects and really digging into ProTools, Read more>>

Jason/Frank Stewart/Raney

I learned the art of podcasting the hard way. I spent a lot of time researching podcasts and podcasters online, as well as reading anything I could find on podcasting and the industry. I also took a brief class from a successful podcaster that I follow on social media before we got started. I would definitely say seeking out a mentor or business coach would have been something that could’ve sped up my learning process. Read more>>

Dzar The rapper

I learned how to rap by studying the music of my favorite rappers. The rappers I liked and focused on the most were Jay z, Nas, Tupac, Biggie, Tyler the Creator, earl sweatshirt, Royce the 5’9”, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mac miller. It took me years to reach the level I am at creatively as an mc. Those artists have influenced and inspired me a lot on my journey. When I would skip school assignments to focus on any creative ideas that I had at the moment, I was listening to their music. Read more>>

Shaquile Jones

To do what I do I learned from my dad but just watching him and working with him helped me alot. Knowing the things I know now I would have been more out going more energetic and engaged more. The skills I believe are most essential is the mind. Distractions most definitely distractions. Read more>>

Jeremy Jusek

The first time a writing lesson sank in was in seventh grade, when our Language Arts teacher Mrs. Cross broke down craft in a digestible way. She also had us attempt several poems, which helped those early lessons sink in. I had an easier time viewing poems as a machine, where the individual parts could be tinkered with, as opposed to feeling the writing—which wasn’t something I could do until much later. Read more>>

Ruby Spencer

I began my burlesque career by taking classes at a local school focusing on burlesque techniques. It was an immersive way to learn the basic movements of burlesque. I still take classes regularly. Burlesque is constantly evolving and maintaining your learning is important (it’s really important in any industry)! I come from an athletic background, Read more>>

Robert Castillo

Because I create music as well as visual art, there are a couple ways to answer this question. With music, I learned the craft via formal education, receiving a degree as a jazz bassist in 2014 Read more>>

Kimberly Ghindea

I first began with pyrography. I had a basic wood burner laying around in all my craft supplies and decided to make snowflakes burned on small birch tree slices as a present for everyone. I always loved making something homemade to add to my gifts I give every year. I found so much relaxation and joy in the craft and began playing more and more with the tool. Read more>>

Jay Ess

I initially learned how to DJ through a childhood friend when I got out of the military. My Friend Fleming has a Production Company (NPP) and throughout the week he would mix in his shed and I picked up the controllers by watching him. Initially mixing open format, a couple years later turning it into my own thing. As far as producing My business partner and friend Jc Morales asked if I wanted to learn how to produce, Read more>>