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?

Megan Lynn Tamasanis

My journey in makeup artistry started all in the times of the classic OG Youtube Makeup Tutorials, back when I was in middle school. I enjoyed watching these videos so much, that I just wanted to get my hands on product and play. I was extremely inspired by seeing creators use products in unconventional ways. Since I was so young, I had a only a very small collection of makeup. Read more>>

Reece Mangiaracina

I think I can speak for all creators when I say the vision comes natural. I think the most important rules to follow as a creator to see results is to actually love what you do and realize you are constructing a reality with every click. If you create simply to be famous or to eventually become rich your doing it all wrong. The passion and consistency is what is going to take you far it’s all about perception. If i knew earlier that your mentality towards your work and overall reason behind it effected the vision. Read more>>

Veezy

I’m one that believes you can learn music, but you were born an artist. I learned music growing up hearing diffrent genres from my parents. Neo soul and rnb from my Mom, southern hip hop and motown from my Dad. I joined the band in middle school and played baritone and trombone. That really helped me with understanding music on a deeper level and knowing how to read it and recognize notes. I didn’t actually record anything in the studio until I was a junior in high school. I feel like my background helped me get comfortable with recording. Read more>>

Jay Holman

615 Soul Food Inc. is a food truck and catering business located in Downtown Nashville. When we started 615 Soul Food Inc. I didn’t know anything about running a food business. My background is in accounting. I started this business with my imagination and the support of friends and family. I was new to the food service industry from the standpoint of actually cooking. My professional career as an accountant was on a different side of the food service industry. Read more>>

Lyn Mack

To be honest, I learned how to build and design websites using Myspace when I was in middle and high school. I was really good at making layouts from scratch, and it didn’t take long for requests from my friends to start pouring in. Myspace layouts were pretty generic back in the day, but people wanted pictures of themselves, their favorite artists, and other personal photography in their backgrounds, so I would build them for them. Read more>>

Lisa Jordan

I first picked up a brush to experiment with watercolor in late 2021 – an impulsive Covid hobby, born of feeling a little stir crazy in my home. I started with a few online tutorials and paint-along videos, but most of what I learned to springboard my career and capability as a watercolor artist came from my art mentor Kal Anderson. There is certainly technique to learn with watercolor – how to paint wet-on-wet versus wet-on-dry, water flow control, understanding color theory and mixing – but far more critical were the lessons that Kal shared around mindset. Read more>>

Caterina Sullivan

I started my journey of becoming an Interior Designer by earning my bachelor’s degree in interior design from an accredited school. It was at the New York Institute of Technology that I gained a strong foundation. There I learned the basics, but it was residential construction where I really learned most of my knowledge and skills. While working at construction companies, I was exposed to every phase and trade that brings your design to reality. Read more>>

Taylor Jackson

I taught myself how to crochet one random afternoon during my Sophomore Year of High School. To set the scene- It was second semester And I was extremely stressed. At the time, I was class president, taking multiple AP Classes, Competing at either Track meets or Debate Tournaments every Saturday, and just generally feeling a lot of anxiety. I’m the type of person that has to have a packed schedule, but it was getting to a point here all my hobbies were adding to the stress and anxiety. Read more>>

Indigo Dreamers

While the music learning process has certainly been a technical pursuit, it has equally, if not more, been a self exploration and personal journey. Music was something we were both intrinsically drawn to from an early age and while we have very different paths of how we got to our instruments, we both agree that good teachers, a lot of practice, and a burning passion to play music with our hearts have been the essential factors in developing our craft. Read more>>

Angeliz Bruno

How did you learn to do what you do? It all started with a casting call for local ladies in Florida who would like to perform in a pro-wrestling series. I saw it and applied. Got a call and started training at Team Vision Dojo with a wonderful group of talented ladies. Although the series did not continue, I choose to pursue the career part time along with writing and directing short films. Read more>>

Annie Lynn

I’ve been singing my whole life. Took choir throughout school, including a tour in Europe with my all women’s choir my sophomore year of high school. I remember getting asked to do a solo for one of the 50 some songs we had to memorize and hearing my voice echo in the places we’d sing. It was incredible. The acoustics! Read more>>

Helynn Hallock

I was 14 years old when I first discovered Graphic Design – I was always the kid who loved to play in Microsoft Paint and with Word Art – but at 14 years old I was gifted my first edition of Photoshop. I spent every waking second in that program, watching tutorials on Youtube – and thinking how I was SOOOOO good. When it came time to decide what I wanted to pursue as a career, there was only ever Graphic Design – so it was finding the most conducive place for me, and I found that home at Full Sail University. Read more>>

Linda Sue Price

I started learning to bend in 2005. There is an idea that 10,000 hours of practice is what you need to gain expertise in performance-based fields. It is now 2023 and I have completed just over 3400 hours so I have a way to go. The basics… there are three fires that one works in—a ribbon burner, a cross fire and a hand torch. To bend, you start with a 4 foot straight piece of glass that can be trimmed for a specific pattern. Read more>>

Lauren LoGrasso

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me! First, I’d love to introduce myself: I am a multi-passionate creative best known for my career as a singer/songwriter, an award-winning host and producer of my podcast called Unleash Your Inner Creative, executive producer of many other hit podcasts and I also coach people on both their podcasts and other creative and business ventures. For the sake of this conversation, I’d like to focus on my podcasting career, because I think it provides valuable lessons for people trying to get their start. Read more>>

Rodrigo Tello

Just draw and then draw some more. It’s frustrating learning this skill and not being able to totally achieve what was in your head. Nonetheless, the constant trial and error and willingness to fail and learn is so important. I remember countless hours outside of class, painting and life drawing. All of this in an attempt to better my skills. With any skill based profession, the amount of hours you put in is essential. Read more>>

Linsley Hartenstein

I sort of “fell into” writing songs and just happened to fall in love with it. My first guitar teacher practically made me write my first song and then after that, I was hooked. He must have seen something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I’m really grateful for that. From then on, I became pretty obsessed with writing songs but, sort of kept them to myself. It became a private expression where I felt like nothing I felt was off-limits. I eventually formed a band with friends in high school and that’s when I started to perform original and co-written music. Read more>>

Krizia Arlette

I started content creating in 2014, I was just a young aspiring influencer who decided to start sharing my life in video and picture form. With no prior experience, I dove headfirst into the world of video production on instagram and began experimenting with different editing apps. Read more>>

James Gray

I was Blessed with the opportunity to study with Tina Satin founder of the Open Cage Theater and original acting coach for Denzel Washington.Learning the craft was a wonderful experience,but in the beginning it was tough and it really helped to build my self esteem,my character and my confidence level as well. Read more>>

Stephanie Bell

I initially got into filmmaking by capturing local events and creating recap videos. I loved capturing joyous memories and moments in time that people could look back at. I researched a lot about cameras and editing until I found my groove. Oddly enough I realized I had been editing since I was a kid! I would pull clips from YouTube and make my own music videos on Windows Movie Maker. Read more>>

Scott Jeffries

Art for me has been a lifetime of learning. I think I was lucky to be naturally intuitive and observant. I didn’t go to art school and and I am grateful that my style and aesthetic does not rely on precision and perfection. I paint from the soul not some formula. My Grandmother was an an artist and I draw a lot inspirati0n from her. My formal education never included art. My college degree is in Political Science and I went to Law School after that but I always found myself fascinated by artist…paintings and sculptures. Read more>>

Chelsea Frye

I started getting into hair and makeup like most young people – self expression. I’d sneak into my older sister’s makeup bag in the bathroom and go to town. I’d borrow my mother’s steam rollers and old hair tools from the past 3 decades and lock myself in the bathroom for hours. That lead to my friends letting me do their hair for events, and I was definitely a scene kid- so there was lots of chopping with craft scissors and black box color. Read more>>

Nicholas Dujon

I never thought to be the one to take photography seriously, the only time i held an actual camera was when i worked at the central park zoo. I would be the ones that would try to get people to stop and take pictures and if they liked it they could buy the pictures afterwards. At the time I only saw it as work at the time and I was still in school so I didn’t take it seriously. Read more>>

Lowe Key

I started writing poetry and short stories at age seven. When I was nine, my brother and cousin taught me how to freestyle to instrumentals. The most essential skills I inherited was structuring lyrics, stage presence, and playing piano. I had to research how to do everything for music. I would watch documentaries, study lyrics and watch videos of live performances. Read more>>

Corey Sievers

When I began taking photography seriously YouTube proved to be an invaluable resource. I must have received thousands of hours of free education online. From there it was a lot of trial and error. I started working with clients almost immediately and had my first solo show within my first year. Putting myself and my work out there so soon was scary and often painful, but I’ve learned so much from my mistakes I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Read more>>

Mat Gurman

I have always had a deep, emotional connection to music, extraordinarily deep to the point that it changes my mood and outlook completely depending on the emotional content of the music so my instinctual response to having an instrument in my hands is to start finding ways to make sounds come out of it. I find that the initial introduction you have with an instrument evolves very naturally, and personally. Read more>>

Dailyn Robaina

I originally started as a self-taught makeup artist. I stumbled into my love of makeup and dove in head first, eager to better myself. For about four years, I taught myself everything from beauty, face painting, and even out of kit applications. I would practice on myself almost every day, evolving my skills with each application. Read more>>

Diamon Diamon

In this industry of music I have learned that doing research is best I didn’t know how to deliver my lyrics when I first started but I listened to rapper’s like 2pac, nas, 50cent, ja,rule, z-ro and I was able to download their lyrics and find a beat and rap them lyrics on the beat the way they did and i got better I’m still learning today about music how to write my bars and all but as we all know practice makes perfect. Read more>>

Rafael Pere

I believe that the way one approaches learning a particular craft is an art in itself. In regards to music, I remember having the idea that progress would come naturally and that I would slowly improve the more venues I played; of course, while true in some regard, the real progress came through countless hours of solitude, through deep moments of reflection, and most importantly, through the simple act of discipline. Read more>>

Kierah Blythe

Starting out in 2020 in the midst of the confusing pandemic I decided to do my my own research on the qualities and attributes of film photography. I researched different types of cameras and film stocks but for the most part I decided to trust my gut and wing out. Trusting myself was the best thing I decided to do because it eliminates the technicalities. After a few blank rolls I started to put the pieces together on the puzzle. Read more>>

Mecyia Elaine

Learning the ins and outs of content creation required me to first get inspired. This step was essential to my growth because of course I had to see those before me who’s been in the game doing this right. I would spend time on YouTube to establish my favorites and analyze why I chose those creators. I’ve learned how to edit photos and I’m self taught in video software as well. Read more>>

Courtnie Kidd

As the owner of a luxury handmade goods business, my journey of learning began with a retired woodworker at a makerspace who generously shared his expertise and showed me how to use certain tools. This hands-on experience provided me with a solid foundation in woodworking techniques and craftsmanship. When it came to learning about resin, however, I took a more experimental approach. Read more>>

Julana Dizon

The first step in any artistic career is learning the craft and how to use the tools. I’ve always learned best by studying others — when I began hosting and producing my own travel show, I watched every nature and travel documentary I could find. I studied how they structured the show, what type of shots they used, and ultimately how they put it all together to make a compelling story. Read more>>

Awesome Up

There is a lot that has gone into my learning the craft. My “Awesome Up” project is a genre blending music experience – I try to weave together a new story for listeners by drawing upon diverse experiences in styles such as EDM, Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, Delta Blues and Rock as well as lifetime playing in bands. Read more>>

Ryan Yingst

I started out playing the violin when I was really young. I’m not sure exactly the age but I must have been 4 or 5. I played a lot while I was a kid, and was a part of a bunch of state and county based orchestras, but it never really struck me as something I wanted to pursue. Actually, I was a terrible student with it. I never practiced as often as I should have, but something changed when I got into high school. Read more>>

Lisa Vinnik

Silversmithing is a challenging task! I love jewelry, I love art, and the gap between my expertise level and my expectations of what I want to create can cause a fair amount of angst for me! I know what I want to create and often times, I’m just not there yet! This is the beautiful part of being an artist! It so naturally follows any learning we have in life about anything that is important. Stay in your own lane. Avoid the comparison game. Be a learner. Give yourself oodles of grace. Be okay with it not being perfect. Read more>>

Gabe Jaar

I’ve only really been singing for a few years. And the first time I ever sang in front of a crowd, I was kind of forced into it. I used to play acoustic gigs with my friend John from college. He would always sing because I was too scared to ever try, and I would play guitar and occasionally do backup vocals. Well one day we had a show coming up and John wasn’t able to make it. Read more>>

Alexandra Dillon

I firmly believe that to realize your full potential as a visual artist, whatever your practice is, learning the principles, techniques and the tangible craft of art-making is important. I have been relentlessly creating art since I was a child, but I also loved cinema, and I studied film at UCLA . After completing my degree, I decided to return to my first passion, painting. Read more>>

Sally Morgan

Do you sing with the same fun, freedom, and passion as you make love? You can… with the right tools. Hi, I’m Sally Morgan, the Sing Like You Speak® lady. I developed the contemporary Vocal technique,Sing Like You Speak®.
I discovered this new add-on to Sing Like You Speak® after a lovely intimate time with my man. From that I developed a 5-Step process to help you sing effortlessly – including the Gasp of Pleasure Inhale! Read more>>

Kalyn Underwood

My son, Everett, was 9 at the time and became interested in resin. A friend of mine, Elizabeth Bran (ReBranIt), uses resin for a lot of her crafts and taught Everett how to use it. As we played with it together, I found myself really enjoying it! It was fun, allowed me to be creative, and was relaxing. I began to make things along with him, expanded into polymer clay and metals, and thought other people might enjoy what I was making, too. Read more>>