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?

Erik Mark Sandberg

The artworks I produce in my studio are the culmination of exploration, academic background, meticulous study of art history, and a conscientious engagement with the current discourse surrounding painting. I am still exploring ways to accelerate the learning process, necessitating a combination of life experience and dedication to the practice. Read more>>

Metro Deezy

When it come to actually rapping, it’s funny because I didn’t even know I could rap at first, but after the reaction tap in got and how well it was received for it being the first song out of nowhere, I knew there was some potential. Read more>>

Tara Fjetland

I started my journey like many other photographers-I wanted to take decent photos of my own kids. I had a lighting fast 11 month old and my old point and shoot camera just wasn’t cutting it, so I purchased my first DSLR and the rest is history. I learned my craft by LOTS of trial and error, reading books, talking to other photographers, LOADS of googling and You Tube, and mentoring. Read more>>

Corwin and Anna Blackwell

To begin, our primary service we offer is muraling and the only way we truly learned this craft was by getting out there and completing our first piece. While having backgrounds in art helped with the design, painting our first mural gave us the confidence to create, and keep creating, more. It also taught us valuable lessons on being Muralists as well as tricks and techniques needed in order to construct any piece. Read more>>

Mok Basterd

How did you learn to do what you do? Read more>>

Stephen Pappas

My mother was an actress and a singer and an author. My father is a classical guitarist and composer and also taught public and private music lessons. My brother Michael is a drummer and also a co-writer for my band Centre Piece. It’s always been a mix between passion, genealogy and my faith. Read more>>

Tim Novotny

People often ask me if I learned my craft from going to film school. The answer I always give remains the same: “I never learned how to make a movie in a fancy film school with bureaucratic policies and expensive equipment, I learned how to make movies on the streets and in the dirt; financially broken and covered in stage blood.” Read more>>

Jordon Harsey

I actually taught most of what I know to myself through trial and error. I had always liked drawing and eventually took the next step with my first painting – that was what really opened the door to art for me. I obviously had art classes in elementary school, but do you ever really retain anything from art class when you’re a kid besides that you like doing it? Read more>>

Viswa Subbaraman

I think learning the craft of conducting is a truly bizarre journey. You study music in school, and you learn to play an instrument or sing, but conducting is a musical career in which you make no sound. I did all the usual things like pursuing my undergrad degree and a masters in conducting, but fundamentally, conducting has to be learned in front of people. Read more>>

Sue Dolamore

I wanted to be an artist since I was very young. Every spring, my parents would load me and my three sisters into the station wagon for the 45 minute drive to a nearby town for the annual art festival. The town was bustling with activity and it usually coincided with the blooming of a profusion of azaleas and flowering trees and perfectly comfortable temperatures. Read more>>

D.R. Casselman

I have been an artist from a young age, beginning with music and art. When I became a single mother of three young children I had to go to work. Having worked in the computer centers of two colleges I attended, I opted to go into the computer/business world. My initial job required travel to the Far East, where I discovered new cultures, traditions and languages. I also traveled extensively throughout the U.S. Read more>>

Maiya Palmer

I always thought that I wanted to be an actress or something close to it when I was a little girl. I recall watching movies, mimicking lines and reciting them as if I’ve waited for that exact moment my entire life. Or my entire everyday 7 year old life. I was a dreamer and my dreams went far. Read more>>

Crystal Abernethy

I started out as a receptionist at KUWS FM. I later learned about on-air positions, and worked my way from receptionist to on-air personality. From there I was able to create and cultivate The 9 O’clock Meltdown; a weekly radio show that showcases musicians, artists, authors and more. Read more>>

Owen Brown

After a lifetime of doing what I do, I know how little I know. Years in art school, followed by years applying paint – there’s no way to “speed up,” there are only ways to impede any progress (which itself is ephemeral.) You have to show up. Every day you don’t paint, you won’t have again. Showing up is the most important skill, followed by close observation, and humility. Forget about yourself (as no one cares about you anyways) it’s the object that’s important, not you. Remember what Hokusai, the greatest of Ukiyo-e artists, said: Read more>>

Amber Smith

I have always been a creative at heart, and I’m a firm believer that all of the lessons you have learned in life come together to guide you to exactly where you need to be. For me that started when I was really young. When I was little I was constantly creating something new through every medium possible. Early on in elementary school, my Mom taught me to sew, which created a passion for the fashion industry, Read more>>

Lei Renee

When I was younger I was always interested in the entertainment business. I watched many of my family members go the Artist route and never continue. I figured I would be that one. I am an artist so I will always learn no matter how much experience I ever consider myself having. Read more>>

Jasmine Jones

Learning this craft was something I never had to do because this is a gift from God. When you’re gifted in a specific area, you’ll know. It’s something you can usually do in your sleep that you don’t mind losing sleep over. This isn’t something you train but something you conform to. Read more>>

Daphna Sebbane

Over the years I’ve evolved as a designer and learned that honing your craft involves continuous learning, practice, and refinement of skills. It’s a process of striving for excellence and consistently pushing yourself to grow as a designer. Design is a skill that improves with practice. Read more>>

Shawn Mosch

Crafting has always been a part of my life. Sewing was one of the ways I used to express my creativity, creating clothing for myself and making doll clothes for my siblings. Both my mother and her mother are talented seamstresses. Read more>>

Michael Cerasoli

The way I enhance my skill set is through trial and error. I absorb everything I can from sources like online tutorials, my peers in the community, and the media I consume. Then: practice, practice, practice. Read more>>

Linneka Watson

My journey in graphic design began during my sophomore year of high school. At that time, I decided to run for class president and needed promotional materials for my campaign. Unsure of who could create them, I took matters into my own hands and designed the posters and other campaign materials myself. Read more>>

Mark Wisehart

To be honest, my Creative career began fairly young and as a direct result of being bullied. I was very small for my age and like many who have been bullied, you have to find something that works. What worked for me was comedy. I told jokes, I did voice impressions not necessarily to be funny but to be distracting. I needed to not get beat up, that’s good motivation. Read more>>

Lainey Conant

I started photography when I was about 16. My aunt took photos as a hobby and I ended up getting a camera from her. One of my friends and I started taking photos together when we first became friends and I ended up getting really serious about it. I have always been very interested in art and the creative process and I took several courses in school for art. Read more>>

7 Headed Swan

From my earliest memories, melodies have whispered themselves into my ears like bone induction, like a scene from a movie playing out in my mind. During my kinder years, I fancied myself a vessel of unparalleled imagination. Oh, how I delighted in the notion of being a waterspout of boundless creativity. Read more>>

Keisha LaRoux

I was first introduced to photography using a film camera in grade school and began my small business in 2021. During my photographic journey I used several methods to learn more and increase my knowledge; the first method was frequency. Deliberate shooting and practice editing helped to show great improvements. Read more>>

Diana Elizabeth Clarke

The most inspirational advice a professor once told me was, “Writing isn’t a talent, it’s a skill.” As with any skill, you can learn your craft and fine-tune it. Being a talented writer doesn’t come from luck, but rather through exploring craft techniques, expanding your knowledge, and experimenting with your art. Read more>>

Alison McLean Schuchs

How did I teach myself to paint? I started off with a limited palette (also known as the Zorn palette), which consisted of the primary colors in Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red Light, Ivory Black (as blue), and Titanium White. I made color charts and mixed the colors, exhausting every way they could be mixed as possible. I then had a visual book of colors I could refer to. Read more>>

Vanndearlyn Vong

I’m Vanndearlyn Vong, a Cambodian-American artist born and raised in Long Beach, California. I earned my B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Cambodian Language and Culture in 2021. Read more>>

Cherie Steinberg

Learning your craft is in my opinion the most important thing you need to do to really make it in any biz!! Read more>>

David Rosen

I’ve always been a big proponent of learning by doing. Music and podcasting are both things I learned by just doing a lot of them. Read more>>

Danny Pando

My name is Danny Pando, i am a tattoo artist with 15 years experience in the industry. I first got into this industry by hanging out with friends who worked in tattooing. I was really intrigued by all the equipment the artist were using, and i wanted to learn how it all worked. Once i got my hands on some of the equipment i realized that this is what i wanted to do. Read more>>

Emily Marie Passos Duffy

I am a poet, writer, editor, researcher, and performing and installation artist. Language is my primary medium. Working within and between languages shapes most of what I do! I found my way to writing through my parents and the love of books storytelling and that they imparted. My mother immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil as a child, and my father is the son of Irish immigrants. Both cultures have a strong vein of storytelling and a sense of place that influenced my upbringing. Read more>>

Taylor Duarte

Learning the craft and artistry of hair is the most fulfilling part of my job. Watching myself grow more every year has been my favorite part. I’m huge on discipline and education when it comes to hair artistry; people are coming to you and choosing you to work on their hair so always being up to date on trends and polishing your skills is important- Read more>>

Jacinta Carlton

My craft is mostly self taught but I have recently started going to school for writing and I had a very pleasant experience in my English class and passed with an “A”. Knowing what I do now I feel I should have gone to school earlier to learn what other genres I was good at writing and to practice with those genres so that I could reach a bigger audience. Read more>>