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?

Walter J. Pullom

When I was brand new in the local industry, I had to become a student of my craft. To always be willing to learn and keep a steady growth mindset. To sit back and study the greats, deeply heeding their advice, suggestions and appreciating their mentorship. Keeping a hungry mindset even in the case of bring well fed in your crafts and proving yourself and valuing your very own worth were some key lessons in learning the craft. Read more>>

James Quinn

When you decide to pursue your dream you 1st must learn your craft. Understanding what it is you do & why you do it will give you the creative edge you need to succeed. Ask questions. Study your material. Absorbs as much information as possible. Take time to work in every area possible related to your craft so you can mentally break down the process with little distractions. Read more>>

Wasan Hayajneh

When I was in college, I worried a lot about whether my work was good enough- in areas of composition, draftsmanship, gestural study. Even though, by a lot of standards it could be considered quite good, my concern was that people, especially my instructors, were being nice to me out of pity. Insecurity in ones craft is inevitable when you’re starting out, especially halfway through, but a secret that many people don’t tell you is that there will always be times when your taste outpaces your skill- and it doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough, it just means that you’ve become aware of where your destination is. Read more>>

Leeor Rozner

That’s a great question. I practiced a lot, watched other DJs I liked for hours, and learned from them. Then, I went home and practiced even more. In my opinion, the few skills that you need to have to become a top DJ are a love for music, a deep knowledge of your music, the ability to share it with your crowd, the ability to read a crowd, a love for people, and the ability to turn it into a lifestyle. I always say that DJing is not just a job but a lifestyle that you live 24/7. In my experience, the most essential skills are reading a crowd, reading the room, and selecting the right songs. Nothing stood in my way of learning more because I was and still am completely dedicated to it. Read more>>

Ellen Story

As a full-time artist/musician, I enjoy being creative in several different fields: performance, composing/arranging/songwriting, recording, and education. These skills were developed through a combination of years of formal training and having given my natural abilities plenty of time/space to flourish. Read more>>

Christopher Pany

In my experience, trying to “learn” photography is overwhelming – cameras, lenses, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, composition, style, individual style, etc., etc. Understanding the basic facets of photography is much like learning music theory – they will undoubtedly help you; but, in the end, it is the individual’s creativity and vision that matters most. What’s more, trying to consider each photography concept in the moment is difficult, to say the least, and can lead to over-thinking and render an interesting moment lost in the process. So my take on learning is to just go out and do it and expect to take lots of mediocre photos. Eventually, you learn why they’re just mediocre, make adjustments, and, in time, start to take great photos. Likewise, you develop preferences, styles, and notice peculiar things that, for reasons unknown, strike you (for example, I like power lines). Trial and error is the best approach in my experience. Read more>>

Scott McGregor

Learning photography is a lot more complicated and layered than some would think. There can sometimes be the impression that photography is just buying a camera, pointing it at something, and pressing the button. On the contrary, the act of getting nice images consistently, involves a lot of components. There is an academic aspect to photography in that there are actually rules/principles/elements that can play a role in getting to that final image. This can include composition rules like “rule of thirds”, “leading lines”, etc., and other aspects, such as lightning and post-image processing (editing). Read more>>

Myron Rogan

I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and skills from watching YouTube videos and shadowing others. However, I realize that I could have learned even more if I had truly dedicated more time to this craft. Unfortunately, there were a lot of distractions in my life that prevented me from fully committing myself. The biggest obstacle I faced was myself. I struggled with self-doubt and made a lot of mistakesto take constant breaks. Read more>>

Rowan Mastandrea

I have a very expansive imagination and thrive on doing more than one thing at a time. I also dive in with abandon. You can imagine the chaos! Narrowing my range of experimentation and number of pieces to jumpstart an idea could have saved me a lot of time over the years. Now I try not to get too far ahead of myself, and sit with a new inspiration for at least a week before acting on it to see if the idea has energy and substance enough to develop. I am a dynamic experimenter. “What happens if I do this?” and “Doing does it” encapsulate my practice. Seeing what happens when I do something in a piece shows me what to do next. I had to learn to follow the aesthetic of the work as it emerges and allow for surprises. It was a hard lesson! The twists and turns each piece goes through can be unnerving, so I had to develop skills to manage discomfort along the way. I can also be restless and impatient. My method is slow and non-linear, so I had to develop discipline and make peace with the process to get the resulted I desired. Read more>>

Melissa Dale

I was always drawn to photography and the idea of capturing or creating a moment in time. I loved magazines as a kid and started taking photography classes in high school. This led to me majoring in Studio Art (with an emphasis in photography) and getting involved with some experimental video projects. I found traditional schooling to be somewhat lackluster, full of busy work and not a large enough emphasis on what I actually wanted to do. I took it upon myself to take online classes to learn the ins and outs of digital photography, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, etc. I learned more on my own. Read more>>

Purefected

Learned rapping battling on corners, in halls, etc. First recorded in local studios, worked my way up to recording with professional producers and engineers. Knowing what I know now, I would’ve started recording in studios in high school to speed up the process of being ready to release professionally-recorded music to the world. The skills most essential in writing raps are vocabulary, breath control and rhythm. Nothing has stood in my way of learning more. Writing and recording is like working out: the more you do it, the stronger you get. Read more>>

Julie Conway

I had been majoring in art history, my Mom was an art gallerist and art consultant, and I studied abroad in France with an Art Focus at the University of Avignon. I discovered that I loved metal, loved 3D construction, and fire. I also had watched glassmaking in Italy, but the dedication to glass as an art career had not turned on yet. Until…. one day I was cornered in the yogurt section of the local organic market in Taos, New Mexico and asked to help a glassmaker with an order. Read more>>

Diana Shimane

As a Lapidary Artist, it is me pleasure to cut, carve and polish Stone, Gem and Fossil. Soon after my introduction to the magic of my art, I joined a local Rock Club. Yes, they exist. There I met a handful of fellow enthusiasts who taught me the safety practices of the Saws, Grinder, Laps, and Wheels and then set me loose to create. In these last 5 years I’ve created countless cabochons and carvings. Some very talented folks have been happy to offer some constructive criticism here and there along the way. That being said, I do consider myself self taught as I’ve had no formal training in cutting stone. As a Metals Artist, I create one of a embellishments for my lapidary works turning them into wearable art. In this I am also self taught. I began with Wire Wrap settings and found a natural inclination for creating original works. Finding limitations in this medium I began teaching myself Silversmithing. I now incorporate soldered Silver and Copper in my finished pieces. Read more>>

Jennifer Elaine

I am a self-taught artist, so I had to learn my craft from experience. I also utilized YouTube videos for specific techniques that I had questions about, such as placement of shadows and highlights. I created a network of fellow artists with different skillsets to help each other develop our craft. More advanced artists were able to help me paint more realistic without losing my creativity. I have never wanted to paint “hyperrealism” because I feel like you can take a picture or have a photoshoot if you want hyperrealism. Art is an escape from reality for me. Read more>>

Isaiah Weatherspoon

I learned how to play the drum set at the early age of 4 when my grandmother purchased my first drum kit. It was an all-black mini Groove Percussion drum set with only one splash cymbal. My parents believed that I had a God-given gift to play the drums once they saw that I would tap on my car seat with very accurate rhythm and timing to any Gospel song that was playing in my parent’s car radio system. By age 16, I already performed on drums with some of Philadelphia’s most notable musicians in the region’s most well-known music venues.
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