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?

Fabian Espinoza

I learned the skills by attending cosmetology school first, that’s what gave me the pathway and fully made me passionate to leave there and learn. Read more>>

Ryan Radusinovic

After 11 years as a stand up comedian, I have come to the conclusion that experience is the best teacher. I spent years in the classroom studying comedy in its various forms: Read more>>

Arthur Johnson

When it comes to playing drums, I always had a natural ear. I was able to pick up rhythmic patterns and mimic them from a very young age. Read more>>

Julie Kidd

I love to write and I come from a long line of award-winning writers that instilled in me a deep belief in the power of words to inform persuade and evoke emotion. Read more>>

Anila Nugmanova

I learned a lot about producing during the production of several projects at the time I worked in the production company. There are a lot of things to control starting from the development of the project and ending with the release of it. Read more>>

Barbara Mink

I woke up one winter morning 25 years ago with an irresistible urge to paint. My father was a painter-so I never was. But I started with a workshop on botanical drawing- and my flowers spilled off the paper. Read more>>

Daniel Robin Clurman

Surprisingly, I stumbled into being an artist. I took one painting class my freshman year for what I thought to be three easy credits. This was one of the best mistakes I have ever made. Unfortunately for me there was no easy way to speed up the process. I needed to fail over and over again. Read more>>

Lisa Valentine

I believe this career is something you never stop learning with. I began writing as a way of dealing with difficult situations in my life. I’ve always written from the heart. Read more>>

Ji Yong Yoon

As a tattoo artist, my life has been full of valuable moments. Whether good or bad, they built my foundation and here I am enjoying my life. Read more>>

Mikhail Cronin

I started learning music by shadowing other producers. Once I got the hang of the software, I had to figure out instruments, arrangement, and sound composition. Read more>>

Durrell Hearns

I learned my crafts of writing and stand up comedy the best way possible…by doing them. Writing has always been a passion of mine since I was a kid. Read more>>

Ophelia Boman Jorgensen

Becoming a photographer has been an incredibly rewarding and exciting journey! My previous education in Art History provided a perfect foundation as I quickly discovered I could transfer my theoretical knowledge and visual analysis skills into my photography projects. Read more>>

Jason Hedden

I’ve learned stand up comedy through trial and error. Having been on stage as an actor for many years, I thought it would be easier. Some of the skills did transfer, but live comedy is uniquely challenging and keeps you humble. Read more>>

Michael Howard

I learned to sculpt from video tutorials and trial and error, and I refined my sculpting skills by breaking down the process of creating to its base parts, then building up the models with layers of digital clay. Read more>>

Yaa Animwaa

When I moved to New York for grad school, I worked at Pearl Paint art supply store. I had the opportunity to randomly test out different products that were on display. Read more>>

Krystle Rhines

I have always been interested in art. I started out with very simple tools like a #2 pencil and paper and just kept trying out new art supplies from there. The last 7 years I have been focused on painting. Read more>>

Robyn Dabney

I completed my first novel in 2013 and believed it would be the next big thing. I thought agents would fight over it. Editors would spend millions at auction to claim the precious rights to my series. Read more>>

Regan Linton

This is an interesting question, especially about speeding up the learning process. I’ve always felt like a “slow and steady wins the race” kinda gal. And that’s how nearly all my artistic crafts have unfolded. Read more>>

Alexis Pagano

Everything happens on its own timing, but I certainly wished I had started my custom sneaker journey sooner. The entirety of my business was spawned during the early days of COVID after I got sent home early from my Study Abroad semester as an undergrad and couldn’t find a job. Read more>>

K.D

I started my journey in photography, inspired by the beautiful, organized photo albums my mother created. These albums sparked my love for visual storytelling. Read more>>

Rachael Tyrell

I kind of stumbled into this whole art thing. As for turning it into a real pursuit? That’s super new for me. Looking back, I wish I’d been braver earlier on! I spent so much time second-guessing myself.  Read more>>

Keith Mosley

I learned to do what I do by a bunch of trial and error. Constantly failing so that I know what it takes to succeed. Knowing what I know now, I believe that patience is important on speeding up my learning process. Read more>>

Roger Motzkus

I have always loved drawing from when I was a child, mostly cartoons in style. I had a very good High School instructor that fueled my desire to learn. I also got a bachelors in Fine Art. Read more>>

Jade Jones

I have used a lot of tools to learn photography, but the best tool is honestly YouTube and learning from other photographers. I think I could’ve done a few mentorships with other creatives and that would’ve really helped jumpstart my confidence. Read more>>

Brandon Keith Rogers

My journey with acting and entertainment has been deceptively long. There’s always something new to learn in many facets of this business and it takes an unspoken tenacity to get to the heights of this industry. Read more>>

Ellie Miller

I fell into web design by necessity. As a new mom juggling diapers and midnight feedings, I needed a website for my therapy practice. Read more>>

Elaina Williams

I am a self taught sewer and sewing has always been a part of my life. I had family and friends around me who sewed, and I always thought it was fascinating to be able to “make something” from scratch. Read more>>

Andrea Snyder

I am somewhat self-taught. I took art classes in junior high and high school, and a few in college, but they never taught watercolor. Read more>>

Donyalle Jackson

Learning to do what I do was the easy part. My ability to create is a God given talent, one that I initially took for granted. Learning to hone in on my natural abilities and manifest the career path of my dreams was my biggest challenge. Read more>>

Engeline Logtenberg

I am a self-taught artist with no formal training, driven by an enduring passion for oil painting. Guided by a belief in the power of trial and error, I embarked on my painting journey, continually refining my skills and techniques through hands-on practice. Read more>>

Bryan Peralta

I started playing music for the first time in 2019 at 28 years old. I picked up a guitar that my gf at the time – now my wife – had sitting in the corner of our apartment and just started teaching myself. Read more>>

Saskia Bee

I have a fairly academic approach to most things. I was introduced to acting classes as a child, and I’ve always been a focused student. Read more>>

Shauna Hilferty

Hello! My name is Shauna Hilferty. Thank you for being here and talking with me today! I always knew I liked to tell stories. I like to talk, and I talk a lot. There was one instance when I got in trouble in the third grade for talking too much.  Read more>>