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?

Nicole Nicolas

Knowing what I know now, I wish I had experimented more with different art styles. As artists, we’re often told we must “find our art style.” I used to fixate on discovering my “perfect style” — the one painting that would get me recognized. But looking back, I wish I had just started by painting freely, without worries, regrets, or expectations. Doing so would have allowed me to fall in love with art for art’s sake, rather than solely as a career pursuit. Read more>>

Cherizar Walker

As an engineer, I learned everything on the job. I learned the best and fastest by being placed in situations where I had no clue what I was doing, and little to-no help, and just had to figure it out on my own. I think being thrown to the wolves is the best way to learn. It forces you to call upon the forces within you that are waiting to help you, and also challenges how resourceful you are. The obstacle is always and only yourself; no doubt about that. Read more>>

Shantel Grasdal Ramos

Learning to dance and be a performer is actually one of the hardest art forms to learn. Being a dancer is an interesting conduit of expression, because you are expected to move in a way that requires so much strength.. you train like a professional athlete at all levels, but then are expected to still communicate emotions and ideas, tell stories and even challenge and confuse your audience with your performance. You need both facets. The strength and the performance. when one is lacking, the performance feels disjointed. Read more>>

Jenny Bickel

The learning process for me began at a young age learning the basics of how to shoot in manual and take good pictures. Once I decided to turn photography into a business, I did a lot of research on lighting, shooting, and editing. There is a lot of free information out there online, you just have to put in the time and effort to research it and learn. I have also done a couple of online mentoring sessions with other photographers which were also very helpful. After you have the knowledge, a lot of it just comes down to practice. Learning to see the light and how to use it correctly and learning how to edit in a style that is appealing and represents you as an artist, takes time and practice. There’s also the business side of things. Social media and networking are both very important to growing a photography business. Read more>>

Sourav Roy

My family especially my grandmother taught me to appreciate food and cooking. Practice, trial and error. Just keep at it with every failure I correct my mistake and get better at. Cooking requires patience and there is no way around it. Preparation and patience are essential for me in this trade. Learning new dishes/ cuisine from other cultures Read more>>

Sam Dever

I learned podcast hosting and producing by simply taking the leap and getting started. It was something I had always wanted to do and it was constantly in the back of my mind. I had previous interview experience from past projects but “The Sam Dever Podcast” was going to be new territory for me as it would be my first official podcast.  I bought my domain names, lined up my first guest and gathered all the equipment I currently had. After I filmed and recorded the first episode, I pieced it together and released it to the world.  After that, I kept doing it and learning the craft improving along the way. Read more>>

Justyn Priest

I spent a lot of time trying to learn songs as a teenager. After picking up my first instrument, the saxophone, I quit after about a week. Eventually, I convinced my parents to buy me an electric guitar at age 15; I would spend hours learning whatever information I could get my hands on, from magazines or things a family friend had scribbled on legal pad. I only had about a month’s worth of lessons from a local music teacher before eventually doing most of it on my own. We eventually had an internet connection but it was dial-up, meaning it was painfully slow and trying to stream music and videos the way we do now was impossible. Read more>>

Youssef Atlam

I learned how to produce music through a trial and error process. I started off with Youtube tutorials on how to use Ableton and certain plugins. and then from there it went to learning more about music theory and why some chords/scales fit better with others. Learning the most important thing however was what’s a good track thats actually playable, and this came from a very long trial and error. I think I could’ve speed up this process by building the confidence to play tracks to a group of people before actually “finishing it”. I think the most essential skill is sitting down and dissecting another track, this really helps any producers learning process but it just takes a lot of patience and again, trial and error.  Read more>>

Mary Butler

I learned how to make fun cocktails on my own. I loved the idea of going out to try fun, new, and creative cocktails at bars and restaurants but didn’t know how to make them myself. Once Covid started and I wasn’t able to go out for drinks, I began my cocktail journey by slowly starting to learn how to make basic, classic cocktails. Once I had learned which ingredients could be used in a variety of cocktails, I began to always keep those items on hand (like lemon or lime juice, simple syrup, club soda) to make drinks at home. As I began to think more about different flavor profiles and how different ingredients meld together to create a balanced cocktail, I began to experiment a little more. I was having so much fun creating new drinks or adding unique flavors to classic drinks that I wanted to share those recipes with others! Read more>>

Jenny Yuen

I learned to do what I do through a combination of hands-on practice, online tutorials, and a lot of trial and error. As a photographer and content creator, I spent countless hours perfecting my food photography skills, experimenting with lighting and composition to make dishes truly pop on Instagram. Looking back, I think I could have accelerated my learning process by networking more with other food influencers and participating in workshops. Collaborating with others would have given me fresh perspectives and techniques to explore. Read more>>

Will Kelly

I always had a creative side as a kid, first drawing pictures then later in band class where I learned the trumpet. I would also pick up guitar later. As a teenager I started watching standup on Comedy Central. They would show feature comics all Friday evenings and I remember thinking “wow that’s cool”. I also had a friend give me my first copy of a standup comic show (on cassette tape!) by a comic named James Gregory. I would recite jokes from that tape or from TV specials to get my friends at school to laugh. Eventually I thought I might be able to try and write some jokes myself. I did my first performance in a talent show at a summer camp while in high school and managed to get a few good laughs. I think I was 16 years old at that time. Read more>>

Megan Kazy-garey

Painting and drawing for me always came naturally ever since I was little. There wasn’t a time back then where I didn’t have a crayon or pencil in my hand or wasn’t doing something artistic. One thing though,that I never really did much as a child was paint and it’s something that I always wanted to do but for some reason just wasn’t able to. Either way,I still got my hands into whatever I could and always found a way to create something. As much as I love art, funny enough, I never actually pursued it at high school. I couldn’t exactly tell you why, but as we all know being a teenager and being surrounded by peers can definitely deter you from doing the things that you would originally enjoy spending your time doing, out of fear of being judged. For a long while unfortunately I actually left art behind and forgot all about her. Read more>>

Jasmine Albrough

While I consider myself a multi-passionate artist, particularly disciplined in dance and writing, breakdancing (culturally referred to as breakin’ or bgirling/bboying) has been my primary creative outlet and focus for development the past nine years. My connection to breakin’ happened gradually. In the Midwest, prior to moving to Arizona, I grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods where I was often one of the few in my age group interested in hip hop music and dance. My only exposure to hip hop culture, at the time, was through mainstream media my mom would introduce me to. Dancers in the music videos of Missy Elliott and Eminem inspired me most as a kid. And, being a child of the internet, around age 13 or 14, I happened to stumble across YouTube breakin’ tutorials provided by legendary bboy, bboy Casper and bboy Vincanity. However, the “baby freeze” was the only breakin’ move I knew how to do for years after.  Read more>>

Matt Howels

Whilst I write songs, and occasionally poetry, I’m a guitar player and consider myself an instrumentalist first and foremost. I taught myself to play before there was anything like YouTube or online lessons, so it was mostly teenage me playing along with cassette tapes of The Beatles or Jimi Hendrix and painstakingly trying to figure out what I was hearing! I also had chord book so I could learn chord shapes and phrasings which helped a lot. If I had the wealth of information and instructional tools that are available out there now, I’m sure I’d have learned things a lot quicker than I did, but at the same time I’m glad I learnt by ear the way I did. Read more>>

Kyanna Harrison

Truthfully, I started doing nails at a very random time during Covid. Before Covid fully hit enough to close everything down, I had on a set that I was holding onto. When I noticed that I needed a fill-in, I remember thinking to myself like “Dang, I can’t even get my nail done.” I went to the nearest beauty supply store and bought a “Kiss” nail kit. I got my fill-in that day. Knowing what I know now, I’d say I could’ve invested in my products faster. A lot of nail techs tell beginners not to waste time buying a bunch of things you won’t use. I personally believe we’re not all the same nail tech, and what works for you may not work for everybody. When I first started, you wouldn’t believe what i substituted acrylic for; dip-powder methods, baby powder, it was madness, but all a learning experience. I agree with not buying a bunch of useless charms, but find a product that works well for you, based on your opinion and budget. That could be your go-to product.  Read more>>

Ty Xiong

Learning my craft did not come overnight. There were countless of hours being in the studio practicing my instrument and writing my compositions. There is no way to speed up the learning process. Skills takes time to master. I am still learning till this very moment.  The skill I think the most essential is to learn from others and not having to learn their mistakes by making them myself.  The obstacle I had to learn to deal with of learning more was to stop thinking that I had to be done within a specific timeline. Read more>>

Jared Davis

I’ve learned so much by observing creatives who are more advanced in skill and experience. A lot of my growth has come from trial and error, along with soaking up knowledge from various Instagram and TikTok resources. Many people say you need formal education for certain careers, but I believe you can learn just as much—if not more—by being in the right environment and connecting with the right people.If I could do it over, I would dedicate countless hours to acquiring key information in my craft. I would reach out to more creatives, just to be in the same room and absorb everything I could. I’d also take on more free projects to build my network and boost my skills and confidence earlier on. Read more>>

Len Parent

My name is Len Parent. I’m a mama of 4 & and was born and raised on the beautiful Island of the Philippines. I’ve been married to my husband Phil for over 18 years now. I love my family. Being a wife and a mother is an incredible responsibility. It’s challenging, rewarding, important, and fun. I consider it a gift and a privilege, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The Len Parent Style officially launched in the Fall of 2014, without any expectation of it becoming what it is today. Read more>>

Karmen Lopez

I think I’ve always had an interest in photography, but I never really dove deep into all the aspects of it until my husband gifted me my first camera. I was so excited about it, I wanted to learn everything. I spent countless hours on Google, YouTube, and TikTok trying to learn about cameras, lenses, camera settings, lighting, poses, angles, managing a business, and everything else I could think of relating to photography. I think my perseverance and interest in the profession are so helpful to keep me going, there’s always something new to learn as technology and trends change and that’s what makes it exciting. Read more>>

Sarah & Yenni

When we first decided to do a podcast (over a year ago!) we went in without knowing anything about podcasting. It took weeks of getting together and reading up various articles, listening to other podcasters, and watching how-to videos to help us learn the basics. We also wanted to make sure we had a product people were interested in – being careful as to not go into an already saturated topic! The weeks we took to learn the basics, we also debated on different topics to cover. Read more>>

 

Manolo Osorio

I initially taught myself music production by watching videos and experimenting on my own. While that gave me a creative start, I eventually realized I needed formal training to improve. That’s when I entered music school and learned the basics, which helped me refine my skills. For my latest single, Meditate, I took Ableton classes to push my sound further. I was inspired by house music but still wanted to keep the funky vibe of No Wrong Numbers. Read more>>

Simon Kun

My story is a bit all over. I’ve always had a love for art since I was a kid, but I never really had a path or focus on what I wanted to do with my art until my senior year of college. At the time I was a cook at my local hospital and had found a love for food. One day I had drawn some food in my sketchbook and slowly fell in love with the idea of drawing food. Food illustrations aren’t something you really see around, so I loved the idea of bringing it to life in a way people don’t really see it. I had a lot of professors tell me that there wasn’t a market for food illustrations, but I also had a lot of professors tell me I should make it more known. It was definitely a lot of back and forth, but at the end of the day all I could think about was the potential my illustrations could have in any market. Read more>>

I first started using a camera while living in Germany for my online jewelry business. Alongside that, I started a food blog, and that’s when I really began practicing food photography. I taught myself a lot through YouTube videos, picking up tips and tricks along the way. Eventually, I closed the jewelry business, and after moving through a few countries, I launched Sweet Fix Baker while living in Illinois. By then, I had a good understanding of how to use a camera. It wasn’t until I moved to Cincinnati, though, that I really started investing in myself—both in terms of my skills and equipment. If I could go back, I would’ve done that earlier. The most essential skills have been mastering lighting, composition, and storytelling through visuals, both in photography and videography. Recipe development is also an important part of what I do, which requires a lot of testing and refining. Read more>>

Marc Trujillo

I got my undergraduate education at the University of Texas at Austin and my MFA from Yale University School of Art. The formal education really prepares you for a lifetime of continuing to learn, as does teaching, since the accountability of teaching and the students themselves continually push you to keep learning. My formal education was very fine arts oriented, which in a practical sense means that you are more engaged with the philosophical core you operate from than how to do things. With something like painting, of course these two things are inextricable, and the how is also part of the why. I could have benefited from more practical how-to information early on, but also benefited a great deal from the plurality of art school, and having to navigate a broader set of concerns and disciplines. I think if I had had more financial aid through my education, I would’ve had more time to focus and would’ve learned the craft faster, but having to work also informed my worldview, which is a part of the paintings, so it’s hard to say what you are trading off when you imagine a situation to be different. Read more>>

Leonore Hildebrandt

How did you learn to do what you do? A blend of formal and informal learning works best for me. I fell in love with a man who’d get up early to write on a novel before going to work as an English professor. English is my second language. So naturally there was a lot of conversation about language and writing at our home. Later I went back to school, got a graduate degree in English from the University of Maine, and worked as a writing instructor. Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?  I wish I had started to write earlier, before having children and all that. There seemed to never be enough time? Good writing comes down to self-discipline, to perseverance, to maturity.  Read more>>

Lexi Stark

I started writing songs on my own at age 11 back home in my small town of Warrenton, VA. Everything I knew at that point I learned from analyzing songs by artists I looked up to growing up (Collective Soul, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more) At this point my songs were very personal to me and I wasn’t really focused on sharing them with the world. It wasn’t until I moved to Nashville in 2015 and I joined a wonderful organization called NSAI (Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) that I started learning how to truly craft a song with the scope of a wider audience. I learned from different workshops that NSAI put on where professional songwriters like Jason Blume came and taught the art and value of co-writing. When I started co-writing I really began to understand how beautiful the art form can be with not just myself but with other people. Read more>>

Iustin-pavel Coca

When I first started, I was completely self-taught. I’d experiment, figure things out on my own, and just immerse myself in music. Eventually, I started going to songwriting camps, taking classes, and trying to get into recording studios, constantly looking for ways to grow. Honestly, I’m happy with the pace I’ve been able to learn at because I was really meticulous about my craft. Early on, I’d push myself to finish a full song every week—production, melodies, lyrics, performance—all of it. The most essential skill I had in the beginning was definitely my drive. I was obsessed with getting better, and that fire hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s stronger now. But if there was one obstacle that stood in the way, it was my perfectionism. I was never fully satisfied with my work because I knew I could do better, which led to a lot of artistic frustration. Read more>>

Scott Mosher

I own and operate the musical mothership/band known as Oceans of Night. It’s an extension of my 30+ years career as a multi-instrumentalist/songwriter and studio musician. I’ve been writing (and recording) songs going back at least as long as that, which came my drive to be a songwriter, as opposed to a touring/live act or performing in bands. My ambition was always to write and arrange songs, and issues them as full length albums (CDs, for those that remember those plastic disc things.) Read more>>

Florie Gounelle

Singing and teaching singing are two distinct but connected journeys. This is something common to all teaching professions, I guess: you may master a craft, but the moment you feel the desire to pass it on, you quickly realize that knowing how to do something is very different from knowing how to teach it. I began teaching singing as a student job, and almost immediately felt the need to deepen my understanding of the voice—not only to improve my students’ technical abilities but also to grasp what was happening inside their throats (and hearts). Read more>>

I have a degree in biology/chemistry as well a long career as a professional artist. The chemistry helps me maintain the health of my clients’ hair. A vital component to both the results and color longevity. My history in art gives me a good understanding of color theory, which makes it easier to achieve desired results. I went to cosmetology school later in life, I wish I had made the jump sooner but the responsibilities of adulthood made it difficult. Read more>>

Kristie Cornell

I am entirely self taught in photography. The process of learning the craft came through reading, looking at photobooks, and experimentation, all of which always came after school and work obligations. This resulted in a slow and steady approach that solidified my understanding of the camera but was also a solitary endeavor. Taking formal classes or having a photographic mentor would have helped to speed up the learning process, but I believe that years of trial and error played an invaluable part in shaping my visual style. The most essential skills in this approach have been patience and persistence. By dedicating the time and resources towards learning about what works for me and what doesn’t, I have been able to establish a clear and consistent voice in my work. Read more>>

Joseph A. Miller

I learned to draw and paint as a young child the moment I was given pudding for desert. Later, (when I was about five years old) I found a large paintbrush and some red paint in the basement. I came up with the idea to re-paint the exterior of my cedar shingle house. Having started a larger project than I had the attention span to finish, and witnessing the extreme disapproval of my parents, I had my first set-back. However, despite this naughty start, Santa Clause gave me a bunch of great art supplies that year! I quickly graduated from the box of twelve to the box of sixty four Crayola crayons and later, when my third grade Art teacher introduced me to paint-by-numbers, I was hooked. My learning process began with early exposure to the thrill of mark making and color, the excitement of receiving art supplies for birthdays and holidays from my parents and grandparents, and from developing a genuine curiosity about materials. I don’t believe I could have learned any faster than I did. People sometimes ask me when I started drawing and painting. The truth is, I just never stopped. Read more>>