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?

Aarushi Menon

I began my creative learning journey as an aspiring illustrator! I always loved drawing and knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. My school offered art classes from elementary through high school, and I enthusiastically participated in them in pursuit of my future goals. Read more>>

Tyler Poling

I think you must live multiple lives, wear multiple hats, and have a creative intuition to learn what it takes to be an architectural designer. The old saying ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ applies deeply to my trade. Read more>>

Derrick Drake

Great Question.. You basically need to study in acting class just like an athlete you have to practice and I believe you should be passionate about it By becoming an actor you’ve chosen a business of rejections. About 98% of actors get rejections every week after week and your rarely told why. Read more>>

Kim B.

I’m a DJ now, but in my 20s I was a recording artist. I remember feeling in my spirit that it was time to pivot. I had just turned 30 and had a yearning to do something new creatively, plus I needed extra money because my day job wasn’t cutting it. Read more>>

Jody Hildreth

As a young boy, I was captivated by the world of creation. I loved going to art class at school, wondering what activity would feed my imagination. At home, I spent hours cutting and gluing balsa wood into boats that sailed across our backyard pool, I bought plastic models that I assembled in my bedroom. Read more>>

Josiah Spicer

When I was about 15 years old, I knew I wanted to get into music. I didn’t know how, other than learning guitar, but I just jumped in. From playing on my church’s worship team, to joining a rockabilly band in high school, my musical outlets were different, but they were ultimately leading me in the direction I am currently going. Read more>>

Desmond White

I learned by combining hands-on practice with constant research and feedback. I made it a priority to stay curious, take on new challenges, and learn from both successes and mistakes. Looking back, I could have sped up my learning process by seeking out mentors earlier and asking more questions instead of trying to figure everything out on my own. Read more>>

STEVEN PRIOR

I learnt my craft making documentaries for broadcasters in the UK. I started at the bottom and worked my way up to director level, making factual programmes for all major channels including the BBC, Channel 4 and streamers Netflix and Discovery+. It’s a pretty competitive industry and you have to do what you can to stand out. Read more>>

Anita Balazs

I grew up in a musical family—my mother is a cellist and my father is the director of the music school in my town—so music was part of my everyday life from the very beginning. Read more>>

Alan Olejniczak

How did you learn to do what you do? As an opera librettist, I am primarily self-taught. There are only two small librettist programs in the country, and are limited mainly to New York City artists. Unlike playwrighting, there are no classes or university degrees in libretto writing. I was writing plays long before I attempted my first libretto. Read more>>

Brandon Minieri

I first discovered photography in high school through my love for car shows. I wanted to share the experience with friends who could not attend, so I picked up an old camera my mom had at home. From the moment I started shooting, I was hooked. I spent weekends taking photos and teaching myself Photoshop, experimenting with editing colors, wheels, and details. Read more>>

Thomas Nelson

I feel like music has been a gateway to alot of things im currently into. I picked up song writing at a early age. I love the way music connects with people. Im actually still learning how to be a better writer everyday. I personally don’t feel like you could speed up the process of song writing. I just think it comes from experience. Read more>>

Lola Gonzalez

I learned my craft from many late nights after working a full time job as a dispatcher in the trucking world. I wish I would have taken the leap into being a full time artist much sooner but I am very content in my career. Read more>>

Shawn Christie

I began as a self taught player, for several years in fact, before attending Rowan University and obtaining a music degree. I was exposed to music at a very young age, and to the guitar through my maternal grandfather. He played a bit and I always thought it was cool. The instruments, the amplifiers, the sights and sounds were all fascinating to me. Read more>>

Gary Knight

After suffering a traumatic brain injury, one of the permanent changes to my brain is that I now have a very child like mind and can become hyper focused. I am easily distracted by shiny, colorful objects. Read more>>

Mallory Muddiman

* Let’s roll the tape back to my early childhood. My mom is basically a warm version of Martha Stewart. She can sew, craft, garden, decorate, cook, & bake anything. And it will look nearly perfect. I was (probably still am) a clingy youngest child who just wanted to be by her side at all times. I started creating with her as much as possible. Read more>>

David Alford

I had been dabbling in novel writing for years, but I had never taken it very far. I wanted to take a crack at playwriting, so I sat down to write a story idea that I had been brewing in my mind. Read more>>

Dixie Hartzog

I have a bachelors degree in filmmaking from the University of New Orleans, and that background influences how I approach content creation. My online presence isn’t just about posting, it’s about blending art with storytelling. My areas of expertise while earning my degree were production design and editing, and together they give me the ability to create videos and photoshoots that feel cinematic and intentional. Read more>>

Runitup Zoe

At fiirst when I wasn’t get support , it made me think I should stop and try something else. But than time had past and nothing last long when it comes easy so the grind can’t stop with God on your side Read more>>

Abin Thomas

Through experience, the internet, and people! Honestly, I should’ve started earlier. I waited a long time for the right equipment, but none of that stuff matters. When you first start, it’s really exciting and the social aspects of photography are also really rewarding. The most essential skills are your willingness to learn, ability to work with others, and most importantly, having fun! Read more>>

Valeria Bardi Cohen

I have always been fascinated by the process of design. I believe each designer’s process is unique, and that authenticity is one of the most powerful ways to approach creative thinking. My experience as an architectural designer in New York City has shaped not only how I practice but also the way I navigate life. Read more>>

Ted Lazaris

Over 25 years ago, I started teaching myself how to write, one page at a time. I didn’t have a formal degree in creative writing — just a stubborn imagination, a love for storytelling, and the discipline to keep going when things got tough. Along the way, I wrote 67 titles now available on Amazon and developed scripts that have been optioned for film. Read more>>

robert page

I am self taught. For whatever reason the desire to create; the desire to paint has always been there. As I have gotten older I’ve realized how creative a lot of my family were. From my dad’s dad to my mom’s mom. My grandfather made whimsical folk art after he retired. I imagine he had other creative pursuits as a younger man. Read more>>

Rich Maxham

I learned to play the violin through 20 years of instruction from my father, a professional violinist, musicologist, and violin critic. I learned to repair violins first from my grandfather, then from a close family friend who played the violin and ran a small shop, then from a luthier in my hometown. Read more>>

Ely Navarro Hernandez

I went to culinary school and have worked in the restaurant industry over 20 years. However the flan is my mom’s recipe that I grew up eating and never thought to make it professionally until I found I needed to. The pandemic kind of forced me to speed up my process but I feel more grounded now because of the need the pandemic created. Read more>>

ELIAZ

For years, I half-assed creativity and I feel like it’s been my biggest set back. Even with going to music school, I wasn’t very focused and I was wildly insecure which didn’t lend well to creating music. Now I’m filming and learning at the same time. I feel like people don’t see the process of learning a skill anymore so that’s the goal right now. Read more>>

Rachel Baker

 

My love for photography can be traced back to my early childhood. Originally from St. Louis, as a young girl I remember walking down to the National store down the road to develop countless photos taken on my hot pink L.A. Brites Vivitar. I am self-taught, having no formal training. Read more>>

Via Still

I first learned to model by going to creative community meetups on Orlando. I found a company called Pexels that hosts community photoshoots across America. People from different creative departments like photographers and models meet up and work together. These meetups are open to the public and free to attend. Read more>>

Brian Ford

Ever since I was a kid I have been creating through drawing. I’d spend hours in my room drawing the latest comic book heroes. Through high school the one class I excelled in was art. During my senior year my class time consisted of art, advanced art, yearbook photographer, gym, lunch and study hall. Read more>>

Segador

For me, learning the craft was really just trial and error. I didn’t come in with a polished setup or music degree — I just dove in and figured things out as I went. Looking back, I’d say don’t stress so much about getting every “fundamental” perfect right away. Have fun with it, experiment, enjoy the process. That’s how you actually develop your own style. Read more>>

Lady Laa

I’ve always had an eye for style; I learned fashion styling through hands-on experience by dressing myself; studying trends; experimenting with looks; and helping friends refine their wardrobes. Read more>>

Rosa Lee Timm

Q: How did you learn to do what you do? I learned through a mix of lived experience, community connection, and a lot of trial and error. Growing up in a deaf family, I was immersed in American Sign Language and storytelling from day one. Read more>>

Debbie Abazia

Modeling came as a complete surprise to me. When I first connected with an agent, all I did was send in everyday photos for review. I wasn’t taking it too seriously and had zero expectations, yet I was soon invited to meet with my first agent. I’ve never believed you can truly learn how to model. Read more>>

Dustin MacMillan

Balloon Artists are more or less ‘self taught’. Working in an unregulated industry, theres no formal balloon school that is needed before working as a performer. So a lot of our knowledge is community sourced, funded, created, however you want to say it. We do it ourselves through online forums, dvd’s, youtube channels, pdf’s etc. Read more>>

Onyx Sage

I have been creating and performing in some shape or form for as long as I can remember, however, performing in drag was a different beast all together. For awhile I only really enjoyed the design and creation aspect but performing required me to improvise way more than I expected and really learn to trust myself. Read more>>

Phoebe Potter

I have been creative for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I would turn anything into a dress and parade around the house. I took advantage of every creative outlet possible, whether it was art or music classes in grade school, or just tinkering around with everyday objects at home. Read more>>

Pat Fish

Tattooing has long been a trade learned by apprenticeship, and I was exceedingly fortunate that I was guided to get my first tattoo from the superb tattooist Cliff Raven and then ask him to teach me. Read more>>

Hillai Govreen

Even then, I was already writing little pieces in the style of what I was learning. Around the same time, I was also part of Ukuleles for Peace, a project that brought together Arab and Jewish kids to play ukulele and sing in English, Arabic, and Hebrew. That experience exposed me to all kinds of music- folk songs, Dixieland, jazz, Arabic music and gave me an early sense of showmanship and performing in front of people. Read more>>

Candice Wu

I was able to adapt quickly and figure out ways of creating and moving that suited how I wanted to express. I slowly developed my own voice and dance style, tuning into my emotions and those of others, translating and interpreting them into these mediums. Read more>>