One of the most daunting aspects of pursing a creative or artistic career for many aspiring artists is not knowing how to learn the craft. So, we asked some very talented artists and creatives to talk to us about how they learned their crafts and we hope their stories will help you in your journey.

Chrissandra Jallah

I have been taking photos since I was a kid. In high school, I learned more about photography from being on the yearbook staff. After that, I was truly just winging it & googling anything I didn’t know. When I began to take my business more seriously, I realized it was important to really invest in my photography education. I joined a mentorship program with Samantha Clarke Photography & invested in Book Brides Bootcamp with Michelle Harris. I’ve also consumed lots of free content online from Katelyn James and John Branch IV. Currently, I’m in learning from Kristin Sweeting in Danger School. Read more>>

Christen Ball

I feel like the journey of being a music artist is kind of like planting a garden. Which…fun fact…one of the people who inspired me most musically (my grandfather) was also a gardener! So, this illustration is a natural one! Seeds are planted, but then it takes the work of watering, tilling the soil, and harvesting at the right time to have a successful garden. For me, the seeds of music were initially planted by my family. My mom is a classical pianist, my aunt an opera singer, and my grandfather was a bluegrass guitar player, so…playing music was in my blood. Music was a seed in my dna that was destiny to bloom. Read more>>

AnnMarie Fox

From the age of 4, I attended dance school which included tap, jazz, ballet, and hip hop classes. My mom is a classically trained vocalist, and she worked with me on vocals from the age of 8 until my teens. As an adult, I received training as well as attended Vocal Master Classes from the Wendy Martelli Voice and Piano Studio. I was able to hone my performance skills with proper training and daily practice. I appreciate receiving training in both skills, and I can’t say that I’d like to do one more than the other. I enjoy both. Staying dedicated wasn’t a challenge, but ensuring that I had the time to work on my craft was at times. Read more>>

Mya Johnson

Although I made candles as a child out of crayons…learning to make a great candle took time, research, effort, and a lot of it. There is nothing I could have done to speed up the process, people underestimate how much time goes into the craft but I love every minute of it. When I’m making candles I feel in such good spirits and energy. The skills I think are needed would definitely be determination, dedication, patience, a good space for starters. I would say my obstacles would be my full-time job as well as juggling 4 kids on my own and figuring out the time to create. Read more>>

 

Lexie Knight

Trial and error. I’m a very hands-on learner so taking classes and workshops on both specific and general skills has been helpful for me. I’ve taken several courses on film photography where I’ve literally spun the film onto the reel, mixed the chemicals, developed it by hand, then used enlargers to produce the image onto photo paper and developed those by hand. Read more>>

Lauren Patterson

Learning about makeup started at a young age of simply watching the women around me, and playing around with different looks, colors, and products. Growing up, the internet was but a small speck on the horizon of technology, and therefore, my social media and makeup tutorials were found in the form of magazines like Cosmopolitan, YM, US Weekly, and INstyle. I would scour the pages, find looks I loved and try to recreate them on myself. As I grew, I started creating looks on my friends, and once the internet was born, it became a lot easier to learn different techniques and find better products. Read more>>

Elyssa Kenward

When I was about 10 years old, my grandma taught me my first crochet stitch, the Chevron (ripple stitch). I was intrigued and attempted to make multiple blankets and scarfs; yes, they were “attempts” because I always ran out of yarn and would tell myself “I’ll finish it when I go get more yarn.”. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally started finishing my many unfinished projects. After a couple of years of on-and-off crocheting, I started to have health problems, one of which was epilepsy. Read more>>

Meg Delagrange

I’ve wanted to be an artist since the age of 5, at least that’s the first time I remember picturing my life as one. When I started kindergarten, there was a certain art project that required paints in order to paint a tree. Just the thought of painting a tree made my brain come alive with possibilities! Read more>>

Morgan Broussard

I have always been a creative since an early age however self doubt prevented me from pursuing further and learning more. As I grew into young adulthood I turned to my creative side and embraced it, surrendering to it and diving deep into learning more. I always had a natural knack for art and creating but I lacked the basic knowledge of art such as when/where to shade, highlights, perspective, values, etc. I just started to create more and more, remaining consistent with it. Read more>>

Kelby Reck

I originally never planned to be a photographer. A friend of mine was going to school to get their film degree and convinced me to upgrade from my GoPro that I shot with from time to time. I caved, I went and purchased a used canon 60D. Read more>>

Meagan Condon

How did you learn to do what you do? I actually MacGyvered my way into making my own yarn. Thanks to my grandmother, I grew up crocheting and doing needlework. We had bags and bags of acrylic yarn always at hand. When I was a teenager, I started to wonder, how did that yarn stay together? What made it… well, yarn. I began twisting and untwisting the cheap, acrylic yarn to try to figure it out. Read more>>

Portauprincess

music has always been an escape for me. it has gotten me through some of the darkest times. it has guided me, it has molded me & it has given me light. growing up, wayne was my favorite rapper. everything that i know & love about music came from my obsession with him. before nicki came out, i thought one day if i practiced really hard, he’d discover me & id be the next female version of wayne. i used to write rhymes in my composition notebooks everyday after cheerleading or basketball practice. Read more>>

Alexis Wolfe

My creative writing skills evolved from reading and journaling. My performance skills evolved from reciting speeches in church. Rhyme is secondary. If I would have understood that sooner it would’ve sped up my process. Also, the ability to write creatively is a muscle. It needs to be exercised. Journal prompts, taking random words and making a story out of them are some exercises to strengthen it. Understanding creative writing as a muscle is most essential. Read more>>

Ted Partin

I think my path is similar to that of many others, which means I learned a little bit from a lot of different sources and I tried to shoot as often as possible while being honest with myself about my faults and taking criticism as an opportunity to improve. Having been at this for most of my life, I can’t say that I would change anything about my learning process. It is that process and the experiences I had as a result of it that made me the photographer I am today. The key, the one thing that I believe has made my progress possible, is a boldness to put yourself into new situations and try new ways of working. Read more>>

 Jeff Burrows

In the latter part of my career in engineering and project management in implantable medical devices, I developed a passion for wine and food. I combined my long interest in photography with my expanding experience in wine and started my food and wine blog, Food Wine Click! The Wine and Spirits Education Trust, an education and certification program known worldwide, offered a path to speed up my knowledge development through their multiple levels of certification. Read more>>

Lindsay Seel

I had always wanted to work in events but coming out of college during a recession wasn’t the best time. I took a great job with Nestle and was with them for 7 years before taking a sabbatical and traveling with my husband, Brian. We returned to the States and landed jobs in Northern California. I worked for two incredible event companies, which helped me to narrow down my passion to rentals. Read more>>

Tim DeCesare

Much of what I’ve learned about Polaroid photography I’ve learned through trial and error. Every camera handles light slightly differently, and there are so many factors behind the film chemistry that it takes a lot of practice to get used to. I owe a lot of my knowledge to fellow Polaroid photographers as well. The community is very kind and always open to questions, which has been extremely helpful. If I could go back in time I’d tell myself to be patient and not to get discouraged when a photo doesn’t turn out perfectly. Read more>>

Jack O’Connell

I took 8 years of private drum lessons with my now long-time friend and mentor, John Coale, starting in 2004 when I was around 10 years old. While taking drum lessons, I practiced the ways of performing and band dynamics starting with “Kidz Rock” bands at The Music Workshop, and graduating to playing countless shows at venues in and around Baltimore including Soundstage, Rams Head Live!, and Ottobar. Read more>>

Christopher Rico

I’m mostly an autodidact when it comes to painting. I do not have a BFA or MFA, and my family knew nothing about art schools when I was in high school. My father was a military officer, so we moved around quite a bit, but rarely to places with high culture. I always sketched as a kid, but I never really thought art was an actual career option. I knew nothing about the art world except from magazines and films. Read more>>

Jordan Gibson

I grew up with my family being heavily involved in creative arts. My dad has worked in video production my entire life and also has a passion (and talent) for music production, special effects makeup, painting & sculpting, writing, set design, and the list goes on. I remember as a kid visiting him at work when he was a Switchboard Director for a music programming show in the DMV area and being blown away by the sets and coordination and musical talent that came through. Read more>>

Christina Lockett

I have always loved everything related to the arts. As a very young girl I was in ballet class, I sang in the choir, I played hand bells, and I acted in school productions. During my years in school each performing arts teacher I encountered set high expectations for the entire class. They pushed us to give our very best. Read more>>

Thundermaier

As a band we have learned how to put on a great performance, put out great songs, and work towards our shared goals through failing fast, reaching lessons and successes quickly, and repeatedly within a limited time frame. Right now we are learning at a faster pace each day, so there isn’t much we could’ve done better. Something we continue to practice daily is focusing on our shared goals through being disciplined and consistent with our actions. The most essential skill for us is the act of being obsessed with our goal of becoming the biggest band on the planet, playing sold out stadiums across the world in front of billions of people, and creating and releasing many, many great songs that we love for everyone to experience and love. Read more>>

Soukaina Alaoui El Hassani

I was obsessed with storytelling growing up. Narrative is in many ways part of the essence of survival in my culture. When I watched films and shows, it was like immortalizing those stories. As someone who loved the escapism that film and TV provided, I knew this is where I wanted to be. Read more>>

Helen Ratner

I didn’t have a straight path that took me to where I am now. I started as an Art Director in Advertising before discovering my love of animation. I still remember the moment when a former colleague introduced me to the magical program After Effects. The ease with which she could make smooth and seamless animations truly blew my mind and I knew I had to learn this how to do it. Read more>>

Blair Dreams

I have always listened and music a lot as a child and was curious as to how to put together everything into one artist or character for some people. So as I grew older I began to record songs that I wrote with just a computer and microphone with my friend Terrance York. We were getting better but the equipment wasn’t so by freshmen year I went to a couple studios and made songs, I also rapped at school often and performed once there and at church. I could have learned faster if I took it serious sooner. Read more>>

Carlotta Saracco

For the tattooing process, even if I started an apprenticeship in a shop I must say I am self taught. My attraction to this practice trace back to a long time ago. I would say right after highschool during my years of fashion school. I immediately was very connected to the weirdest and punk fashion designers like Alexander MQueen, jean Paul Gaultier , who definitely use the tattoo imagery in their designs. Read more>>

Petty Treason

How did you learn to do what you do? I saw a poster for Burlesque classes in a coffee shop in my hometown. I was finishing up my theatre degree and had always battled internally with being the biggest girl on stage most of the time. I thought burlesque might help me with those feelings. I didn’t know I was actually changing the course of my performance career. I finished up the burlesque classes and kept going. When I moved to the Twin Cities, I really found my community. Read more>>

Chris Gardner

I started photography after I graduated high school in 2011. I taught myself by watching videos online and trial and error. My parents bought me my first camera, so I went out and started shooting anything and everything. In 2014 I attended The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham to get some formal training in digital arts. I learned how to work with a team of artists in the studio and on location, which helped me develop into a better photographer. Read more>>

Kristina Libby

Recently, I have been writing a lot. A whole memoir in fact that is based on how trauma can be at catalyst to reconstruct our own identities. I suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling twenty feet on my head while kitesurfing, which forced me to re-evaluate who I was, how I wanted to live, and what I needed from the world. The memoir is for those who have suffered traumas and are looking for inspiration on what to do now. Read more>>

Jessica Crandall

Photography has always been a passion of mine– specifically, capturing moments. I love the composition and design aspects behind well-thought-out photos too. Therefore, when the world shut down in 2020 I decided to finally take a photography course to learn how to use my camera to my advantage. I wanted to learn and master my camera so the output came closer to the idea I had in my head. Read more>>

Kayley Vandenberg

Learning how to do pottery requires both guided instruction and solo practice. Once I learned the basics of wheel throwing in a 4-week beginner’s course, I knew the only way I was going to make significant improvement was to get my hands dirty as often as possible. Just a matter of months later I signed up for a community college course that offered open studio time and I showed up almost every day to build my skills. I improved dramatically over these three months and was selling my work less than a year later. Read more>>

Jennifer Weedon Palazzo

Though I attended college for Acting and took courses in film-making, directing, editing, etc… by far, JUST DOING the thing has been how I learned the skills I now have. Working on sets, as everything from a volunteer, to a production assistant, to an actor, to a director, gave me real-world skills that no film school every could. Read more>>

Jonathan Ramirez

How did I learn to do what I do? Trial, repetition, and loads of Research on youtube, social media, word of mouth, and, in recent years, I am attending Full Sail University for my Bachelors in Music Production. These were contributing factors in helping me grow as a professional Songwriter and Music Producer. What could I have done different knowing what I know now is believe in myself off the back and stay focused on my goals and dreams instead of things that kept me from them; this to me would have definitely sped up the learning process. Read more>>

Alex Wolf

How did you learn to do what you do? I started cutting paper my senior year of high school. I would make paper stencils by hand with an X-Acto knife as a way to transfer an image to ceramic. The stencils were simple, with a focus on contour. I used copy paper from the printer and each stencil was unusable after a single application. If the kiln process failed in anyway it meant creating another ceramic piece and another stencil. Read more>>

Darcy Lynn

During college in Iowa, around 1988, I started working in a large chain store supermarket bakery department, where I was taught many of the cake decorating basics which are still presented today in our local chain store groceries. I went through a bakery management training program in order to earn more money and that process of making everything from danish pastries and frying donuts to hotdog buns and breads, taught me that what I really want to do is decorate cakes. Store management agreed that my skills were best used to profit in the sales of decorated cakes, so I excelled in that department even further. Read more>>

Max Sprecher

Being raised in the cosmopolitan city of Antwerp, Belgium I was surrounded by an aesthetic feel of history, art and design. With my father being an interior architect and designer, it didn’t take long to understand the intense love, dedication and appreciation that went into quality design, fine craftsmanship and art. started my career in the diamond industry at the age of 15 where I first polished diamonds for 3 years and then spend 12 years cleaving diamonds. Read more>>

Felix Flores (they/them)

*big exhalation* wow… what a time it has been! i had graduated hair school a month before the first COVID lockdown… perfect timing? maybe. you know, i am really thankful i was even able to finish school before then, i could not imagine learning such a deeply hands-on craft through zoom. plus i really hate zoom- it’s so awkward, how do you know whose turn it is to speak, where are you even supposed to look? and why can’t we control the lineup of peoples faces? anyways, so for that i am *extra* thankful for the timing. Read more>>

Wayne Francis

I learned the bagpipe from a Pipe and Drum Band in Towson MD. I always fancied learning guitar but it was never fluid or natural. For some reason the Scottish Bagpipe, Whistle and Irish Bagpipe- just work for me. Read more>>

Sherell Chillik

I’ve always been interested in the arts. It wasn’t until I was in 8th grade that I realized that there were contemporary artists making a living from their work. I attended a fine arts high school, Detroit School of Arts, and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. In high school, I realized I was a painter. I was drawn to subjects that were personal to me and not so much works that were art for art’s sake. The skills that were most essential I didn’t truly learn til after college. Read more>>

Darris Parker

As far as rapping, I spent a lot of time just cyphering back when I was in school. If there were folks rapping, I was always eager to join in. After awhile, it got to the point where I started just writing at every available opportunity. I felt like I always needed to have something new for the listeners and my peers. It keeps you sharp, and that’s beautiful. It also meant I was always listening to new music. I always considered each new song, each new album, a chance to pick up something new. Treating albums as a learning experience did wonders for me as well. Read more>>