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.

Kyle J. Scimone

I was fortunate enough to learn playwrights in theatre as a kid and took to that style instantly. Learning to write script takes much longer than someone would anticipate. Most professionals would agree it takes about 7 to 10 scripts to really find your voice. And, most scripts take about 3 to 6 months if you are taking it seriously. So simple math says it’s going to take someone almost 5 years of figuring out the basics before scratching the surface of industry standard. Read more>>

Nicole Natal

I first learned how to shoot film by using disposable film cameras when I was 12 years old. It wasn’t until film school in college that I began to hone my artistic skills. I picked up shooting on 35mm film again in 2017 when I was gifted a Canon film camera while living in Los Angeles. This is when I dove straight into experimenting with the medium. College was certainly a wonderful way to speed up the learning process but I wasn’t taught anything about analog photography. Read more>>

Emily Finke

The learning process for the kind of work I do has been rather unconventional. This is mainly due to the fact that I never envisioned myself doing this kind of work. From a young age, I had an intrinsic passion for the arts that allowed me to explore creativity before I ever received any formal training. By the time I was in high school, I had “normal” goals of a “regular” job, but I felt God calling my life in a different direction, one that encompassed and utilized my many creative interests. Read more>>

Scarlett Villagomez

I did photography as a hobby through high school, but I never really took my camera off the “auto” setting. It wasn’t until 2020 when I found out I was pregnant that I decided I wanted to learn the ins & outs of my camera. Funny enough TikTok is actually what finally helped me understand my equipment! I love watching these quick 2-3 minute videos from other photographers where they would get straight to the point, instead of trying to pay attention to a 40 minute video on Youtube. Read more>>

Shelby Rodeffer

My path to sign painting has been long and winding, with a lot of learning on the job. In decades and centuries past, one would enter the sign painting trade by way of an apprenticeship or trade program. Even today, there are a few sign painting college programs that remain active. There weren’t any opportunities like that growing up north of Nashville, Tennessee. Read more>>

Xiolynn

I was lucky enough to be raised a singer in and outside of the home. My uncle is a musician and would play music, usually piano or guitar, and I would sing along essentially improvising over what I heard. Listening to the radio, my cassette player and cds allowed me to explore genres of my own along with whatever my mom would play. Read more>>

Cloud 9ine KO

There’s an old saying ” you’re not a real artist until you’ve dedicated/scarified at least ten thousand man hours:”. Time flies when you’re doing what you love. When you’re first starting out no one will take you serious…. MAKE THEM! Research and study everything you need to do to get yourself to the next level. In do time, you will go from novice to a self taught professional. Learning your craft is extremely important, if you don’t take yourself serious, then why should others? Read more>>

Daniel Prophete

I graduated with my bachelor in Hospitality Management in 2014. When I decided to fully pursue music in 2016, I quit my job and went back to Umass Lowell to study music with all his ins and outs. After getting my Bachelor in Music Performance and Business, I got my Master’s from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. I’ve also been listening a lot for the past 3 years and try to keep improving my craft. I’m a student of learning and will always be. Read more>>

Shauna Jones

Learning a new craft can be an exciting and transformative journey, and my journey as an AI artist is no exception. It all started when I came across a remarkable piece of art created by a fellow AI artist and enthusiast, Shawn Harrison. The artwork, titled “Bashenga,” a prequel to Black Panther, captivated me like never before. It sparked a curiosity within me, igniting a desire to explore this fascinating realm and find ways to apply it to my own interests. Read more>>

Shanna Kerr

Well, I guess I started learning as we all do when we are doing something that is a calling…as a child. I have always loved the visual arts, but I was also very curious and into all the scientific geeky stuff. I use to spend hours and hours building these detailed spaces and stories for my Barbie. And then when I was done and we were supposed to actually play with the doll, I was bored. Those interests and skills translated easily into a degree in Interior Design where you need to both be artistic and visual but also technical and very detail oriented. In many ways, it was the perfect fit. Read more>>

Eriqa Gatlin

I learned creating Balloon designs with practice. Started with YouTube , at the time there were not too many videos that were extremely helpful but I figured it out. Looking back the one thing I wish I would’ve love to have known is that when creating designs there isn’t a one size fits all type of deal . I wish I would’ve been aware that there are so many materials that can be used to create balloon designs . Read more>>

Molly Brandenburg

I came down to Los Angeles from Southern Oregon to pursue acting and I was lucky enough to attend The University of Southern California. The theater program was led by an amazing professor named John Blankenchip. He was extraordinary and also wickedly funny. He was personally invited to bring a group of acting students to Edinburgh to produce and act in plays in the theater fringe festival there. What an experience! Read more>>

Tyler T. Williams

My journey into the world of filmmaking took root in the late 90s, during my sixth-grade year. It all began with my newfound love for skateboarding and the simple act of setting up my parents’ 80s-era 8mm video camera on a tripod to film myself skateboarding. Little did I know that those early experiences would shape my future aspirations in such a profound way. Back then, my dream was to become a sponsored, professional skateboarder, and I embarked on my filmmaking journey by editing my very first “sponsor me” video using a VCR and RCA cables connected to my camera. Read more>>

Jenna Matsumoto

I started investing myself into illustration around my Junior year of high school. I had taken a few ceramics classes and fell in love with learning different techniques and forms or art. I knew I had wanted to attend college for something in the fine arts field and immediately enrolled in private lessons to build a portfolio. I was raised on traditional media, learning how to sculpt with my hands and through a pencil or paint brush. Read more>>

Kourtney McConville

The world is full of learning opportunities if you’re open to them! Today, I gain inspiration and learn from a multitude of sources across several platforms, but I’d say my love and yearning for creativity has been a constant throughout my whole life. I grew up in between corn fields outside a town of 300 people, so using my imagination to steer myself from monotony was a crucial learned tool. Read more>>

Janell Hazelwood

As a journalist who has been in the business, writing and editing, for more than 15 years, I highly recommend that anyone who wants to write for an online publication have basic newswriting, media pitching, and interviewing training. I also highly recommend working for a local paper, publisher or college publication before setting out to work full-time as a freelance writer, editor or content producer for national brands. Read more>>

Stevan Miller

Shaker tins clang against polished metal. The steady hum of conversation is drowning in the music and anticipation that fills the air. Hands keep waving through the crowd eager for attention. You glide to your ingredients without a second look, seamlessly connecting cuisine and conversation all while churning out cocktails like a drum solo. Negroni. Rinse. Clean. Repeat. Filthy Martini. Rinse. Clean. Repeat. Read more>>

Angelika Andrzejewska

When I started studying architecture, I gained the basic understanding of what architecture really is, and what does it mean to be an architect. University taught me how to think creatively and how to express my way of perceiving space and buildings, with their relation to people. Work experience that I acquired along the way helped me to make use of these skills in more organized and I’d say down-to-earth way, when I was dealing with a very specific design for a real person. Read more>>

Bo Nawacharee

For filmmaking essentially, I think it’s about doing and doing and keep trying to do it. Ever since I started getting interested in making films, all I hear is that you just gotta keep doing it and keep making mistakes and learn from it. And I think it is a very valid. You can only get better if you constantly learning from your experience. Read more>>

Holley Snaith

Thank you, it’s wonderful to speak with you! My fascination with history began at a young age, and early on, I recognized my ability to memorize certain stories, facts, and dates. In high school, I interned at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House and acted as a docent. That was when I developed a love for sharing my knowledge with others, which was an impressive feat for an introvert such as myself. Read more>>

Glory Agbebaku

For over 15 years making music, This year is when I decided to learn about the business side in music. I have always rely on record labels to take care of management and promotion of my music. Just this month, I decided to take up the responsibility. It is exciting to learn how to package oneself, prepare for release, register my music with a distribution company, taking charge of my profile on music stores, pitch curators for playlists, prepare for PR campaign, press release and promotion. Read more>>

Rich Holly

I have a joyful and vivid memory of first wanting to play music: At age six, I came down the stairs of my childhood home, stepped into the living room, and saw my parents watching television. I turned to watch just as the camera was zooming in on a drummer. Once the camera zoomed out, I turned to my parents and asked “Can I get a pair of drumsticks?” Read more>>

John Carlo Rosillo

I do enjoy talking about my progress as a creative. I immigrated from the Philippines to a small town in the Northwoods of Wisconsin so my resources were always limited. Because of that, I used every tool imaginable surrounding me to learn how to create films. I started making videos when I was 9, creating content from games I was playing at the time, where I learned how to edit. Read more>>

Dale & Paula McKenzie

I decided, after several years of retirement, to pick up a camera and start a YouTube channel – knowing very little about video, photography, editing, or YouTube. But, I had had a long career in live music performing, and the things I did know – about entertainment, the audience, the importance of sound, visuals, and lighting – turned out to be a great foundation to get started with! And looking back, I still think those are the skills that were and are most essential. After all, YouTube is at its core an entertainment medium. Read more>>

Montee Miles

I learned by staying consistent since 2005 and not Quitting when times Got Hard. You Can’t rush the music process you have to learn you have to stay focus and stay patient & level headed. Being patient is definitely the most essential because most new artists think fame is over night when in reality it takes time and dedication to get to that point. The biggest obstacle that stood in my way is me always wondering what this person thinks what that person thinks limiting myself over in a box when I’m far beyond that box I held myself captive in . Read more>>

Fabio Castillo

I began my journey as a videographer by immersing myself in the world of videography through self-study and hands-on experience. I extensively researched videography techniques, equipment, and industry trends through online resources, books, tutorials, and forums. This helped me gain a solid theoretical foundation. I actively engaged in shooting videos and experimenting with different techniques. Read more>>

Jess and Kim Lawrence

Prior to getting into wedding photography, we both had an interest in photography in general. When we got our first “professional cameras” we took the time to learn to use them through online courses, even while photography was still a hobby. Once we started in weddings, we second shot with a few other wedding photographers and continued with online courses to learn everything from off camera lighting to editing techniques. Read more>>

Carla Cladd

I learn photography by picking up my iPhone one day and started taking photos. Learning the different angles of each person I took photos of with that phone but as time went on that’s when I started looking at YouTube videos of different photographers. Going to college for a few semester as an art major, I took a film photography class that taught me the main thing shooting on manual mode. Learning the shutter speed ,f stop , aperture ,even iso that made an impact on my work today! . Read more>>

Teac(hers) Lounge Podcast

Learning is continuous and fluid. If you’re not learning, then you’re not living. At the start of our journey, neither of us had experience with creating a podcast, we were “green” as they say. We had to do research and troubleshoot issues, plan episode topics, etc. During this process it was important to be flexible and have the ability to pivot, because the teachers literally now became the students. The first things we did was think about the platform we wanted to use to record, Read more>>

Mario Daye

I developed the foundations for film and photography in a summer camp after my high school graduation with Full Frame Film Festival. During this camp we learned what it meant to be a Director, Producer, Sound Tech/Op, Editor, and BTS Photographer for films. That summer camp was priceless and I still hold on to those foundational gems that I learned. Upon completion of our final documentary, I was headed off to boot camp with the U.S. Air Force. Read more>>

Andre Mattison

It has been quite the journey. I started back in 2020. During the pandemic I couldn’t go out so a few buddies and I decided to make some TikTok’s. At that time my video editing skills were not that good. I decided to dedicate time each day to filming and learning what angles/ edits worked best. I could have definitely watched more videos on editing instead of just filming a ton. That would have saved me a ton of time. Read more>>

Stephanie Kelley

I always learn by doing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying anything bad about a traditional college or university setting because I did that too, but I always felt I learned so much more as both an actor and a producer by being on set or in the theatre. I was lucky enough to know I wanted to be an actor at a very young age and submerged myself into the theatre starting at the age of 5. Read more>>

Stella Cheeks

Our original podcast (Not Your Demographic) got started because my co-host (Erin Cline) and I were sick of hearing men talk about professional wrestling. So we though, f**** it, why not just start our own. Neither of us had any background in audio design outside of some extremely limited experience in our college theater program, so we really had to start from the ground up. As the person who started off doing all the editing, YouTube was definitely my best friend. Read more>>

Janika Bates

My content creator journey started in college. I was a journalism major and initially wanted to pursue a career as a news reporter. I learned how to write by working at both our campus newspaper and a local newspaper in the city. I learned how to edit and speak to large audiences by working at our campus radio station and campus news station. Read more>>

Justin Meckes

Writers are motivated to write through reading. We’re inspired by a story, a book, or an author we admire and want to emulate. For me and many other writers, it was Aldous Huxley. I was introduced to Brave New World in high school but read several more of his works in college. Read more>>

Carrie Carter

Every bit of formal education helped shaped my writing. I learned about grammar, syntax, how to write for a certain audience. Even more importantly, was all the books that I’ve read through the years. They help guide you in finding your voice and the genre you love. Once out of college, I took a screenwriting class, Tom Vaughan’s Story and Plot, that was essential in how I thought about story. Read more>>

Langston Ewing

I guess you could say I learned to do what I do all through trial & error. I started from the young age of 10-11 honing my skills of video editing & photography. Believe me I’m not going to sit here & say I was was the absolute best or a prodigy at my craft. I was more like the only person in my family at the time interested in cameras & computers & I guess cinematic/behind the scene production work at the time. Read more>>

Nicole Goux

I’ve always made art since I was a little kid. My parents put me in classes at a young age, I took AP art and extracurricular classes, majored in illustration in college. The art part was never hard for me, it’s the business part that was a real challenge. Art school doesn’t really prepare you for the real world of finding your way as an artist. I’m still learning that every day. I mostly went about it by starting with the creation of work and a portfolio and putting myself out there. Read more>>

Stephen Jackson

I learned what to do or should/ve how to do just by trial and error; Embracing the suck. I found myself shooting and shooting until I found a groove that I truly liked. I had to trust my mind in the creative space, I’ll shoot it exactly how I saw it mentally. One of the things that could’ve sped up the learning process, is shooting more often. We can learn and learn and Learn, But, until we look through the viewfinder, what are we doing? The aforementioned skill I talked about is most essential, Embracing the Suck. Read more>>