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.

Alexander Soukakos

I learned how to do what I do through a lot of trial and error. My journey into the world of design –largely self-directed– started around when I was 15. Read more>>

Emma Levitz

I have always had an interest in art, but I first began developing my skills as a maker while studying Sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston. Read more>>

Justin Bisnauth

I still have a lot to learn but in this process of having a ministry there has been a lot of mistakes, but I don’t regret any of them. Read more>>

Jade Rodriguez

I take pride in my work because of the time it took me to learn and perfect my craft. A lot of trial and error. I first picked up a camera when I was in 8th grade. Read more>>

Erin/Emily Rideout/Williams

Dyke Dyes started as a small project born out of COVID boredom. Emily suddenly started tie dying most of her wardrobe. Finally, I, Erin, suggested that she start dying other clothing and start an Etsy shop so that she didn’t end up with a completely dyed closet of clothes. Read more>>

Joseph Flores

Learning the Craft of brewing beer is without a doubt a quest of passion and determination. I remember starting in this industry over 10 years ago and finding work wasn’t that hard if you were willing to start at the bottom and learn and even easier if you were willing to work for free. Read more>>

Alex Lederman

It took 1 year of oil painting classes post-college for me to figure out that my Bachelor of Art Degree was completely unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, college wasn’t a complete waste of money. Read more>>

Kaleigh Blevins

A combination of things have gotten me to where I am. I studied art in both high school and undergrad. In studio art classes I learned the technical skills necessary to make my ideas come to life, and over time I’ve enhanced those skills simply by creating more work, which is the best way to learn. Read more>>

Suliman Onque

Art runs in the family. I get it from those who grew up before me. Do more research in areas that I didn’t understand or were weak in. My imagination is a strong skill that leads me to great art creation. Read more>>

Tora

I first started by taking photos of my friends using a 35mm camera I bought from a thrift store. I didn’t have much knowledge about photography, but I knew I had a love for taking photos of others. Read more>>

Brandon Lee

I firmly believe that learning any craft is a lifelong endeavor, and I currently have two that I’m passionate about: photography and specialty coffee brewing. Read more>>

Natosha McCrary

I acquired my photography expertise through a diverse range of experiences. Initially, I received a DSLR camera as a gift and delved into the intricacies through trial and error. Read more>>

Carli Lind

Originally I had moved to California to peruse the performing arts, from improv, sketch comedy, song writting school, yoga programs I spent years practicing everything but photography. Read more>>

E Morgan

Learning the craft of singing was very fun. Just a quick synopsis, I started singing gospel music growing up, but I knew to be great you had to know more about music so I study to get my degree in Music Performance and learned my voice through different gigs and experiences. Read more>>

Alex Geerken

Since I was little I have always loved drawing – my high school notebooks were mostly filled with drawings and random little characters. In 2016 I began teaching myself animation in Photoshop. Read more>>

Deja Childers

There’s something truly magical about how ingredients come together in the oven, transforming into something delicious and comforting. Each recipe holds a story, a memory, a connection to the past. Read more>>

Matt Moser

Formal training? Nope! The only textbook I consulted was the frustration bible-like manual that came with my first DSLR. After wrestling with it for a while, I turned to YouTube. Read more>>

Trenton Abernathy

I’ll never forget the moment I realized that I had found a new love. I vividly remember walking into my close friend Matthew’s apartment in New York City; where he had music equipment practically everywhere. Read more>>

Whitney Lyman

I grew up with a very musical family, and I was always drawn to it. I was always singing and started making up songs since I was 6 years old and growing up poor in Idaho I tried to participate in as many music classes, choirs, and performing opportunities that I could. Read more>>

Lidya Rivera

Ever wondered how someone like me, who never set foot in a writing class or college, ended up becoming an author, screenwriter, and creator of children’s books? It’s a tale filled with passion, purpose, and the unwavering belief in the power of storytelling. Read more>>

Gabe White

Leopard Step, my current music project, is the continuation of something started earlier in life. I first produced over twenty years ago, and was all self-taught. Read more>>

Becky Sessa

I’ve always been interested in oddities and taxidermy and right before Covid happened my husband had bought me a taxidermy class gift certificate and the project was a small rabbit. Read more>>

Madeleine Blakely

I never went to visual art school. I am entirely self taught, but I think going to music school gave me the tools I needed to teach myself visual arts. Read more>>

Mario Janakis

My grandmother, Dolores, grew up without a lot of money. Her family lived in a poor town and, to make matters worse, there was another girl named Dolores whose father owned the local tavern, making their family the wealthiest in town. Read more>>

Troy Baham

I learned how to create and perform music through a mix of trial and error, coaching from friends and collaborators, and outright imitating artists who came before me. Read more>>

Shannon McDonald

Exploration and excitement are the start to learning your craft. What mediums do you like best? Try them all out. Part of the process of learning is finding out what you don’t like as much as what you like. Read more>>

Daisy Haywood

Coming out of the pandemic in 2021, I embarked on a transformative journey from a stay-at-home mom to the proud owner of an Etsy shop, where sneakers became my canvas. Read more>>

Sarah Sundin

When I had my first idea for a novel, I had no training in fiction writing at all. I majored in chemistry and have a doctorate in pharmacy. My writing centered on lab reports and research papers. Read more>>

Tony McDaniels

The way that I learn to be a visual artist and designer was through years of self-practice. In high school, I took a graphic design course but it just touched on the basics of the tools in Adobe Photoshop. Read more>>

Miranda Mullings

I’ve always been a writer, but I never imagined I would be an entrepreneur. I’ve spent many years growing into this version of myself. My foundation in writing comes from first being trained as a journalist and then obtaining a Bachelor’s with Honors in Writing, plus a Master’s in the humanities. Read more>>

Barbara Pask

I think deciding to be an artist has been one of the most rewarding things in my life however also one of the hardest. I always say being an artist is very humbling, it’s one of those things that you never quite master and for myself that is part of what draws me to it. Read more>>

Vanessa Rodríguez

I’ve always loved to act and perform. It came naturally to me growing up and when I decided to pursue it professionally and full time that’s when I started taking classes. Read more>>

Nicole Tran

I learned how to become an artist through training by takings art classes such as drawing, interior design classes, fashion design classes starting the year of 2010 at community colleges located in Northern California. Read more>>

Lisa Strod

I learned to play guitar from YouTube tutorials mostly, I never had a formal teacher or training. It’s both a blessing and a curse, because I do feel a sense of freedom to do whatever sounds good, regardless if it’s theoretically sound or not. Read more>>

Michael Miller

I was drawn to music and guitar in particular as long as I can remember, I never took lessons and really just learned through trial and error. Luckily I was learning to play in the age of YouTube so finding videos of other people playing something or an online guitar lesson was easy and super helpful. Read more>>