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.

KATJA

Self taught singer/songwriter, pianist, guitarist, music and video production, Katja is quite literally a one woman show. Gaining more and more momentum as each song drops performing at top name venues including Hotel Cafe, Hotel Utah,The Viper Room and Blush Wine Bar. Read more>>

Andre Taylor

Honestly, doing what I do now as being a production designer I learned the business on the fly, I was self taught. I started off as a PA and worked my way up through every department. Read more>>

The Black Umbrella

We are completely self-taught podcasters. When we first came up with the idea to start The Black Umbrella, we had no idea where to start. Read more>>

Jennifer Bertling

I credit my introduction to the arts to my mum’s influence. She was an avid movie buff, a lover of musicals and very active in our local community theater. Read more>>

Joey Lehman Morris

I know for sure that I am still learning to do what I do. I don’t believe that ones craft is something that simply summits once you have invested a certain amount of labor and time. Read more>>

Allan Skeene

First things first, I LOVE music. Im also a vocal performer so I was in choirs in church and school. I would beatbox from time to time which gave me a keen sense of rhythm and would also enjoy messing with the craft of making music as well as living music through movement. Read more>>

Michelle Jacobson

Going to a conceptual art school taught me how to direct my emotions into abstract ideas, express myself within the context of current art and events, and how to make art out of what is directly in front of me. Read more>>

Jesi Le Rae

When I first moved to Los Angeles in 2014, I was an untrained dancer. I specialized in freestyle but was able to pick up choreography quickly by watching other dancers break it down and asking questions for auditions. Read more>>

Austin Galante

It’s been a long meandering process. I started as a rapper and a producer making beats on drum machines and samplers. Read more>>

Heidi Labensart

Practice and a variety of musical experiences put me on a successful path to learning clawhammer banjo, singing, and writing songs. Read more>>

Jesse Allan Rozell

I have spent most of my creative career honing in on two disciplines; art and design. My design career began over 20 years ago when I was in high school. I was on the school’s first newspaper staff as editor, layout designer, columnist, and cartoonist. Read more>>

Laura Fenner

I first learned to quilt from my mother. I grew up watching her sew. She made clothes for my siblings and me when we were younger. Read more>>

Mikaela Smith

Much of what “I do” comes from who I am and my never-ending journey of self-discovering. From a young age, I have always been an observer and now that I’m older, I not only observe but actively participate and understand. Read more>>

Tommy Cook

My passion for the performing arts started at a very young age; my family introduced me to the power of entertainment and music. Read more>>

Scotty Combs

Sometimes you just have to start and that’s what I did. I wanted to play guitar and write songs. I pulled out an old guitar from the closet (that had been in there for years) and started learning chords. Read more>>

Kaleena Stasiak

I attended the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada and thought I wanted to be a Drawing + Painting major. I took one summer Printmaking class and I immediately switched my major. Read more>>

Haylee Gonzales

As an event planner, the best attribute you could have is to be detail-oriented. As a performer, one of the most important things is your work ethic. Read more>>

Yuvraj Singh

I started my musical journey in middle school, initially drawn to electronic music. My passion for sound design and production led me to pursue a dual major at Berklee College of Music, where I studied Music Production & Engineering and Electronic Production & Design, specializing in Audio Post-Production. Read more>>

Shirley Diaz

As a child, my parents (specially my dad) used to be extremely overprotective of me when it came to the outdoors. Any outing or “hangout” that involved water was an instant “no” Read more>>

Jun Guo

I learned primarily through listening. Music is the art of sound, and what matters most is how people perceive my work when they hear it. Therefore, as musicians, developing critical listening skills is essential. Read more>>

KENTARO Kikuchi

I learned my profession through a journey heavily influenced by my background as a dancer. To succeed as a dancer, it’s undeniably advantageous to start learning classical ballet from a young age. Read more>>

Hoyt Yeatman

I think first what I need to define is what do I do? So of course I sing, play guitar, and write music for our band, Sitting On Stacy. Read more>>

Blakely Scott

I think the most essential skill is resilience. You may fail often, but the lessons learned along the way are a gift to your future self. I learn best by doing, so I often try to replicate cool things I see around the internet. Read more>>

Daniel Willard

The best way to learn steadicam is to use a steadicam. Unfortunately, when I was starting, I did not have a dime to my name. Read more>>

Tonee Heart

It all truly started as a kid on that karaoke machine. One of the best gifts I ever received growing up was a karaoke machine that came with one mic, a CD player, and cassette tape player.  Read more>>

Andrea Mura Caracappa

Learning my craft began at a young age and even now I continuously learn as this industry is constantly evolving. Once I began my first job in a hair salon, I immersed myself in all things education. Read more>>

Daniel Moler

I just developed naturally as a child. I always loved telling stories. I even remember before I could learn to write, I would draw little children’s books and tell my mom the words so she could write them for me. Read more>>

Kristie Wolf

I’ve always heard that to be a better writer you need to read a lot. I had that part down. I’d been reading romance novels since I was a teenager so I figured I knew how to write one. Read more>>

Glo Z.

When the Covid restriction was lifted in Spring of 2022, I was able to sign up for a ceramic class at a community center. And that started my newly found passion of pottery making. Read more>>

Melissa DiStefano

I had never had an artistic bone in my body! Like ever! When I would draw a stick figure, you couldn’t tell the difference between my dog stick figure and my person stick figure. Read more>>

Kenny Pitts

I learned my craft through jumping in with a bare-bones-no-budget-hands-on experience and a deep passion for music and film. Read more>>

Anna Newbury

The paradox–No one can actually teach you anything, and yet there is something to learn from everyone. In order to learn to do what I do, one of my greatest lessons has been learning to learn. Read more>>

Alicia Saadi

In the beginning of my art journey I was a painter, but over time, I started incorporating collage into my work. I used gel medium to stick book and magazine clippings onto the canvas, and it opened a new world for me. Read more>>

Linda McCauley Freeman

Becoming a published poet requires more than talent. It requires perserverance and passion. It requires faith in your ability and an eagerness and curiosity to never stop learning and improving. Read more>>

Chase Kemp

It took a long time to get to where I am today. Starting from scratch can feel extremely daunting at first, but as the poet Robert Frost put it, “The only way out is through. Read more>>

Jessica Ross

One of the ways I began learning about the industry was in elementary school when I took my first acting class. It was a spark that ignited a lifelong interest. Read more>>

Dorian DuBois

When I first delved into photography, I turned to Instagram influencers like Lindsay Adler and David Suh for inspiration, absorbing all their content. Read more>>

Zachery Garner

I learned puppet manipulation and puppet building sort of at the same time. I can’t tell you exactly how I learned puppet manipulation (puppeteering), it just kinda happened… Read more>>

Derek Webster

Autodidactism is fairly prevalent among us musicians, especially in the internet age where we can tap into depthless reservoirs of knowledge. There’s a certain pride it instills. Read more>>

Brian James Mckeever

First got interested by hearing my dad play guitar then my cousin got me into Rock. Then my southern family got me into Southern Rock and father always had me listening 70s country Read more>>

Joey Povinelli

The answer to this question can never be a straight line. Creative advancement will not be achieved by doing set steps (like becoming a doctor), the path to fulfillment is never linear. Read more>>

Leslie McCafferty-Stuhmer

I have a Fashion Merchandising Undergrad, and went on to Intern for Nordstrom where I began my basic training with MAC cosmetics. Read more>>

Gabriel Radulescu

I started this career as a professional photographer in 2012 when i was living in the Aloha state, Maui, Hawaii. Prior to that,i pursued photography as a passion alongside working in the fitness, beauty, and physical therapy industries. Read more>>

Reece Schaberg

if you’ve found yourself in the acting world, you’ve already stumbled into a whole dimension of differing opinions, techniques, and perceptions that shape how individuals view this art form. Read more>>

Sheryl Yap

I was always that kid who loved to draw. It was something that came naturally to me and I would spend endless hours doodling whatever came to mind. Read more>>

John Vo

A big moment for me in finding my artist way was when I received a Fulbright grant to study silk painting in Vietnam in 2010. Read more>>

Eamon Gillen

The two mediums I mostly focus in have a few different approaches but in hindsight are very much similar overall. Read more>>

Mary Lou Belli

I was lucky enough to already be on a show or sought out opportunities to observe (shadow) on shows where I wasn’t already employed. Read more>>

 Sara Stokking

I have always loved doing crafts and other hobbies. I have ADHD so I like to keep my mind and hands busy when I can. I’ve done so many things through the years from crocheting to hyper-realistic art, soap making, and more. Read more>>

Alison Cuomo

Because of my love of paper, I was an apprentice for a handmade papermaker, and I learned that if you want to learn something, you can find a way. Read more>>