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.
Diego Salazar Lira
Back in Elementary School I already had a flair for the stage. I regularly participated in poetry contests, I was part of the Drama Club and even joined the choir and the Jazz Club to learn how to sing and dance – or so I thought. But my first true involvement with Acting and the craft itself was when I entered High School and I joined the Theater Ensemble. That was when names like Stanislavski, Shakespeare, and Artaud started roaming around in my head. I then went on to pursue a Dramatic Literature and Theater degree in University and that was when things became more real. Read more>>
Anya (aks) Stephenson
Learning photography came naturally to me. We had an old Canon 35mm film camera and a Polaroid in the family; I always pretended to take photos when there was no film in them before I was old enough to understand film (and buy my own). My family always took a lot of photos and made albums after having the images processed, back when CVS and Rite Aid used to do it. I remember us having a handheld Sony camcorder and various compact digital cameras. I took an interest in the cameras over my siblings as we grew up, and I looked into how I could get my digital camera. My first digital was the Nikon D3200, and I took photos on it from middle school through college undergrad. In high school, I was the school photographer and worked on the yearbook. When I attended the University of Hartford to study photography and psychology, I also learned analog and studied it abroad in London. Through the years, I’ve updated my style, lenses, and cameras to reflect the type of work I like to do. Read more>>
Kendal Banks Paley
I’ve always had an interest in photography, ever since I was a little kid. When I got more serious about turning my hobby into a business I took as many photo classes as I could and spent hours reading blogs, watching youtube videos, and holding practice shoots. Don’t let the cost of photography education scare you away, there are amazing free resources if you just go looking for them. Networking has been huge for me in terms of continuing to grow in my craft. I have been lucky to meet really wonderful photographers who have been happy to take me under their wing and let me follow them around, answer my many questions, walk me through tricky scenarios…etc. Build your community because being a solopreneur can be lonely and you don’t know what you don’t know! Read more>>
Dennis Aguilar
They say the best way to learn is by getting out and doing it… over and over again. Most of the time, you’ll start off and be pretty terrible, until one day you aren’t. Repetition and patience is key. I’ve been fortunate to pick up a lot of skills by putting myself in the position to be hands on with whatever I’m trying to learn, and surrounding myself with good company. Sometimes I was driven by pure passion of whatever has captured my interest and resonated with me, whereas other times I was driven by the pure necessity to figure out how to overcome a roadblock that was consistently throwing me for loops. I feel like I accelerated my learning curve by simply watching other people who were better than I was at the time, and finding people who were already doing what I wanted to be doing in a greater capacity than I was. I’d surround myself around people like that and just become a sponge. Read more>>
Janice Myers
I’m a self-taught designer, and my learning process has been hands-on from the start. I’ve developed my skills through consistent practice, supplemented by online tutorials, courses, and books. A major turning point in my growth was working as a freelance designer for a digital agency. They entrusted me with leading a project for a global brand, which pushed me to use three new software tools I had never touched before. That experience gave me the confidence to tackle challenges head-on and reinforced the importance of learning by doing. Read more>>
Tara Aiken
My art career started in my mid-thirties during the pandemic. Outside of a couple art electives in high school and college, I have no formal training, but from that very first chalk drawing, I knew I wanted to do this and get better. I didn’t have the time or money to invest in formal trainings or art school, so I decided to teach myself. I picked up a few tips from books and social media, but mostly learned by doing – testing different theories, ideas, and tools through my work on my driveway. When I participated in my first chalk art festival a year later, I was intentional about meeting the other artists and observing them while we worked. You learn a lot by doing, but I also learned from those who openly shared their own techniques. Read more>>
Dawn Davis Womack
I learned to do what I do from facing my fears of doing it paired with a mix of persistence, passion, and a good bit of trial and error! My comedy journey began in an unexpected way after a life-shifting moment. I had returned to acting later in life and took a comedy class to face my fears of doing standup to become a better comedic actor. When I realized that there were no comedy classes nearby, I didn’t let that stop me—I drove all the way to Silver Spring, MD (3 hours one way) every week to attend a class. The stand-up comedy class opened doors to the craft I hadn’t even imagined before and was the seed to finding my comedic voice. After the four weeks of classes we had a showcase where I performed stand up for the first time in front of a live audience. Someone in the audience who came up to me after the show and offered me my first paid gig! I took that gig and dove headfirst into learning the art of stand-up from others ahead of me that took me under their wing for which I am forever grateful. I believe you never arrive. There is always room to grow and refine yourself so that you, your voice and your talents shine brightest to make our world a better place. Read more>>
Hank (chia-hung) Lin
At 16, I picked up drumsticks for the first time. With the knowledge and some basic understanding of music from playing piano, I picked up drums pretty fast. I was self-taught for a while, then my parents decided to let me go to study with a teacher. I fell in love with the drums immediately. I love the feeling of swinging the sticks, hitting the drums, and letting all my energy out while playing it. And the more I play and practice, the more I’m sure this is the ONE, my favorite instrument, which later I decided to have a career out of. There are many ways to speed things up, but not all are good. But there’s one that I wish I had started doing way earlier, which is to plan out what you want to work on and what practice you would need to achieve that. It’s like making plans for practicing, instead of just sitting down and playing your favorite songs over and over again, you sit down and practice with a goal in your mind, and work your way towards it. This way, you will avoid a lot of wasted time just messing around with the kit. Not saying messing around the kit is bad, but I do think practice with a goad is essential for a musician to grow. Read more>>
Bethaney Tucker
I started experimenting with resin on a smaller scale to begin, creating jewelry items using floral’s. It was trendy at the time, and I also loved the delicate and simple look it had. Which resembled my own personal style. I had a customer reach out and ask if I would be interested in taking some petals from her wedding bouquet and creating a necklace for her with them. I loved the idea and from that one little necklace I expanded to preserving whole bouquets. It was a lot of trial and error, as I was using different types of resin for larger pours, but much of my skill came from being self taught. With all the skills that I have taught myself I do wish I had a bit more patience as far as researching resin products more. I do think it would have saved me quite a bit of time as well supplies and materials. With that, I think having patients is an important skill and factor for working with resin. Curing times can be completely altered if the process is rushed or not given enough attention which is why patience is so important when working with resin. Read more>>
Maclovio Cantu Iv
I am a Printmaker and Professor of Printmaking. The road to where I am today was a long process that took many hours of practice and understanding of the process and techniques. My start came from working with my mentors Dr. Gilberto Cardenas for my academic background and Joe Segura for my artistic background. I met Gilberto when I was about 19-20 years old when I began volunteering at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. I quit my job at a bookstore when I walked into el instituto and seeing Chicano art on paper in all its glory on the gallery walls walking into the office. I wanted to be a part of this. Dr. Cardenas was the first Chicano I had ever met that had a Doctorate degree and was the director of the Institute. I did something right working hard to learn the rope and I was hired on as a student worker even though I went to the smaller university on the other side of town Indiana University South Bend. Two years had passed and I was asked to pick up a good friend of Gil from the airport, I picked up a soft spoken bearded man by the name of Joseph Segura. In the van on the way back to campus Joe says Read more>>
Zachary Bordas
First, starting a YouTube channel was far more challenging than I originally thought. I figured plugging in a mic and camera was all it took, but I underestimated the process. It has taken me years to convince myself to finally make a channel, which friends and family have urged me to do for a long time; thus, once I ratified the idea in my mind, I was not fully prepared to tackle the challenge. After purchasing a nice set of podcast mics and filming a pilot episode of Tie Dyed in Christ, I quickly discovered that an iPhone camera only shoots at a variable framerate versus a constant framerate, which is required when syncing separate audio files. After about two weeks of trying to mesh my video and external audio, I learned that I needed to purchase a mixer and camera so that I could try again. I was not quite prepared to spend the money, but I decided it was worth it because I knew capturing my friends’ stories was of utmost importance to me. Foolishly, I again learned that hitting record on both the camera and microphones/mixer was not an instant solution. I ended up talking with a few friends from Church who record music and work for audio-visual companies. They were all very gracious in assisting me in learning various software and testing my visual podcast. Once I got my setup rolling, I filmed a thrid try at the pilot episode with my wife Amanda– God bless her for doing the same podcast three times. The thrid attempt is the one visible on Youtube! Read more>>
Wenxuan He
I believe one of the most effective ways to speed up the learning process is to embrace experimentation across different mediums without fear. Initially, I hesitated to explore new creative processes because I was uncertain about the outcomes, which added a lot of stress to me. I mainly relied on pencils and digital tools, avoiding mediums that seemed difficult to rectify if I made mistakes. Additionally, I was a bit constrained by my identity as an illustrator, as I believed illustration is limited to drawing or painting. However, my perspective shifted when I developed a fascination for creating textures and the interplay between 3D objects and 2D images. During my sophomore year at MICA, I took a course that encouraged experimentation with a variety of materials, including collage, needle felting, and even unconventional mediums like coffee for painting. This experience was incredibly inspiring, even when the results weren’t always what I envisioned. Each experiment offered a unique perspective and insights that traditional drawing or painting alone couldn’t provide. Read more>>
Dr Romila Chitturi
I started writing when I was 13, way back 28 years ago when people of my age had boring interests in life and fast forward to 2024 I am an award winning published author ( 24 books since 2016) and for me it’s one of the most rewarding and meaningful roles of my life. As an author, I have been able to contribute great content that can outlive me – stories, poems and nonfiction pieces that people can return to for generations. The sense of permanence and legacy is powerful. Writing has allowed me to communicate thoughts, emotions, and perspectives that have influenced and inspired. It’s my way of giving voice to ideas that often otherwise go unheard. I love the fact that there is a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that my words have made someone feel understood, helped them through tough times, or simply entertained them. Through my work, I have given my readers a chance to see the world from new perspectives. Writing is an isolated job. It is not easy, it needs vulnerability, creativity, and resilience. Success to me has come from conquering my fears, doubts, and obstacles to bring my ideas into the world. Read more>>
Giovanna Brin
To give you a bit of a backstory before diving into how I learned the specifics of surface pattern design, I was born into an artistic family. Drawing, painting, and creating things were a normal part of everyday life for me, so I owe a big thank you to them for influencing me and raising me to freely explore the creative world. As an adult, I spent 18 years in creative professions such as graphic design, interior design, and home staging. Then, I took a break to become a full-time mom to two wonderful kids! When my kids became old enough to be in school full-time, I was ready to return to the workforce and started looking for interior design opportunities. However, while job hunting one day, I came across an ad from one of the most prominent figures in the surface pattern design world. The ad literally spoke to me, and I felt shaken up by it. I knew right away that SPD was what I was meant to do! So I lost no time and immediately jumped into learning everything I could about this exciting industry! Read more>>
Rebecca Smith
Other than 2 art classes in high school and some YouTube tutorials, I’m completely self-taught. I started painting regularly in 2016 with acrylic on canvas. My focus then was on planets, moons and space-themed art. I loved acrylic paint and still do, but I naturally migrated toward experimenting with other mediums as years went on. It wasn’t until 2020 that I committed to learning and becoming skilled with watercolor and gouache on paper. Around that time, I was inspired by the animated illustrations from lofi music videos–the calming, atmospheric scenes really spoke to me and piqued my interest in creating dreamy landscapes. Without the structure of formal education, I’ve relied heavily on trial and error, essentially learning from each piece I create. Read more>>
Jacob J. Christiansen
If you could take away anything from this conversation, here’s my TL;DR. 1.) You’re never going to feel “ready”. 2.) You will make mistakes. 3.) You can’t let #1 and #2 stop you. I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome consistently throughout my budding career. I was even on the phone last night with a friend, reminding me of my points written above. It’s a feeling I expect never to go away. That feeling like you’re never quite good enough, that you’ll never be ready can kill creativity if you let it. However, I believe it can be taken advantage of instead. As a younger filmmaker, I know this industry can be extremely daunting. Pretty much any avenue in which you can venture down; producing, directing, cinematography, editing, etc – you will get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge you’re “supposed to know”. News flash: filmmaking is art, not a checklist of requirements—a means to an end. If you can create something meaningful, then it matters not *how* it was created (so long as what you’re doing is safe and ethical). Read more>>
Jhett Brown
I started acting in high school when I was a junior and my mom convinced me to try out for the Sound of Music. I ended up getting the role of Frederick, one of the children in the production. That was one of the best experiences of my life as it opened up my world to acting, and not just acting, but the whole production side as well. I felt so fulfilled on many levels, like I had never felt before. I then did li’l Abner as my next production my senior year and then I was off to college. I got to college as a freshman and my first week there were auditions for the their first play, Little Shop of Horrors. I tried out and got the lead as Seymour. After that production I had this ultimate burning desire to really take on acting and really knowing that’s what I wanted to do. I took my first trip to LA during Christmas break and the moment I drove into LA, I had this feeling of this is where I needed to be. Read more>>
Priscilla Long
Making art involves a constant learning process, from early days up into old age. And in old age making and learning help keep our neurons and synapses zinging around. The learning never stops and it’s one reason that being a creator for life is thrilling, despite some hardships and difficulties. We’re not factory producers, we do not stamp out cookie-cutter objects, we do not have how-to-assemble instructions. Every new poem, every new essay, every new story is a new beginning. I believe in working slowly and steadily, not in speed. But yes, various technical and craft skills become an enormous resource base. In writing it’s never about being correct. But different forms of the sentence have shockingly different effects. To give one example, at moments of great tension, muscles go tense, shorten. So in a tense scene, why not use short, sharp words, short sentences, fragments. Thus the sentence not only says what it means, it embodies or enacts its meaning. Also, the line in poetry is worth a great amount of scrutiny. And on and on. Read more>>
Sofia Ballestin
There isn’t one single source from which I can attribute my design knowledge. I tend to hyper-fixate on topics that spark my interest, so even while obtaining my formal design education, I was also learning through YouTube videos by industry experts and taking on small projects wherever opportunities arose. This trial-and-error method transformed the fun little doodles I initially made for friends and family into illustrations for a music festival on the beach featuring some of my all-time favorite bands. A critical part of my journey has always been the mentors in my life who took me under their wing and shared their well-earned knowledge. Growing up as an immigrant far from extended family, I had limited contact with adults outside of my parents and teachers, so I was painfully shy and assumed they wouldn’t want to talk to me. Looking back, I realize that one thing that might have accelerated my learning was seeking out mentors earlier. While self-teaching and practice were essential, having an experienced mentor to guide me could have helped me avoid certain mistakes and shortcuts. Read more>>
Ari Fouse
I earned my BFA in Painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where I ultimately had two prominent experiences that shaped my artwork. The first was my Study Abroad semester in Venice, Italy with the Pratt in Venice 2019 program. I spent six weeks in Venice, taking painting and art history classes. That first day I spent in the Guidecca studio is when my “Water-bound” series began. I just naturally began making these small, abstract paintings of water, purely on instinct. At this time, I was right in the middle of my college experience and was trying to decide who I wanted to be as an artist. As soon as I made those paintings, that was it for me. I knew what kind of work I wanted to make, from that point on. I made four small paintings and 1 lithograph in direct response to my time in Venice, and all 5 of those pieces sold when I got back to New York. It was a sign to me that my work was heading in the right direction. Read more>>
Dgeorge Shoddie
I grew up in the craft. I picked up tips and tricks from my family. I could have took it more seriously in the beginning and that definitely would have helped speed up the process. The most essential skill was being able to listen to my part and not everyone else. My obstacle was overthinking and doubting my moves when it came to to playing Read more>>
Alicia Crayton
I learned how to hand sew from my mom. I was a theatre kid and I remember my mom hand sewing my costumes. I learned how to use a sewing machine through a family friend. She taught me how to make simple things like a drawstring bag. I taught myself everything else I know about fashion design through upcycling thrifted pieces and watching youtube videos. I tried using the patterns from stores but always ended up making my own. Read more>>
Dale Bridges
Everything I do creatively, I learned outside of the classroom. But that was completely by accident. I didn’t plan any of it. I was not raised in an artistic family. Kind of the opposite, actually. My father was a small-town fundamentalist preacher, and he didn’t exactly have a positive view of artists. I was the only in my family who attended a secular college. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I majored in history because it was my best subject in high school and got a teaching certification because I didn’t know what else you could do with a history degree. After college, I was a high school teacher for one year and then I quit. I hated high school as a student, and I thought, “Why the hell did I come back here?” I was miserable. Read more>>
Joe Garza
1. I really learned the ropes of leading a successful worship and songwriting ministry through what I like to call the “trial by fire method.” I can’t say it’s for everyone, but it definitely taught me a lot! I jumped at every opportunity to lead worship, eager to gain experience and connect with people who could share their insights. When I took on my first role leading a worship ministry about six years ago, I quickly realized I was learning what worked and what didn’t just by observing. I watched what others did well and noted what I’d do differently, which might sound a bit bold, but it really helped me figure out my own style. I have to say, my failures ended up being more valuable than any of my successes. I learned way more from those missteps—what to avoid and how they could cost me. So now, I say lean into those failures! They often hold the best lessons. Read more>>
Elise Leavy
I first started learning to play music when I was around 7 or 8. I took one piano lesson and hated it and quit immediately. But my step dad was a musician and I already had a piano that I would plunk around on and I’d sing along to all the music my parents loved. We played together sometimes and he helped me write my first song when I was 8. When I was 12 or so and started playing accordion he would invite me to sit in with his California zydeco band. I can’t express how valuable this was for me! You couldn’t trade that for any amount of music lessons. I think, when it comes to music at least, it’s not about how fast you can learn, it’s about the time you put in, all the hours listening and writing and playing around without thinking. I went to music school at age 17, and that was maybe the fastest learning I did. They pack so much into a few small years, I’m sure I’m still processing and learning from those years! Read more>>
Nicholas Asphodel
Being a musician at some point you are going to have to learn how to play music. Reading music is not necessarily essential but it really helps. I started in fourth grade learning how to read music and playing the trombone. I kept up with that through most of high school. I gained confidence in my ability where I felt comfortable enough to teach myself bass guitar. After you know how to read music, it is just the process of learning where the notes are, and instrument specific technique. I never thought I could really sing well but I joined choir anyways and I learned how to use my voice as an instrument well enough. That really helped my develop me ear (to make sure I was not wildly out of tune). Later on in life I got drawn back to music and wanted to learn violin. Read more>>
Don Cadora
As a meditation—haha—I’ll answer the question by comparing these different areas of my life. I’m a Singer, a Meditation Teacher, and a Marketing Director. I call these my 3 M’s—Music, Meditation, and Marketing. Check out my debut solo single Infinite Minds on all streaming platforms and on DonCadora.com. My big break in music was at the age of 10 or so, being accepted into the All-American Boys Chorus, who I refer to as the arch-enemies of the more famous Vienna Boys Choir. I never learned to read music but all the vocal exercises and learning the dynamic of vocal harmonies—how to keep in tune when the people around you are singing different notes—stuck with me. I remember this exercise we would do where the conductor would play a note on the piano and direct your chorus section (bass, baritone, alto, or soprano). He’d point to your group and play a single note on the piano, cycling through and changing the overall chord all of our voices were making. It would change from major to minor chords at some points. The overall effect was surreal and mysterious—something I’ll never forget. Read more>>
Lindsay Cornwell
I learned how to do what I do through a combination of personal experiences, formal lessons, and self-discipline. Growing up, things were difficult at times—my parents split up, and I found myself navigating an unhealthy, toxic environment while going back and forth between homes. Music became a positive outlet, a way to express myself and escape the stress around me. I had always wanted to learn guitar, and though we couldn’t afford lessons, I was fortunate to meet Berni McMahon, a kind-hearted instructor who gave me free lessons. Guitar became something constructive I could pour myself into, allowing me to channel my emotions into something creative and positive. Read more>>
Tony Salomone
I started playing piano when I was 5 years old. I saw a woman playing this beautiful grand piano in my local church and it just blew me away. She became my first instructor. I was classically trained for about 10 years until I became a teenager and thought that guitar was much cooler. I started singing and playing in a rock band throughout high school. It was around this time that I started recording my own music too which gave me an understanding for how drums, guitars, vocals, bass and keys all work together in a song. I loved it. I “found” piano again in college as I discovered a love for songwriting. Just out of college I was asked to join a band as a keyboard player. I learned a great deal from playing keyboards in that band. Read more>>
Tiffany Sotak
I was introduced to the beauty industry through my sister when she became a cosmetologist. While I loved the results of her work, I quickly realized that my passion wasn’t for hair, but for skin—especially makeup. I started by practicing on myself and my family, learning as I went. My mom has been my biggest supporter from the start, and she even paid for me to attend makeup school, where I really deepened my skills and knowledge. Looking back, I realize one thing that would’ve made my learning journey quicker was understanding different skin types and the importance of good skincare before makeup. Having a solid foundation in skincare has made a big difference in my work. Read more>>
Alicia Kay
I first saw string art on Pinterest and it just captivated me. This was 10 years ago so there wasn’t any online tutorials or YouTube videos to learn from someone else. I pretty much studied different pieces to try and teach myself how the stringing process worked. The most essential skill when learning string art is patience. It looks easy but it isn’t, especially when you go into more complex designs. My biggest obstacle that got in the way of learning more was just time. As a stay at home mom, most of my time is dedicated to my children so I learned as much as I could and taught myself when I had the time. Read more>>
Angelica Aguilar
Honestly, I am still learning, I’m striving to learn how the algorithm works on social media, it’s always changing. Other than that, modeling clothes and showing off beauty supplies is kind of second nature to me, I love beauty and fashion, so why not show it off?! To get attention from brands, I tried to follow what my influencers were doing, because obviously, whatever they are doing is working! I follow trends, learn to use certain popular songs at the time. I honestly wish I had started back during covid time because literally everyone blew up on tiktok! Now, because the social media algorithm has changed so much it is harder to figure out how to gain popularity on being a creator. I think skill-wise, I’ve learned to be consistent posting content and meeting the brands needs in a timely manner. I’m actually struggling with an obstacle right now…because I work 2 jobs, it is very difficult to learn more about being a content creator. I’m contemplating, do I take the hit of losing money and asking for 2 days off of my 2nd job to learn more on content creating? Or, don’t risk it and keep the same 2 jobs knowing I will get my income and push aside content creation for the weekend? Read more>>
Daniel Magee
Flying FPV-style drones began as an obsession during COVID-19, with plenty of time to get lost in the learning. I saw the high-speed acrobatic footage and was determined to figure it out. When I first started, entering the FPV drone world required learning how to build your own drone. Having no prior knowledge about soldering, programming, or electrical engineering, I spent a year learning as much as I could on YouTube. It was a painfully slow process and still is. You are mining the internet, and as you learn more, the information you find becomes increasingly redundant. Looking back, I wish I would have spent time finding a mentor or at least an online community. I could have asked questions and learned from others who already had put in the work and made the mistakes. Read more>>
Steven Fashion
With Fashion everything is subjective, so for instance when it comes to having style that comes from a place of self image and Imagination. Its all about how you see yourself and what you see yourself in. If you can surprise yourself and impress your inner child than you’ll be able to impress people. There is no real obstacle that can stand in anyone’s way because all things are possible through Jesus Christ. Everything has to be done with and through God and he will lay to path to success right in-front of you. Read more>>
Dawna Lee Heising
I am a working actress, and I am constantly training and studying to improve my craft. Education and training are extremely important in any career, including in the film industry. I earned an A.A. in Theater Arts from Fullerton College, where I studied the Stanislavski method with Sal Romeo. I later joined Sal‘s Friends & Artists Theatre company on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. I won Miss San Francisco Universe and was discovered for “Fantasy Island,” where I played Miss Hawaii, while attending U.C. Berkeley. Read more>>