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.

Paul Preston

This is a very interesting set of questions because the story of how I came to run my own business is the product of time…in good and complicated ways. When I moved to Los Angeles in 2000, I knew I didn’t want to work at an insurance company or a bank or something that wasn’t a parallel career to my initial love as a performer (actor and comedian). Read more>>

Krystina Alphonso

I started writing poetry to cope with my first serious (& toxic) relationship. I was in high school, in 10th grade and I had never felt so deeply about a person before, or attached. Things started to go left in a lot of ways and I didn’t have the experience with relationships or security in myself to know that the relationship wasn’t healthy and that I should probably leave. But yeah – the relationship wasn’t healthy and I didn’t leave. It was 2008ish so being queer and black wasn’t something really to broadcast, at least not in my world. I grew up in Brooklyn, heavily influenced by Hip Hop Culture and Hip Hop was so homophobic. I mean I had told people on MySpace that I was Bi and that was a whole thing. Read more>>

Billy Lamont

Hello Everyone :) I’m Billy Lamont, and I am a NY based American Poet, Recording Artist, and Multi Media Performance Poet.

It is very humbling for
me, as well as an honor, to be featured in this new amazing LA based magazine REBEL CANVAS during such an intense, devastating moment for all my beautiful brothers and sisters in LA, suffering and surviving such deep loss. My heart is broken and very much with you all at this time. YOU fighting for survival, your family, communities, and all the first responder Firemen and Firewoman are REAL LIFE HEROES!!! Read more>>

Camille J

For me, being an aspiring artist has been a very knowledgable experience. when it comes to the different positions that makes up a team, I wear about 90% of those hats HaHa. With that being said, I spend a lot of my time studying all things
managerial, legal, instrument production, cinematography, fashion, set design, etc. On top of studying my main attributes such as vocals and choreography, there are times when I wouldn’t sleep for days because I am glued to a computer screen doing extensive research on the music industry. By the grace of God, I was blessed with many artistic talents. My mom, rest her soul, and dad were both in the in entertainment industry. Read more>>

Crystina And Danie Rowntree, Lamadrid

Once we had the idea for a podcast and solidified the purpose and direction, the real task ahead was learning the process and how to show up as hosts. From the beginning, we set out to do this 100% on our own – mostly out of necessity – but we did feel it was important to take complete ownership of what we were creating. We have no producer, editors, social media managers, or assistants. It’s all us! Read more>>

Maria Hetrick

I started making polymer clay earrings in 2020 as a fun hobby and stress reliever. For my birthday, I bought myself an earring-making kit from a small business I found on Etsy called DewDrop Inc. I’ve always been creative, but I never really saw myself as an ‘artist’ until I ventured into the world of polymer clay. Opening that kit was inspiring—it gave me a glimpse into what making polymer clay earrings was all about. Once I got that taste, I was hooked! Read more>>

Morgan Hobbs

My path to becoming a successful artist and entrepreneur was shaped by parallel experiences in education and service work that taught me valuable lessons about both professional excellence and personal well-being. I worked full-time as a waitress throughout my Bachelor of Fine Arts and part-time on campus during my Master of Fine Arts. At the time, I was concerned that I wasn’t able to have a full educational experience and jealous of my friends who had additional supportive grant funding or parents who were able to help with their expenses. In retrospect, however, that time in my life prepared me for the realities of daily life as an artist and working professional in the field. Read more>>

Brad Eickhoff

I have been performing magic for over 47 years, and my fascination with magic began when I watched magicians perform at events like civic club meetings and birthday parties.

My journey started at the local library, where I checked out numerous books on magic and dedicated countless hours to practicing the tricks I learned. Fortunately, I had access to several magic shops in the Cincinnati, OH area, where I could further immerse myself in the art of magic. Read more>>

Alejandro Zambrano

I entered Columbia College Hollywood as a director but i started in G&E on my first set. The Director of Photography appreciated my work ethic and would bring me along to work on his other projects where I learned about equipment and set etiquette as well as work on some really cool projects. By my sophomore year, myself and a handful of other classmates were the go to G&E recommendations. Read more>>

Gurleen Rai

I studied fashion design and learned the fundamentals of pattern drafting, sewing, and time management. However, my most impactful lessons were self-initiated. If we made a jacket for a class assignment I would create five more at home just for the fun of it. The realization that I could bring something from my imagination to life was both profound and addictive. I became obsessed with making clothes, devoting all my free time to drafting patterns for jackets, pants, dresses—anything that sparked my interest. I was more passionate about the process of creation than the act of wearing my own designs. Read more>>

Linnea Paskow

I was always sitting on the floor cutting up paper and gluing things, making up inventions, and playing around with paint. I could draw things easily without trying too hard. As an only child of two college professors, I had a lot of time alone to play and experiment on my own. I grew up in rural Southern Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay and felt a profound split between my life at home and my life at school. My parents discussed Schelling and Heidegger, gerunds, and split infinitives at the dinner table. My classmates lived in trailers, rode trikes, had multiple feral dogs tied up in front of their houses,e and spoke with a pronounced Maryland O. I filled the space in between my home life and school life with my imagination. I invented narratives filled with images and characters I could call up on my long bus rides to and from school. Read more>>

Paul Zeidman

I’ve always been a writer. From the pocket notebook I toted around in junior high that contained my attempt at a science fiction story to the one-act plays I wrote in high school that consisted of flimsy plots and stolen jokes, to becoming so interested in screenwriting that I began reading anything and everything I could find.

One of the many unique things about screenwriting is that there really isn’t another medium like it. Read more>>

Mahmood Mastoor

Growing up as an ordinary Afghan boy with big dreams, I was always a bit of an odd one among my peers. While they were drawn to traditional pursuits, I was captivated by movies and fascinated by the art of storytelling. My love for cinema wasn’t just about watching films but about wanting to learn the craft and understand its history deeply. Read more>>

Peter Abdou

Drumming is something I started to learn on my own in the MTV era “MUSIC” Television , not the “Moron” tv it is now. The “M” has seemed to take on new meaning through the years Anyway, I was a trumpet player in grade school, they didn’t offer drums at the time. I think by middle school I started to take interest and got an old junky set to start on in my parents basement. Even before that my brother David and I would put on cassettes of our favorite bands and perform for my sister and friends , banging on chairs and strumming fake guitars that we made out of cardboard and wood. Read more>>

Giulia Eve Flores

I believe some things are in our blood, in our DNA. They live as inevitable, unsuppressable instincts in our hearts, and they flower out of us as simply and as naturally as blossoms bloom in springtime. I don’t remember ever being taught or encouraged to devise, write, or perform as a child. I just did. It was the ultimate form of play for me, always. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of writing, directing and performing in my own plays. Initially, these pieces were inspired by Harry Potter (age 9) and Saved by the Bell (age 11), but quickly, I delved into more psychologically excavating topics like suffering domestic abuse (age 13), feeling guilt over losing a brother in the war (age 14), and questioning the meaning of life and what we’re all really doing here (age 17). Where I always found most naturalness, most fulfilment, and most stellar and surprising success with audiences, was when I created and performed original work; when I was the Actor-Creator, the full Storyteller embodied. Read more>>

Jason Lyzniak

In the video industry, learning is best by doing. When I was growing up, I didn’t have a cell phone with a built in camera, but I had a mini DV (tape) camcorder that I would use to make short films with my friends. That was all I needed in order to teach myself the technical basics of videography. Learning by doing. Trial and error. Read more>>

Roman Enerchi

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Netflix show The Magicians but I feel very much like Quentin. Before arriving in the world of musing I was tapped into my magic but nowhere near my full potential. And while it’s only been 6 years, it feels like I’m in another lifetime.
Back in 2019 I was in the early stages of deconverting from my family’s faith of choice while also dealing with life after dropping out of seminary, 3 years into a 4 year degree. At the time, my mother was fighting breast cancer(she passed in 2023) and in 2018, my baby sister lost her first child. As the eldest son of a senior pastor 30+ years in the ministry, this was all world ending. I’m grateful to be alive and only struggling with high functioning depression! Read more>>

Megan Hoogland

I learned how to tattoo by doing an apprenticeship. This was almost 30 years ago, so it was before everyone had cell phones, before Google was invented, and before tattoo artists were considered anything but degenerates of society. I started dating the biker who was apprenticing me, and a few months into that relationship found out he was a mentally ill drug addict who I continued dating for a year because I knew no one else would teach me how to tattoo because I was a girl. In 1997 I bought one of his tattoo shops from him for $10,000 when he went to prison. Read more>>

Sandi Wis

It took me a long time to sing from my diaphragm. I mean, when someone says, “Breathe from your diaphragm,” what does that even mean?” The thing I realized is that the body needs to be able to let go of tension before you can even conceive of how low you are capable of breathing. I’ve found that digging into the basics is the most important thing—the dull, repetitive, boring stuff. If you’re serious about singing, you’ll enjoy it. :) Read more>>

Joseph Holden

Photography is more of a gift to me than something I had to learn; now yes, I had to learn how to use a camera and other equipment, but with background around technology I learned all of it quite quickly. With the knowledge I have now I think I learned in the quickest way I could give the situation I was in; but if I were teaching someone else I would tell them: get a camera you can easily carry with you wherever you go, and make an effort to take your camera wherever you can, because you never know when you’ll find the perfect shot. Read more>>

Omkar Bhawmik

I’ve been learning for over 10 years, and I still learn something new every day. In the beginning, I was completely on my own—just experimenting and figuring things out through trial and error. I have mixed feelings about that approach. On one hand, I think it’s cool that I had the freedom to explore without any structure, but on the other hand, it definitely made the learning process slower and more frustrating at times. It took a while before I started making music that I was truly proud of at a good pace. Read more>>

Audrey Nelson

I learned what I do the way most creatives do: by diving in headfirst, making a mess, and figuring it out as I went. While I’ve been photographing for as long as I can remember, the sewing, papermaking, and all the other creative rabbit holes I’ve gone down? Those led me to a mix of hands-on trial and error, internet deep dives, and a few trips to the library. The internet, for all its endless content, has been one of my greatest resources. Yes, it can be overwhelming at times, but it’s an incredible tool. You can find tutorials,, read experiences, and pick up skills that might’ve taken years to learn otherwise. And speaking of libraries, the good old-fashioned kind shouldn’t be overlooked either. Local libraries are filled with books, inspiration, and sometimes even sewing patterns and sewing machines! Read more>>

Glenn Taylor

I learned how to build pinhole cameras in a free workshop at my local library. Learning how to develop photos was through trial and error and with the help of an online community that has documented their results. I have since become aware of more workshops I could take to learn more of the process, but I also learned a lot by failing on my own. A lot of my experience learning comes out of my curiosity about pinhole photography at many levels — the physical and chemical processes, how they’re made, what pinhole cameras can and can’t do well, and how to make good photographs. Read more>>

I learned the basics of building with clay in college, but since I was a sculpture major, I focused on specialized classes like Mixed Media Ceramics. It was all form over function, so when I came back to ceramics in my thirties, I had to learn or relearn all about fundamentals that made my work functional. Just small things like, oh, making sure the glazes I use are food safe and the clays are vitrified so they don’t leak. Many of these lessons I learned through trial and error, and, as far as I know, I made it here without poisoning anyone. Read more>>

Eddie Ringer

My interest in editing started when I was 15. My parents had a half broken camcorder that they were going to throw out. Like many other teenagers of the “Jackass” era I was interested in documenting my high school antics. So I asked my parents if I could have it. The zoom didn’t work and the quality was terrible. Also, this story predates digital so the only option for editing was tape to tape. Such hurdles are virtually unthinkable in modern terms. Read more>>