Learning My Own Way: A Self-Taught Perspective on Art

I didn’t set out to be a self-taught artist. It’s just how things unfolded. Being self-taught isn’t something I wear as a badge of honor, but it is the path that’s felt most natural to me.

Over the years, I’ve thought about taking formal art classes, and I still might, but there’s something about learning on my own time and in my own way that really suits my creative rhythm. I’m an explorer by nature. I like figuring things out through experimentation, through making a mess, and through happy accidents that lead me somewhere unexpected.

Some of my favorite pieces have started with a mistake. Something that went “wrong” but opened a door I hadn’t considered. That’s the kind of creative freedom I thrive on. Formal instruction, while valuable, sometimes feels like it might put too much structure around that spontaneity.

That said, I deeply admire artists who pursue technical training, especially in mediums that require precision and discipline. Every artist has a different journey, and I think that’s part of what makes the art world so rich, there’s room for all of us, for the self-taught, the classically trained, and everyone in between.

For me, art has always been about feeling my way through. Letting intuition lead. Letting curiosity drive the process. And trusting that even if I don’t always know where I’m going, I’ll find something meaningful along the way.

So while I may not have a formal art degree, what I do have is years of paint-covered hands, trial-and-error moments, and the joy of constantly discovering what I didn’t plan.