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Dear Destroyx: Learning Skills
By Destroyx | April 16, 2009
How did you learn to make all the wonderful things you showcase on your website? Especially the brooches, the latex clothes, the wigs, the hair falls. Stuff like regular clothes and DIY t-shirts are simple, you can find stuff at most craft stores. But the latex stuff, the wigs, the rubber Angelspit bracelets, the stuff you design, it looks like they require special equipment and knowledge to construct. How did you learn all of it? Did you take a class, or did you buy a lot of books and figure out on your own?… If you could point me to a book…a website, anything to get me started it would be very helpful.
Learning Skills
I’m a big fan of DIY. I spent a lot of my childhood (and I still do) wondering… ‘how do you do that?’ Most of my life I’ve tried (and failed) to create anything and everything that I’ve been curious about. An inquisitive mindset is the best tool for learning new skills. The short answer to your question is research. If you don’t know how to make something, then research all you can about it, experiment and give it a go.
Go to the library
Do not be afraid of books. Go to the library and find out as much as you can about what you want to learn. It’s not always a quick process, but the journey is the fun part. Recently I wanted to find out more about historical corsetry and I found a whole section devoted to it at my university library. I felt like I had found a suitcase full of money! I found books about how to make corsets, the anthropological significance of corsets and so much more. The library is one of my favourite places to get information from and be inspired by.
Meet people who have the same interests & collaborate
Learning from other people is a great way of building skills. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. Sharing knowledge and learning with others is fun and often you will learn more than if you were trying to do something by yourself. For example, say that you wanted to learn how to publish a magazine- it might be too daunting for one person to tackle it, but undertaking the task with a team makes the giant task seem more manageable. Maybe you could start a band, a fashion label or organise a group art show?
Coilhouse Magazine is an amazing new publication started by three friends.
Enroll in the short course
I am a huge fan of short courses and I enroll in them whenever I can. Look up your local community college, university, art gallery or museum and you will usually be able to find interesting short courses to enroll into. Learning from a master of a skill can often be a quick way of learning a skill because their knowledge and experience can fast track your own learning. Last year I enrolled in a weekend millinery course where I learnt more in one weekend than I had tinkering with millinery materials by myself for one year. It was amazing and inspiring to see a master milliner at work and learn from the best.
Get an apprenticeship or internship
Some things you can’t learn from books or over a weekend. Some specialist skills are best learnt from working in an apprenticeship environment. Handbag making is a good example of this as there aren’t any courses which deal with it specifically in my area. I applied for an apprenticeship as a way of learning to make handbags and I’m so glad I did because it has definitely fast tracked my learning and I can make things to a much more professional standard now.
Getting the apprenticeship can be a difficult task, but tenacity and persistence will see you through. Read Nubby’s article on How to Land Your Dream Internship for a great guide.
Try, experiment, fail… and try again
If you are interested in making something, just try and keep trying until you succeed. I’ve managed to achieve and create a lot of things in my life, but I have failed probably more times than I have succeeded. I’ve made a lot of great wigs in my life, but I’ve also made plenty of ugly and impractical wigs too. The point is, the more times you fail, the more experience you build up which helps you avoid mistakes and expand your knowledge.
A personal example: The process behind my makeup line Miss X
Figuring out how to produce a makeup line was an entirely new world for me. I had no idea about how to manufacture makeup, how to get a hold of materials, write a business plan, design packaging, do user testing and so on. Before I even designed any colours I did a lot of research into the current market, suppliers, manufacturing techniques and so forth. It was interesting, but also quite daunting for someone who had never really done anything like that before. I had to learn a lot of new communication skills as I had to liaise between many suppliers which involved strict organisation (which isn’t my forte). I tried to keep myself disciplined, read all that I could and I asked a lot of makeup artists for advice and knowledge and generally tried to keep my eyes open. I am learning something new everyday and I try to always keep up to date with my knowledge.
Recommended Resources
Here are some specific resources that might help you on your way.
Hair Extensions
- The Hair Extension Forum (formally heavenly hair) is a great resource for newbies.
- Please note that wig making is something learnt mainly through apprenticeship or through a theatrical costuming school. All of the wigmakers I know learnt through opera and theatre company internships.
Latex Clothing
- Making Latex Clothing book by San-kate Mooney. It’s a little dated now, but it’s the only book available.
- Making Latex Clothing Blog which is a new and excellent free resource.
Music
- Analogue Perversion- Zoog’s blog about song writing, analogue & modular synths.
- Fruity loops (now FL Studio) is a great simple program which you can download a trial version of which you can use to start practicing how to sequence electronic music and develop ideas quickly.
- Ableton Live which is a great program which you can use for music making or DJ-ing. Download the trial to experiment with making music with multiple timelines.
- Wire to the Ear- Oliver Chessler’s (the Horrorist) blog about music. It’s inspirational & informative.
I hope this gets you inspired to take the creative plunge!
Destroyx.com readers: Do any of you have helpful resources or tips you would like to share about learning new skills?
Topics: Dear Destroyx |
April 16th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Inspiring as ever! And good advice too!
April 16th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
The one thing I would add, that goes without saying is practice, practice, practice. It seems that, especially with the cost of some hobbies & crafts, that it can deter people from being willing to make mistakes during the learning process–they might view them as costly mistakes. I know there are things I’ve been turned off of trying because of cost & the learning process… (Afterall, who wants to mis-cut a piece of latex? But maybe a bit of ingenuity makes a mis-cut dress in to a hot hat…)
April 17th, 2009 at 12:47 am
>Try, experiment, fail… and try again
…and keep a journal of everything you tried, even if it failed. When I’m stuck, it really helps me to look back at old designs and sketches, especially ones I didn’t think much of at the time.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Great blog DX, i always wondered how someone would go about making makeup.
Tips when your starting to create music: Never expect there to be a programme that will do it all for you. Music’s not about just pumping out countless tracks you’v put 0% effort into. Always experiment!
April 17th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Fantastic advice.
I’ve been attempting to get into latex clothing making and I would also suggest to check out the Livejournal group ‘Latexcrafters’ as everyone there is quick to help and give advice. While I’m sure that latex book is good, there’s something to be said about real-time up to date help. :)
April 17th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Great post!
Youtube videos and google search. You can learn to do just about anything on youtube!
I’ve learned how to make hula hoops, dread falls, fondant covered cakes, crocheted hats, how to hoop, ect ect ect.
Right now I want to learn to sew my own purses. Youtube here I come!
April 17th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Great advice. I’ve been thinking about trying to make some of my own clothing lately. I have no idea about how to do anything, though. I barely know how to use a sowing machine. (pretty pathetic huh?) So yea, this actually makes me think even more about starting on it and will hopefully motivate me to do it. (and hopefully learn how to use a sowing machine correctly, lol)
Thank you! *hugs* ^-^
April 17th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
FL Studio and Ableton Live are great. I prefer FL Studio but Live is also amazing, just so easy to let your creative juices flow.
In case anyone would like to get the full FL Studio, here’s 10% discount on it: https://support.image-line.com/jshop/shop.php?offer=Default&promo=BACJBAA468
April 18th, 2009 at 2:38 am
“The point is, the more times you fail, the more experience you build up which helps you avoid mistakes and expand your knowledge.”
- perhaps the most logical and best advice i’ve ever read. you’re always an inspiration.
April 18th, 2009 at 2:39 am
great article amelia…and its really nice you take the time to really explain your though processes…i think the main thing that you also need to succeed is drive and determination…passion for what you want to do is key other wise you might just give up…one quick question..where did you get the packaging for your makeup line…did you design it yourself or had a company design it for you with your direction…just curious…it rocks and i cannot wait to order some..and also how do you make those lashes…they are gorgeous…
April 18th, 2009 at 3:19 am
That was great advice! Good to know that you weren’t completely sure what you were doing when you got into the whole makeup-producing thing. Gives me hope.
April 19th, 2009 at 11:49 am
awesome advise! I’d love to start my own clothing brand, thats my dream. I do a lot of designing and making. At the moment im working on cosplay costumes for friends! This is great though, you’ve really inspired me!
Oh and P.S…. just lay-byed my FIRST PAIR OF SHOEGASMIC SHOES! <3
April 19th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
This advice is awesome!!
This entire week, I’ve been questioning my future ambitions (I’m a high school senior, so I have to figure it out ASAP), and I cannot get my mind off of the idea of designing my own line of ball gowns, dresses, and of owning my own boutique!
I have thought about being a cosmetologist as a basic foundation for making money (and I’m still considering it despite criticisms of being “too smart” to be a cosmetologist).
But uh…I’m clueless!! It might be years before I realize my dreams, but I still want to plan it out in advance!
April 21st, 2009 at 12:21 am
Glenn- Yay i hope it helps you
Ashe Mischief - That is a very VERY valid point. Practice is the thing that is not always fun but the thing that will make the biggest amount of difference. You make a good point about the cost of materials too. A lot of hobbies are very expensive (leather and latex especially)! I spend a lot of time making mockups before I even cut into anything.
jet- That’s a great point. A journal is a perfect way of documenting your learning process. I always think the journey is as important as the final product.
videokid- Experimentation is totally the key. You are right. A program will not get you there 100% of the way, it takes practice, inspiration, time and skill.
Fushia Starr- That’s a good community. You can also get cheap latex from there if you share orders with the other community members.
Princessmapgie- Yeah Youtube is awesome. I should have definitely mentioned that! BTW, there are some good books on amazon available if you want to learn how to sew your own purses.
Ashley- practice is the key! I used to be bad at sewing.. then I just practiced until I got better. You can do it!
audioloops- Thanks for the link! I hope it helps some other people. Yeah I wouldn’t compare Live and FL studio because they are essentially different programs. Live is more about performing live with the multiple timelines, and studio is better for actual composing. Both are great though.
Yume Ninja- YAY! I hope it helps you to get inspired and just keep going (even if you fail- I do all the time).
Jennie- Thanks for your positive vibes! You are always so supportive. You are right. Determination is definitely key. I designed all of the packaging for the line by myself.. I’m a pro graphic designer for a living so that’s my specialty =)
Lisa - To be honest.. most of the time I get ideas into my head and I have NO CLUE about what I’m doing. I just work and work until I’ve chipped away at the idea. It’s all about the little steps.
Miss Laurabell - I hope you eventually pursue your dream… it sounds great. I love cosplay costumes! Great news about your shoes.. what did you get?
Typhoid- That’s a great idea, whatever you choose it, if you love it then you should do it. Don’t worry about whether you are ‘too smart’. I should have become a doctor or something because I got good marks, but I wanted to do graphic design instead and it’s made me a lot happier in life. It’s good to think about what you want to love to do and then pursuing that.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:34 am
This is really, really great advice :)
and it’s really inspirational too
and it’s great that you’re letting people know that you don’t always get things right straight away
It gives us hope :D
xx
April 21st, 2009 at 10:24 am
Thanks! *is stunned that I got a reply*
I’ve just finished making my friend’s costume, which is Sakura from Cardcaptors.
Now I’m working on my own, I’m going as Suigintou from an anime called Rozen Maiden. She’s an evil doll ^_^
The shoes I’m getting are a pair of T.U.K platform shoes. They are black with silver studs and buckles all over them. I fell in love as soon as I saw them!
xoxo
Miss Laurabell
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
I love this article, it made me feel like I’m not that hopeless, that I still can be someone that knows something cool (like doing great stuff ^^).
Thanks!
May 1st, 2009 at 4:36 am
You made my day , darling.
Thank you! ♥