The most personal, effective and fun way to Level Up your skills.
The Arcanum delivers a personalized learning experience that values people over place, and coaching over content.
Using the time-tested Master & Apprentice learning method within an online social community, you can quickly close the gap between aspiration and ability.
Apply Today for an Apprenticeship
Apply now to join The Arcanum and be part of an exciting new learning experience, community, and movement. You'll immediately be matched with a set of Masters who are exceptional in your genre of photography.
Monthly Membership Dues will only begin after you choose a Master to learn from.
Our Mission is to unlock the creative awesome in every individual, and thereby, enrich the world.
A Magical Learning Experience
Unlock the Awesomeness within You!
We combine the best parts of the Master & Apprentice learning method and we supercharge it into a magical learning experience™ that places YOU at the center of it all.
- One-on-One Coaching and Critiques by a Master
- Custom Learning Path based on Your Goals
- Encouragement and Accountability from your Cohort
- Vast selection of Learning Resources in the Grand Library
- Inspiration from the entire Arcanum community
Our Vision is to create a connected movement around what we love: lifelong learning, creativity and art..
Epic Stories of Life Change
Hear Directly From Apprentices and Masters
We're honored to provide a place where individuals can learn and grow within a strong relational community. Visit The Arcanum Stories to hear more from our members.
Caleb Asch
Apprentice
My cohort is my second family, only without the emotional/historical morass that a blood family has. We are compassionate and supportive.
Ron Clifford
Level 20 Master
Though I’ve been offering online mentoring in a similar way for over 2 years now, The Arcanum has brought this concept to a whole new level! What we end up with is something that goes way beyond a classroom, way beyond a video library and introduces the idea of an active online community (Cohort). This is a system of growing and “Leveling up” your skills in a measurable way in a safe supportive private community of like-minded people. The results are magnificent.
Tricia Booker
Apprentice, Level 20
I’ve never had another professional photographer spend so much time with me, taking each image and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.
Greig Houghton
Apprentice, Level 18
The core of the Arcanum is the cohort, your group of peers who rely on your input in the preparation for your critique with your master. It is quid pro co – you will only get back as much as you give. If you are not prepared to provide meaningful feedback to their work, they are unlikely to give the same to you.
Brian Grzelewski
Apprentice, Level 8
It's been parts encouragement, teaching, sharing, and fun. It may take me longer to make new works in the short term. Over time, I believe my work will better reflect me and what I want to say.
CURIOSITY
Allow our curiosity to create an ever-growing and multi-faceted mind
The Arcanum... How it Works
The first few steps within The Arcanum are common to everyone who applies but quickly becomes customized to your specific interests and learning goals. Here's a quick glance at those initial milestones. If you have additional questions have a look at our FAQ.
Apply to The Arcanum
The application process is fun, fast and free. You provide a few details about yourself, your interests and goals. Then your application is matched with a set of Masters who can best help you achieve your goals.Apply to The Arcanum Now!
Join the Grand Library
The Grand Library houses a vast, rapidly growing collection of amazing learning resources, including incredible tutorials and critiques from amazing Masters.Learn more about the Grand Library
Choose a Master
Our system takes all of the information from your application and uses it to find the Masters who best suit your needs. Review them all and choose the best fit for YOU.Apply to The Arcanum Now!
Become an Apprentice
Your personalized learning experience is about to begin. This is an exciting time for you and for your Master! Things will move faster now, so be ready!View the Expectations of an Apprentice
Your First Assignment
You'll soon receive your first assignment from your Master. The early Levels help you to become familiar with the mysterious ways of The Arcanum. To see an example of what's in store, have a look at the Leveling Guide for the Photography Discipline.View an example of a Learning Path
Meet your Cohort
Each Cohort typically has about 20 Apprentices. We're confident you'll learn as much, if not more, from the other Apprentices as you will from your Master. They will provide you with valuable feedback, accountability and encouragement at every Level.Read Stories from our Members
Define your Learning Goals
The Arcanum places YOU at the center of the learning experience. Your Master will help you to define your personal learning goals and will then customize the Levels to help you meet those goals. This is key difference from traditional, content-centric learning models.Learn more about the Learning Experience
Level Up at Your Own Pace
The pace of your progress is completely within your control. This is not a one-size fit, pass or fail, learning model. We understand that each person's schedule and and learning pace is unique. Your Cohort will have Apprentices at many different levels.View an example of a Learning Path
VULNERABILITY
Embrace the counter-intuitive wisdom of vulnerability and humility
Disciplines
More Areas of Study are Added Regularly
We’re getting started with Masters dedicated to various fields of photography and other visual arts. As the Arcanum grows, we will add in other disciplines that benefit from the Master-Apprentice system of learning.
Interested in Other Disciplines?
If you’re interested in a particular discipline that we do not currently offer please let us know! We are always looking to add new artistic disciplines. So go ahead and Apply Now as an Apprentice. We are starting small but we’re growing fast!
Apply to The Arcanum now!RHYTHM
Invent the rhythm of the world we want to live in
The Arcanum Masters
We are honored to have world-class Masters
Below is a small sample of the many Masters in The Arcanum. Visit our Meet the Masters page to see a more complete roster. Or, learn more about the expectations of a Master and the path to becoming a Master.
Jean-Michel Missri
Shiv Verma
Lee Varis
Frank Doorhof
Glenn Guy
Ollie Dale
Bob Young
Craig Colvin
Mark Hilliard
Martin Bailey
Wes Hardaker
Stephan Bollinger
Rodney Campbell
Don Komarechka
Janice Sullivan
Trace Aiken
Interested in becoming a Master?
Are you passionate about sharing your talents and techniques with others? Are you excited about mentoring others through their own artistic path? Perhaps you’re interested in one of our existing Disciplines or would like to establish a new one? If so, then we would love to hear from you! Learn more about the expectations of a Master and the path to becoming a Master in The Arcanum.
Learn MoreFUN
Inject the elements of fun, fancy, and fantasy into our movement of art
The Grand Library
Take a peek inside The Deepness
The Grand Library of The Arcanum houses a vast, rapidly growing collection of amazing learning resources, including incredible tutorials and critiques from amazing Masters. Watch a sneak peek into this ever expanding athenaeum!
Learn how to Unlock the Grand Library
We are now offering access to the hundreds of Masters’ tutorial and critique videos in The Arcanum Grand Library to anyone with a completed application. Login to the The Arcanum now to sign-up or visit this page for more details.
COLLABORATION
Build a unified, collaborative environment that fosters creativity and experimentation
Apply to The Arcanum Today!
Applying is Fast
We've got a fun application process that gets you started on your path through The Arcanum. You'll provide us with some basic information about you, your passions and what Disciplines are interesting to you. We'll match you to a set of Masters who can best help you achieve your goals.
Applying is Easy
The application process is free, and you'll only begin paying the membership dues of just $79 USD per month after you choose a Master. There is no long term commitment. You may cancel at any time.