I've been thinking about learning lately, and how I do it. Knowing me, how I do it is probably wrong, but I don't mind that so much.
The way that seems to work best for me involves getting in over my head and then reading about it, taking classes, etc. That's pretty much how I learned creative writing. And, by the way, my first college creative writing instructor stank big time. I really hope that the people who signed up for the class had the instincts and good sense to figure that out about him. By then, I had a lot of writing under my belt, so I had him figured out.
Anyway, until I run into trouble or start banging my head on issues, I don't know enough to know what I don't know. I've tried researching things in advance and it always goes badly. I overthink, I try to start out perfect (I'm a closet perfectionist) and I don't ever really own it. So I play with the clay and get out the paint brushes and grab the hammer and screwdriver and work until I'm thoroughly screwed, and then I think, hmm, I need help. And when I get help, I have enough experience from floundering around to know what information applies to my situation, and what doesn't. And sure, I can be wrong and tune out the wrong things, or learn the wrong things. No biggie. Because I'm trying to create something, or bring stuff to completion that's mine. As opposed to trying to work it through in an abstract way, or making a 'learning project' of someone else's design. Don't get me wrong–those are great fun too. I love guided watercolor classes in particular. But again, by the time I took my first guided project painting class, I'd been painting for quite a while.
I think it's a great way to learn. It's not really sink or swim. More like swim as best you can before you get someone to toss you a flotation device.