I didn't mean that you acquire knowledge by hanging around people (though that happens a lot as well, specially for all knowledge that is not deemed 'academic')

I didn't mean that you acquire knowledge by hanging around people (though that happens a lot as well, specially for all knowledge that is not deemed 'academic'). I meant that knowledge acquisition is mediated and guided by your social context; if you're on your own, resorting to YouTube tutorials and online forums will only get you that far, as you will not acquire competence on what are the most useful and practical ways to apply that knowledge. You need feedback to know that you're orienting your learning in the right direction, to provide a practical overview of the field, and to correct you on the vices you may develop. None of that can be achieved without evaluation of your progress, and that requires belonging to a stable social group that can check your advances beyond isolated interactions. Again, avance on more academic disciplines can be cheated by reading books, which compile some of that socially transferred content. But practical application of those learned skills requires talking to people who will guide you on what constitutes 'practicality' for other people. In your art example, you may develop your personal style on your own, but you can't know that it will be liked by others unless you exhibit it and listen commentary on how people perceive it.