Is it really necessary to have a proper education in this line of work?

Being a freelance artist usually means being an artist in general. It is a profession which doesn’t include spending four years of college to get a bachelor’s degree, another four years of medical school, and yet another three to eight years to finish your residency. Some people would be offended with the comparison of doctors with freelance artists, but those are all professions. Everything from a flight attendant, thru a garbage man, to a policeman, they are all callings, each of them valid, and each of them life worthy.

For most occupations these days we need to go through some type of education. But freelance artists, whether they are actors, dancers, illusionists, chefs, designers, bloggers, make-up artists, hair stylists, or many others, are a completely unique bread, with the emphasis on creativity and the whole “no boundaries” significance. But there are still some rules to be followed. This is where the ”is it necessary for a freelance artist to have an education” question kicks in. It is definitely not necessity, because some people are just born with it, and their talent evolves naturally, without the traditional form of education. Their power of observation and sense of beauty is highly pronounced. On the other hand, there is a much higher rate of ”normal” people, who are not born with it, and who need to learn it, the same as with any other profession. Plus even the ones naturally gifted sometimes need to be pushed in the right direction. For example, make-up artists are highly creative people who don’t follow rules, but sometimes some guidelines are more than welcomed. That is why we have educational institutions, to teach the basics and guide artists on their path to creativity.

This is the reason, why the best reference for both; the ”born with it” and ”normal” type of people is to go through proper type of schooling. You might be in the game for a while now, freelancing as a self-taught artist, sharing your work through different online channels, but there may be things you still haven’t learned, and that is why you should do a course that will help you with the kicks you’ve been struggling within your profession. It is very important for all individuals in the freelance industry to gain a good knowledge of the fundamentals, because they are the one thing that a good artist needs to know, and they take time to master, as for everything else there is creativity.

D.Č.U.