Do you need a degree to be an artist?

Hi I’m Penny, creative coach and maker. I want to help you make the most of your creativity, whether that’s just for fun, or to make a living.

I hear from a lot of makers that they can’t be artists, because they didn’t go to university!

Without a certificate to say they spent 3 or 4 years learning their craft they feel they can’t possibly know what they are doing, even when producing beautiful works and maybe even having a thriving business selling their work.

A small voice inside of them still says they are imposters and can’t possibly be an ‘artist’! I work with them to build confidence and explore those limiting beliefs.

But I also hear from those who did go to university and found their creativity stifled by being told there was only one way to paint, sculpt etc.

Some even stopped creating for years after gaining their degree. Unable to play in case they get it wrong. All enjoyment in creating lost. We work together to get them back to a place of joy from creativity.

This isn’t the case for all creatives. Some went to uni and it really helped them with their thinking and process. Others didn’t go to uni and are very confident in their creativity, just doing what feels right.

And this is the point, you need to do what feels right. Don’t worry about if it is technically correct, worry about if it feels right and you enjoy it.

Now yes, there are some creative practices where using the right technique is the only way to do it, in which case I’d wonder if uni is ever the right path to follow, seeing as my understanding of university right now in the UK is they are more about the thinking than the practical side. Maybe you need to find a Master to learn under instead?

Or maybe you should just give it a go and do as you please. I do a lot of knitting and there seems to be 100 different ways to do the most simple stitch depending on where you learnt to knit. It doesn’t mean any are better or worse than another, it just means you can get a similar effect in a number of ways.

Sometimes when you don’t know what is ‘possible’ you end up making more interesting work or pushing boundaries you didn’t even know existed. By not knowing the rules we can play and learn as we go, and while it might not feel like the quickest way forward, by working in our chosen field we learn far more than we would sitting in a class, reading a book or watching a video.

Personally I like to play and then top up my knowledge by attending classes when I get stuck.

There are so many ways forward, a university degree being only one of them.

Accept where you are, find knowledge when you need it, but most importantly enjoy the process of creating.

Three questions to ask yourself now:

• How do you learn best? Hands on, videos, books…

• Where do you feel the most insecure?

• What would give you more confidence?

If those feel too hard to answer on your own, but you feel like an answer is important, then that’s when a creative coach can come in. Contact me!