How important is an academic degree in art, if the work itself is what speaks, a

Question:just my opinion since a true artist will embark in art regardless of the circumstances, but the work not the degree speaks, is this significant?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: just my opinion since a true artist will embark in art regardless of the circumstances, but the work not the degree speaks, is this significant?

You are correct - "art is a talent and not a field" but as the other answers to your questions show - talent can only get you so far.

You need these other skills too:

1. Discipline: From hard work and meeting goals (an academic degree in art will help you gain this)

2. Inspiration: From the world around you (your teacher, fellow students and the course you study will help you gain this.

3. Constructive Feedback: From skilled practitioners (your study will provide you people who know art and can articulate and provide you with the feedback you need to progress and learn.

These are some of the things I gained from a degree.

I was at your stage too, I know it seems like art is a degree that may not be needed for you to achieve what you want out of art but if you look at all the best artist over time, if they weren't lucky enough to have the opportunity to study art then they all had an excellent mentor to learn off and study under... this is harder to do now days - this best option is to take that course of study.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do, it is a great position you are in to have a choice.

all a degree shows is that you had the perseverance. Sometimes when looking for a job, an employer needs to see that drive

Having finished 4 years of college but no degree, I can tell you this. In four years of college (typical time commitment)
I was able to take a variety of courses in the arts that enabled me to take my God-given gift, or talent, and develope it into a skill throughstudio classes. I developed skills in airbrushing, ink and painting, interior design, and rendering the human form. You need to go to college or a university to have access to many of these types of classes. Also, obtaining a degree shows accomplishment of a rigorous task and reaching goals. You leave an educated person, which is a great thing, to me.

Well I tried that. I left after high school and spent 15 years being an artist. And for the most part it was a great experience. I would never regret any part of it. Maybe except the standard of living. It's a hard life and when I hit 30 years old I was so over being poor. So I wend back to University to get my BA in arts.

The thing is that at some point you hit that glass ceiling. People really don't take you that seriously without a degree in my opinion. Maybe if you have mad talent and skills, but most of us don't have the know how to actually make that work to our advantage.

Artists are not known for having great business skills. And being successful is really a combination of a lot of things. Business savvy is another component, a large one.

Took me ten years to learn that, just a bit of advice.

You will always feel the art if it is in your heart and soul, the art will always be there with you, but others won't see it like that, if you get a degree one it'll be a great acheivement and two it'll show the others that are shallow and can't see the guenius that you have the qualification to do what they ask of you. Good luck, believe in yourself you know you can do it. like you say the art speaks for its self.