There are plenty of myths about artists going round, and some of them can be very detrimental to our artistic growth. That’s why it is importantly to consciously reflect on those misconceptions before we subscribe to them – and let them deter us from our creative path. In this post, I am addressing 10 common myths about being an artist that you should stop believing as fast as possible!
There are plenty of myths about artists that have been built throughout history – some are based on actual fact and some are downright misconceptions.
However, one characteristic of myths is that they are very tenacious. Once a myth about being an artist has made it into the art world, it is oftentimes accepted as a truth, without people even thinking about it.
In other words, some myths tend to be so deeply engrained in our society that they hard to shake them off. Even artists themselves – consciously or unconsciously – subscribe to some of those false claims.
The tricky thing is that myths can be lingering in the back of our mind, without us even realizing that we are holding those misbeliefs.
Still, some of the myths about art can be very detrimental because they constitute (unnoticed) obstacles to our artistic growth.
I myself, at several points during my creative career, found myself having unknowingly adopted some false beliefs about being an artist. I will speak more about my experiences here and there later on in this post.
It is important to bring those misconceptions to our conscious mind, so we can take a step back and reflect on them from an objective point of view. Otherwise, they will only hinder us in developing our fullest creative potential!
In this post, I am addressing 10 common myths about artists that you should drop as fast as possible because they are not true:
10 Common Myths About Artists That You Shouldn't Believe
MYTH #1: Real artists are ‘born’ artists.
The first myth about artists that I want to talk about here is that either you are born an artist or you are not an artist. Period.
A lot of people still subscribe to the notion that real artists are simply ‘gifted with talent’. But that is definitely not the case. First and foremost, art is a skill. And like any other skill, you can work on your artistic skillset.
Fact is that none of us is ‘born an artist’ – or everyone is born an artist. Depending on how you want to look at it. Humans are creative beings, and as children, we all start by drawing crude stick figures, houses, and flowers.
Only when we take a genuine interest in creating art do we work on refining our skills. The more we practice, the better we get at art. And that holds true for all artists.
Just take a look at the portfolios of your favorite artists. I’m sure you will notice a progression in their works. Naturally, their early pieces won’t look as developed and elaborate as their more recent works. If you find an artist with only ‘great works’ in their portfolio, then they have deleted their modest beginnings!
Believing the myth about the talented artist is so inimical because it prevents people from trying their hand at art right from the start. People think that they are not ‘talented’; therefore, they give up on art before even making a single brushstroke. And that is really a waste of talent…
MYTH #2: Artists cannot make any real money.
The main reason I hesitated for a long time to launch my own artist website and start building a business around my art was that I had learned that you cannot make money as an artist.
The myth of the starving artist is still in the head of many people. And that despite the astronomical sales prices that some artworks achieved in recent times. Just think of Beeple’s ‘Everydays’ that sold for US$69 million at Christie’s in 2022 or Pak’s ‘The Merge’ that sold for almost US$100 million in 2021…
Still, most kids are discouraged from pursuing art beyond high school because their parents don’t consider it a ‘real job’. Society thinks that art can be made as a hobby, but you need a ‘reasonable’ job that pays the bills.
But that’s absolutely not true. Nowadays, there are so many possibilities to make money with creative skills that no artist needs to go hungry anymore. You don’t need to live off artwork sales alone, you can make money as an artist both online and offline, and even as a self-taught artist you can earn an income that pays the bills.
So if you feel a calling to be an artist, then for heaven’s sake go for it!
MYTH #3: Artists must have a degree in fine arts to be successful.
This is yet another very enduring myth about artists. However, history already showed us that you don’t need to have a fine arts degree to be a successful artist.
The best example is probably Van Gogh. He didn’t have any formal art education. Nevertheless, Van Gogh ranks among the most famous artists that have ever lived on this planet!
Attending art school certainly doesn’t hurt, and it can help you forge connections to fuel your career. But having a Bachelor or Master of Fine Arts is not a must to find success as an artist.
There are many successful self-taught artists out there to prove it. In other words, skill (not talent – see above) outweighs credentials when it comes to creating art!
MYTH #4: Artists ‘have made it’ when they got their art in a gallery.
Getting an exhibition and gallery representation was long seen as the pinnacle of an artist’s life. When an artist gets their art in a gallery, they ‘have made it’. Yes!
Getting your artwork a gallery is undoubtedly a great step towards a successful art career, but it’s not the end of the road. You would still have to create new art and promote yourself as an artist!
Before the internet, galleries used to be the only resource to create exposure for your art and achieve some acclaim in the art world. But the emergence of the world wide web changed everything. Nowadays, artists can take control of their own self-promotion.
You can showcase and sell your art in many different ways. For example, you can build your own artist website, upload your art to art sharing sites and social media and directly connect with fans, collectors and galleries.
Really, there are so many options to get your artwork seen that you don’t need a middleman anymore who does the promotion for you!
In the image above, you are seeing ‘Despair‘ from my Lip Service Collection.
MYTH #5: Great artists are discovered at a young age.
The myth that great artists are discovered at a young age can be especially harmful to mature artists. Because, hey, if no one has discovered your talent at the age of 20, then how can you become a successful artist at 40 years old?
People are fascinated by prodigies, but being is whizz-kid is no prerequisite for achieving success in the fine arts industry. There is no rule that says if you haven’t become famous by so and so many years of age, you will never make it!
Age doesn’t matter when it comes to creating art. Age doesn’t matter anyways.
Fact is that great artists are discovered at any age. Just have a look around the web: you won’t have any difficulty finding artists that came up when they were already more advanced in years. Nevertheless, they have a name in the art industry and attract large audiences on Instagram and YouTube, etc.
So never let a number deter you from your creative journey!
MYTH #6: All artists are loners.
It’s well-known that artists are usually working alone in their studio. It is true that the creative process is not exactly a sociable activity, but that doesn’t mean that all artists are loners.
A lot of artists are actually quite convivial beings that like to meet up with friends and fellow creators. A healthy work/life balance is important for everyone. So make sure to take enough time for creative self-care and relaxation – maybe by trying some meditation for artists!
Apart from that, having a network of peers can be crucial for your emotional and mental well-being as an artist – and it is critical to your artistic success!
By connecting with like-minded people, you can get valuable feedback on your work and support each other through the ups and downs of the creative life. After all, who can better emotionally support an artist than an artist?
Stay inspired all year long!
MYTH #7: True artists create from their demons.
Unfortunately, we have seen countless examples of gifted artists that struggle with mental health and addiction issues. Van Gogh, for instance, was suffering from severe depression, which led to him cutting off his own ear and eventually committing suicide.
Perhaps this and other examples resulted in the popular belief that ‘true’ artists are haunted by demons, which leads to the incredible art they create. But it’s just one of the myths about artists.
However, this one floated around in my head at an early stage in my career, too. I saw so many contemporary artists saying that they suffer from things like sleep paralysis, maladaptive daydreaming, severe depression, social anxiety disorder, and so on. As I don’t have any of that (or maybe a lil’ bit of everything, ha!), I thought I would never be an as good artist because I cannot put all that suffering into my art.
But you mustn’t forget that art-making is first and foremost a way of expressing yourself. You can express anything: from your feelings, to your thoughts, to your emotions, to societal conditions… Besides, creating art has proven positive effects on our mental health!
MYTH #8: Good artists never fail.
Do you think that ‘good’ artists produce only ‘good’ works all the time? No, way off the mark! Not even the greatest artists create a masterpiece every time they go to the studio.
The faster you can let go of the notion that art has to be perfect, the sooner you can create freely and joyfully. Actually, good artists experiment a lot and they are ready to take risks in art. Breaking out of your habitual art style and starting something new invites criticism. But as famous French painter Henri Matisse already said,
“Creativity takes courage.”
So instead of wasting your energy on worrying about failure, rather put it into building creating confidence!
MYTH #9: Budding artists can’t achieve acclaim in the art world.
This is actually the exact opposite to Myth #5 that we talked about earlier. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the myths about artists that goes round…
Admittedly, it will be harder to get exposure when you are totally new to the market. But these days, even aspiring artist have the opportunity to build a social media presence and get their artwork out there to be seen.
In fact, nowadays it is easier than ever for newcomers to make a career. Contemporary art is one of the most popular art styles, and in a recent post, I already spoke about how ultra-contemporary art is stirring the market.
By definition, ultra-contemporary artists are extremely new to the market and under the age of 40. Many of them don’t have any formal training in fine arts; they are completely self-taught. Still, their works auction off for millions of dollars at established auction houses like Christie’s, Phillips and Sotheby’s.
This shows us that even budding artists can achieve acclaim in the art world – and that you can make money as a self-taught artist!
MYTH #10: Human artists are a dying breed.
Last but not least, let’s come to a more recent myth about artists that tells us that human artists are a dying breed.
The catalyst for this assumption is most likely a statement by Jason Allen who won first place in the 2022 Colorado State Fine Arts Competition with his computer-generated piece ‘Théâtre d’Opéra Spatial‘. Allen declared, ‘Art is dead, dude‘ – implying that all art will be made by artificial intelligence in the future.
Understandably, this comment outraged many ‘human’ artists, which I talk about more in my post on whether AI art can be considered real art. Even though we are currently seeing heaps of AI-generated pieces flooding the web, it is highly unlikely that artificial image generators will replace ‘true art’.
It is possible that more basic design and illustration jobs might be taken over by AI. However, there are so many more factors that determine the true value of art made by actual humans that a machine is simply not able to replicate.
If you are you worried about your creative future with all the machine-made imagery swallowing up the market, then learn how to promote your art when AI is the end of artists (supposedly)!
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I hope that this post helped to dispel some of the myths about artists that are most detrimental to your artistic growth. What other myths about being an artist have you come across during your career? Please leave comments and questions below. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
