The world of art has a lot of mystique about it. People who are not artists imagine those who work in creative careers as emotional, flakey people who choose to pursue artistic careers because of some deep-seated drive. The image of the starving artist working in books illustration, cartoon illustrations, sitting on a park bench, daydreaming for half the day is quite a prevalent one, but not all artists are like that. Here’s a quick look at some common (and false) myths about artists.

Myth 1: Artists are crazy people

Thanks to well-known artists such as Van Gough and Warhol having reputations for being rather weird, many people have the impression that all artists are crazy. They’re willing to starve for their craft, they’re depressed, or they’re alcoholics.
The truth is there are people with mental illnesses and addictions in every industry. Some artists have mental illnesses, but the vast majority of artists are simply talented people doing a job that they enjoy.

Myth 2: You have to study art to be a successful artist

The number of people going to university today is far higher than it was a couple of decades ago, and this means that the average qualification level required for many jobs has increased massively. This is true for art and design as well as other jobs, but an art degree is not a requirement for a job in art.
Thanks to art portfolio sites such as Flickr, Deviant Art, ArtID.com and Behance, it’s possible to attract the attention of employers even if you don’t have a degree. Simply put together a good portfolio and let that speak for itself.

Myth 3: Real artists don’t use computers

Graphic designers have to put up with a lot of snobbery from other artists and the general public. There is a perception that “real” artists use pencils and paper, or paint. Art is whatever you want it to be. Today, many artists work in several mediums, sketching designs on paper and then scanning them and making changes on the PC.