no art degree? no problem!

: no art degree? no problem!

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Click to listen to the audio blog of this post here!

Shhh…here’s a dirty little secret no one ever tells you: you don’t actually need a degree from an art school to make money with graphic design. I don’t have one and I’ve worked as a professional graphic designer for over 20 years!

While I do have a BA and did graduate with honors, I don’t possess a BFA—and I can say with certainty that not having a bachelors of fine art nor a bachelors in graphic arts ever prevented me from getting a design job. Why? Because designers are mostly hired on their talent and skill as evidenced in their portfolio…and also a little on their demeanor and how well they’ll gel with the rest of the art department as seen in their interview.

Now, do I think having a degree did help me rise in the ranks to creative management where I ultimately made more money? Yes, yes I do. But I also think a talented designer with an amazing portfolio could land a dream job, work really hard, do phenomenal work and prove to be a valuable asset enough to be promoted to management without a degree. But, to be honest, management is not a bed of roses and, personally speaking, I’m a happier, more balanced person being my own boss now responsible for only managing my clients’ expectations vs. managing a whole creative team and project workload for an entire department!

And don’t get me wrong, I took art and design classes. Lots of classes after I earned my degree. But these were mostly an introduction to various graphic design principles and programs. It was the entire weekends giving up on a social life in my early 20s pouring over art books, happily locked away with my first mac truly mastering the programs that resulted in my ability to land my first design job.

Having not gone the traditional art school route meant that I didn’t have a portfolio of work to show prospective employers. So—I had to create one. For more information on what should be in a good graphic design portfolio, read this article.

And that leads me to another dirty little secret that folks who do go to art school find out the hard way: even if you have a book of student work you created from various projects in your classes—you may not be able to actually show any of it by the time you graduate! No, I’m not kidding. Later, when I taught a portfolio critique class at a school with a degreed art program (yes, again without having an art degree myself because of my professional accomplishments), I strongly encouraged all of my students to revisit all of their assignments—if not create entirely new projects—for their portfolio. I did this because it’s only natural that one gets better over time with practice, and the work done at the beginning of learning graphic design may not be indicative of what you’re actually capable of doing or be as strong as your later work.

Which brings me to another key point: learning the various graphic design programs does not mean you are a graphic designer. Far from. So let me be clear: not only did I learn the software, I also learned and appreciated the design process as well as the principles of graphic design. And there is much to learn! In fact, if you’re good, have an appreciation for your craft and stay inspired, you actually never stop learning. In order to become a graphic designer or do graphic design work for yourself, you may not need a degree—but you do need to know the programs and you absolutely need to learn graphic design principles like color theory, balance, symmetry, hierarchy, negative space, and typography just to mention a few—oh and I’ll also add art history and an awareness of pop culture to mention a few more!

graphics grrrl design red_divider
graphics grrrl design red_divider

And I’ll admit, I was lucky because I had a sister who had gone to art school who taught me technique and introduced me to different mediums at an early age when she saw that I had a natural affinity for drawing and other art forms. And my bachelor of arts degree did include art history classes, but, like a lot of people, I was also unlucky as I grew up economically challenged which meant my college education was not secured. (Or I can say I was lucky because the struggle was real and that gave me sensitivity, ambition and a great work ethic out of necessity because now I realize art stems from adversity. But I did not have the luxury of art college, or any university, being paid for by my family or the government despite all my academic success.)

So because my family could not afford to pay for college at all, let alone art school (art supplies are extremely expensive, not to mention books and tuition!), a career in art was not encouraged. My mom, who is the sweetest mother in the world and also an incredibly strong woman who raised five children on her own, just did not want to see her baby struggle and become a “starving artist.” So, I didn’t go with my natural artistic abilities and join the cool vo-tech art students smoking outside at school. Instead, I got on the honors track and found myself lighting Bunsen burners in classes like AP chemistry. (AP, or Advanced Placement, are classes that high school students in the US can take for college credit.) And let me tell you, folks, there are WAY too many white solids in the world and me and a Bunsen burner aren’t a natural fit!

So I tell you all this to say that: if you are a creative artist, it will emerge, you can’t deny who you are—so why should you? Be yourself and do you, Boo! Your passion and talent for what you love will rise you to the top of your chosen field and you will not have to worry about money. (For the record, as an art director for Fortune 500 companies, I made over six figures, provided for my family, had the corner office, received stocks and bonuses, and took multiple trips to the Caribbean a year…so much for “starving artist”!) Believe in yourself and you’ll find a way to make your dream job happen. You can do anything you put your mind to. Don’t let anyone tell you different! (And that includes ending a sentence with a preposition and not using the correct adverbial form of the word—did I mention I was an English minor? I’ll add reading to the list of things that help you become a better designer.)

But, should you decide NOT to pursue a degree, I’m here to tell you that it may not be a deal breaker in the field of graphic design! Just like obtaining a degree is not a guarantee that you will land a design job, either.

And if you don’t want to be a designer, but you just want to learn how to make graphics that help market your business, service, blog, hobbies, your kids’ school functions, the nonprofits you volunteer your time at, the invitation to your next party, heck, even the flyers when your dog runs away—and did I mention being able to design epic Facebook and Instagram posts?—really every form of modern communication benefits from being able to utilize graphic design principles and programs! (Come on, who doesn’t want to know how to Photoshop themselves?)

So here’s some good news: you don’t need a degree to earn money with graphic design and everything you need to know can be learned online. But you do need to master design principles and programs to create an online portfolio. I can help you.

Take a minute for yourself right now and fill out the quick form on my start here page today. Your answers will be emailed to you so you can get clear about your goals. Do it for yourself, don’t do it for me. I already make a nice living working for myself. And I wish the same financial and creative freedom for you!

 You don’t need a degree to earn money with graphic design! Click through to read how I became a graphic designer without art school. ~graphics grrrl

2 thoughts on “no art degree? no problem!

Comments are closed.

  1. How very well written! And inspiring, I wouldn’t even call myself a graphic designer at this point because I’m still learning. And there’s a LOT I don’t know.
    But I know I really enjoy doing the little bits of graphic design that I do! And yes my mom thinks just like your mother did for you, is it like universal? 😛

    1. Ha ha, I think moms always worry! Once I got successful and had more work than hours in a day, my mom reminded me that I used to say that I didn’t want a 9 to 5 job and “now you work 9 to 9, 9 to midnight”! Doing what you love makes all the difference!

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