Learn Art Without School: A New Perspective

You don’t need to attend an art school to learn art.

Today I want to share a viewpoint that goes completely against the usual expectations: you don’t need to go to an art school to learn art, and you don’t need to go to university to learn how to make money. In this era, “learning” and “school” are two entirely different things.

Learning is something you do for yourself. You learn what you’re genuinely interested in, and what will actually benefit you.

School, on the other hand, is a system. Beyond teaching students, it also exists to provide employment and maintain social stability. Take content creation as an example: for most people today, it’s one of the most accessible and practical career paths. But do you really need a university degree in media studies to become a content creator? When it comes to making content, whose lessons are more valuable—top creators whose videos have millions of views , or university professors? People who benefit from staying inside the system will never point this out.

A lot of people still treat ‘school’ as if it were the whole definition of learning—as if you can only study art by getting into an art academy, or only become employable by earning a university degree. But that mindset is completely out of touch with how the world works today.

First, the internet now offers more resources than any other time in history. You can view high-quality images of original artworks, listen to open courses from leaders across different industries, follow your favorite artists, or join online communities where people motivate each other and stay accountable. Learning—whether it’s art or most fields that don’t require strict technical certification, such as languages or management—does not need to happen inside a traditional institution.

Second, this era demands that we understand ourselves more than ever. You need to use every tool around you—reading, writing, and the vast information available online—to discover your strengths and direction. Education today is shifting toward “self-education.” We all have to move from being passively guided to being self-driven, from chasing credentials to building real capability.

Don’t let the belief that “you must go to school to gain a skill” limit you. As long as you keep practicing, keep learning, and keep creating, you can grow anywhere—and it’s never too late to start.

Stop tying your growth to school, and stop letting others define your future. The right to learn is in your own hands, and the only person who can truly determine how far you go is you.