ACS data reveals that there are 1.4 million working artists in the world. 

   The number of artists in the United States has increased to over two million, representing 1.4% of the population. U.S. consumers spend an average of $4 per month. It is estimated that about one-fourth of the U.S. labor force is composed of artists-only slightly less than all active duty and reserve personnel.  (source by https://artradarjournal.com/art-education/what-percentage-of-the-world-is-artistic/)

   Above all else, the art market is fiercely competitive. Even if they survive this competition, there are only a few artists who succeed and live without worries.  

  One factor to make it more competitive and leave only minor successful artists is the subjective attribute of the art market. Creativity works positively when you can pour out ideas and strategies that make anything successful. However, the meaning of the word creative is very subjective and sometimes improvised.  Therefore, it is sometimes vague and fuzzy when viewed from the other point. Normally, we get confused and anxious when standing in front of a road where the route is not visible. If the course is clear, you can listen to the experiences of seniors or mentors who have gone ahead and followed them. Very simple!

 But, the subjective and creative path means that you have to pioneer and make it yourself in a word, nobody tells you the exact route.

  The survey, “A study on the financial state of visual artists today,” was conducted by The Creative Independent, a publication funded by Kickstarter whose mission is to provide support for artists and other creators.  More than 1000 self-identified artists took the survey. Of those, only 32 percent said they’d been pursuing art careers for more than ten years. Though people from 52 countries answered the survey, more than 75 percent of respondents are from the United States.

  The survey reveals how rare it is for artists to earn a living from their artwork alone. It also suggests that having gallery representation or an MFA has little impact on an artist’s financial stability. Just 12 percent of respondents listed gallery sales among their top three income sources, and “being represented by a gallery is usually not a helpful way for an artist to pursue financial stability,” the report said. Art school was seen as helpful in developing an artist’s work, but “earning an art degree does not set artists up for financial stability,” the survey concludes.

 The survey data also suggests that artists have learned how to make a living primarily on their own or from their peers, not from school or other educational opportunities. “Artists were most likely to credit their relationships and support network as top factors contributing to their financial stability,” according to the report.
​    (Source by https://thecreativeindependent.com/artist-survey/)
  

  So, back to the beginning, do I have to graduate from art school to become an artist? Let's ask Does this mean that everyone becomes an artist after graduating from art school?

If you ask again, it becomes clear.

Can you become an artist just by graduating from art school?

In a nutshell, being an artist is not a matter of skill or degree, or talent, it is a matter of identity. If the artist's identity is solid, skills, degrees, talents, and other external factors may all be perfect or one may be lacking. Conversely, no matter how excellent all external factors are, if you cannot continue creative activities, and sometimes copy other people's ideas or drawings, and cannot create your own world of work, you cannot be called an artist. It's like not everyone is an artist just because they make something good-looking.

  ​ Recently, I read an interest article with the title, "Do You Know You Are an Artist? Or, Do You Decide to Be One?" The blogger interviewed five artists who work with their identity as artists on the assumption that artists are born or that they decide. 

 

 One of five interviews, the sentences of artist, Lordy Rodriguez was impressive. 

  In other words, there is no formula that you can be an artist if you graduate from an art school. However, if you would like too strict with such a principle, you don't understand what is an art and real situation in the art market. 

In the report of significant statistics, it announces that most surprising was the lack of overlap between working artists and arts graduates. In the United States, 40 percent of working artists do not have bachelor’s degrees in any field. Only 16 percent of working artists have arts-related bachelor’s degrees. Though arts graduates may acquire additional opportunities and skills from attending art school, arts graduates are likely to graduate with significant student loan debt, which makes working as an artist difficult, if not impossible. We acknowledge that some arts graduates are satisfied with work in other fields, but the fantasy of arts graduates’ future earnings in the arts should be discredited. (Excerpt "A report by BFAMFAPhD, 2014")

  Instead, if you go to art school because you simply love to learn without expecting any output, your chances of success are high. It is a great opportunity to truly explore your world of work, broaden your horizons, learn professional skills, and expand your network. 

Source by: A National Study on the Lives of Arts Graduates and Working Artists
 Go to the result of research 

 ​If you go to art school, you have a high possibility of becoming an artist because of the excellent faculty, curriculum, and network. Even if you go to such a place, if you do not constantly find your identity as an artist on your own and create a world of art, you may graduate and be left with nothing.

  And the best thing about graduating from art school is that it's easier to prove yourself. Above all, if the university has a brand value, it becomes even easier. At some point people will recognize whatever you draw. In whatever way, there is also the paradoxical nonsense that the identity of an artist can be easily obtained because of the idea that a diploma is a certificate to be an artist. In short, it is a double-edged sword.

   ​Most important factor is that it is up to you to become an artist, to have an identity as an artist, to create your own art world, and to survive as a niche market in a highly competitive world. If you have a degree and want to teach or engage in education, it is a good idea to go to art school. In that regard, I also consider institutional education.

  One thing is for sure, there are many styles of artists in the world, and since the path of an artist is a way that must be thoroughly contested with works that do not require any documents, you must constantly create works.

  Like Monet, who painted only ponds in  own garden for 46 years, like Cézanne, who one day quit the splendid Parisian life and went to Mont Sainte-Victoire to paint only mountains for a long time, it seems that the path of an artist is the way to sincerely pursue the authenticity of the world. In this passage, you can see why they could be great masters.

  In this way, pursuing the essence and authenticity of things, and creating my own world comes first. And next probably, according to the occasions, it needs  another accessories.

 If you work hard to create art, build your own world, and communicate with people who recognize it, perhaps you will come across yourself as an artist all of a sudden someday.

  ​Recently I finished the Snail Anna image. It delivered great joy and happiness to me. Every time I look at it, I feel a strong motivation to tell the story I created for it. An instant inspiration hit me, and I wrote based on that energy.
​
Below is the story of Anna, the Snail.

  ​The Snail, named Anna, has a beautiful, shiny pinkish shell. She lives in a snail village with her mother, Nancy. Her most sparkly backshell is a great pride and joy for her mom.


​But one day, Nancy found another snail named Amy adorned her shell with gorgeous jewels that shine brilliantly. Thanks to the fancy decorations, the Snail Amy became the town's fashionista at once. Nancy couldn't admit it. 'Oh, Anna is a natural beauty. Artificially groomed Amy can't compare to my daughter'. But Amy's décor has become famous and has become her must-have in the village. Relatively, Anna looked very shabby, and Nancy didn't want to lose her popularity, so she bought more prominent decorations than Amy. "Anna, If you put this on your shell, you can become more popular."  Anna puts her decorations on her own back out of love for her mother. And she added embellishments to her beautiful natural pretty back shell, making it seem like there was no snail in the world more beautiful than this. Nancy's plan worked. Anna beat Amy back to first place. Nancy was satisfied. She made sure to put more of her decorations on it so no one could catch up with Anna. Seeing Nancy working hard and happy, Anna diligently put her jewelry on her back shell.

  But one day, while crawling hard, Anna realized. "OMG!...I can't walk anymore...She stopped. The decoration of the carapace became too heavy. Seeing her stop Anna, Nancy was startled. She thought. 'Nobody stop in the world.' If you stop here, it means not a live snail. You must move. What will other people say when they see you? But she was already unable to go even one step further under the weight of her decorations. Seeing her motionless Anna, the townsfolk began to gossip. Nancy was nervous. She pushed Anna's back shell and pushed her Anna. After that, Nancy told her, "All other snails crawl well, so why can't you? Why are you giving me such a hard time by being born"...she yelled at Anna. Anna went inside her the shell of her back with deep depression and despair. And she never came out again. Nancy was so embarrassed and worried that everyone will notice it. She hid Anna behind a rock and told neighbor and relatives. "Anna went to attend to a beauty pageant!"

Inner shell, 2021, Myungja Anna Koh

  ​Anna spent day by day in the dark shell. Then one day, suddenly, she heard a thump. Then her surroundings turned bright surprisingly. The ceiling of her back shell collapsed and covered dust on Anna's body.
Because birds flying over Anna saw a sparkling jewel and came down . They pecked at the treasure to remove it. The birds utterly destroyed Anna's shell. She lost her home in an instant. Nancy drove her bird away to protect her Anna. She would have expected to let Anna recover her heart quickly and come out of her back shell and become her radiant daughter again. But it was only after the already beautiful glory was broken. Nancy cried aloud. "The world is too harsh on me. It's so unfair. I can't live with a shame!". Anna just listened.

  She couldn't accept Anna, who had become a slug overnight. Anna wanted to give some relief her Nancy. "Nancy, I don't need my back shell. Slugs also don't even have a shell. But Nancy talked to Anna with a sigh. "Anna, it's a slug. You're not a slug. You're a snail that should have a shell. If snails don't have a home, villagers will ignore us and stay away. I can't live with shame. " Nancy cried. Anna was so sad. She tried to comfort Nancy, but she eventually decided to leave her town.  

 Art makes the invisible visible. So artists help people through painting to see the world from a perspective they never knew before when they looked at objects. So, as a result, artists help them realize the hidden beauty or some fact of the things they see. The objects look beautiful depending on wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum at which the sun's rays reach an object. Color is also the phenomenon or result of the refraction of light. Scientists have been trying to define these colors, and in the 20th century, they were finally able to report the consequences of each definition. The colors perceived by the human eye are wavelengths. The human eye only detects wavelengths between 380-789 nm. Our vision responds only to the narrow range of electromagnetic energy. Light is invisible to the naked eye due to infrared, radio waves, and ultraviolet. Newton used a prism to prove color, which is a component of light, and Einstein paid attention to the energy of light.

​ Whether scientists have proven it, the world is made up of invisible energy. The invisible energy determines the direction of the visible object behind it. Even in the first chapter of the Bible, it is stated that the invisible Word came first, and then visual the world was created later in the beginning. 

 I've learned that the color and beauty of an object are determined by the light hitting it, but I've been questioning them for a long time. So, how can we explain our dreams, which we unconsciously have in our minds at night, or images that pop up in our minds someday? In the unconscious world, there is no light, and objects look beautiful. Even when we imagine, even though there is no light or similar effect, but it makes an object look beautiful. It seems like the wonderful movie scenario that comes to our mind. So, what is the existence of an object, and what are light and energy? So, what determines beauty? Physical light or external wavelengths determine the beauty of things, but isn't it that some indefinable power within us creates the true beauty and images of objects? 

 ​At night, I often dream very colorful and vivid dreams. Some scenes are so real that I can actually draw them. Another night's dream has so many messages that it makes me want to describe it. 

​Moreover, I am trying to draw the invisible world based on these theories and philosophies. So when a beautiful image comes to mind, I rush to the studio to make it visible on a canvas. In order to come up with this idea, I need the energy that creates a reflection, that is, motivation. Its motifs come from emotional points such as love, inspiration, melancholy, and compassion, and these energies subconsciously create images related to objects in the head. When I have time, I express it on canvas or paper. I digitise it on a tablet when I'm still short on time.

I mainly painted pictures displaying such mental dynamics, vivid movements, and inner energies convert to trees or fish, such as nature in the early times. Lately, I try to draw whatever comes to mind without any restrictions about the subjects. When I get some inspiration from an event or experience, that energy creates a premier. And it is the work of putting that video into a picture. It's like making a movie. So, if there are no regular and typical patterns, but if you can feel some energy through these paintings, I would say that my work is successful. The story of the artworks is posting on the blog of my website, annakoh.com.

 The ideal goal of my work is to express dreams ultimately. The color I saw in my dream has various spectrums that could not be shown with the world's existing materials. I'm trying to paint it, but I admit I don't have such optimized skill yet. But I'm trying my best to draw similarly. This is because the color produced by internal energy is different from the color produced by physical, external spotlight, infrared light, or ultraviolet light. I would be happy if I could show that such a color exists. This quest for color, light, and energy will continue to follow my work, and the process is always enjoyable. I want to share the joy of this kind of work with as many people as possible. 

​​ Once when I was a child, I happened to stop by my town’s Atelier by chance. I saw a picture of a rabbit hung on the wall. It looked like it wanted to tell me ‘Hi! Little girl! Welcome tell me more to my world!”. I cannot forget that moment, even today.
​ Later, I knew that the rabbit was the work of Alfred Duerer. Later on, I met a young women artist there. I was lucky to meet her. She kindly allowed me to come any time to her Atelier and taught me from time to time how to draw a rabbit. This was my first drawing. I decided to be an artist like her and did my best to go to an art school.
​
However, I faced opposition from my mother. She strongly opposed my dream. At that time, it was impossible to get entrance to a school without approval from a parent. She did not give me this approval, and instead she pushed me to enter a medical school. I learned the Science of Nursing, became a nurse, and worked at the Intensive Care Unit of a general hospital in Seoul for 3 years. Fortunately, I was satisfied with my job. Taking care of patients was meaningful for me and that healed myself too. One day I met the patient in a difficult situation because of his lack of medical information from medical staff. That motivated me to study medical informatics and I have got a master’s degree on medical informatics, two years later. I worked as a researcher for 6 years and designed medical contents based on my medical knowledge. Meanwhile, I got married and gave birth to my son.

 In 2006, I relocated to Germany for my husband’s job. That was a turning point in my life. In the early year, I got homesickness and loneliness. Living in a foreign country was not easy. I tried to draw a picture in order to overcome depression. The German climate provided me artistic impression and art, painting more precisely, became a hobby for me to survive. I went to the art class in a museum while my son stayed in a kindergarten. Someday, the teacher asked me, “What is art for you?”. “It is just a hobby for me,” I answered him. He seriously advised me “I heard that it’s a really negative feeling. You’d better be an artist”, and he told, “Go to your way as an artist!”. Despite his strong recommendation, I still hesitated to change my direction because I supposed that Art is far away from my life like a paradise.  
​
  It did not take too much time to change my mind. When I walked through the underground parking lot, I found some people had an exhibition on the dark wall. That place did not have enough light and even passengers could not see their feet. However, the passion of artists made that dark place is a gallery. They used duct tapes instead of a frame and wrote their name on name cards truly. I realized that art is not far from me and it is always with me despite hardships. After the experience, I devoted myself to painting not as a hobby but as a destiny. One day, I met a Chinese sculpture artist, Wei Yang who lived the next door. She became a friend of mine because she and I share a similar enthusiasm for art. When she visited my home, I showed my paintings to her. She introduces me to the director of Poly gallery, which is a named local gallery in Karlsruhe, Germany. I could have an opportunity to take an interview. After passing the interview, I had finally my first exhibition in Poly gallery, 2011.

 Since 2011, I have held many exhibitions around my place, Karlsruhe, Germany, and France. The exhibition in Speisehaus Gurke was the most memorable at that time. I exhibited 20 pieces of my artworks about Korea, invited talented musicians, and gave a small concert with a poetry reading. We showed Korean arts and music to German audiences. From that experience, I found that art is a bridge to connect to different cultures. In 2013, I moved again to New York and continued to work as an artist after moving. I will be with art everywhere in my life.
At the early stage, I did a dessin with a watercolor pencil. And then used with Acrylic paints. I’m pleased to express the impact of color and lines, and Acrylic is the best material to show a strong contrast. I feel to get healing from covering many wrong drawn sketch lines. Acrylic medium helps to show me how many hurts and mistakes can be healed and gives me a good message, “Nobody is perfect.”

 Also, watercolor is a good material to paint without any restrictions. If I have limited time and I would like to paint it quickly, I would paint it with watercolor or watercolor pencils. Nowadays I have explored making a digital painting using Photoshops in a tablet. This experiment is important for me because I have a plan to combine art and medical content. I have also a passion to make high qualified medical contents with an artistic aspect. When I was in Germany, I have worked with an international team, who developed medical educational content. After the development, I could get a great chance to present our project in the European Informatics Society. I found the possibility of collaboration between art and the medical field. That is my next goal.

 In my life, art is a mother, teacher, counselor, and friend, and sometimes gives me humor. Speaking of my personality, I am introverted and reserved. During my exhibition, some people considered me as a photographer and asked me to take a picture. They supposed my husband was the artist and asked him to explain my pictures. My family, husband, son, daughter is one team with my career. My husband helps to hang my artworks. My son, who can speak four languages, is a translator, and he reviews and edits my English document. My daughter gives me motivations, ideas, and inspiration with a funny smile.
​
 I know that art may not make me rich but can give me the way how can I share my passion and inspiration with others. Sometimes my art customer shared with me their experiences how they were healed by my paints. It is a reason that I’m working hard and feel my mission firmly.