The debate around whether professional education is actually necessary to succeed in a creative field has been going on for years — and it doesn't seem to be getting quieter anytime soon. Some people believe formal education is essential, while others insist talent has nothing to do with a degree. The truth, as always, probably sits somewhere in the middle.

And honestly, my aim here isn't to convince you to choose one side over the other. It is more about opening up the conversation around what creative education can actually offer — and, just as importantly, where else you can grow as a creative if university doesn’t feel like the right path for you.

And no, I am not doing this alone. Joining me in the conversation is Karen Beyrouty — a Dubai-based multidisciplinary artist who swapped a stable path in medicine for the world of graphic design, and has never regretted it since.

It is hardly a surprise that conventional education is going through a bit of an identity crisis globally right now. While overall student numbers continue to grow worldwide — largely because more developing countries now have greater access to higher education — many developed countries are seeing the opposite trend: growing scepticism around the value of university itself.

And if you think I am exaggerating, here are just a few numbers to show that I am actually being quite optimistic:

And honestly, these numbers explain a lot about the current mood in creative industries. Young artists today are no longer simply asking “Which university should I choose?” but increasingly “Do I actually need one at all?”

As promised, I am not here to push my personal opinion on you. I have met people who succeeded from both sides — with traditional education and without it.

But while working on this article and reading endless online debates around the topic, two things became very clear.

And online opinions are one thing, but looking at how the industry actually works is another. One thing I kept noticing while scrolling through LinkedIn profiles was that the idea of your degree needing to perfectly match your profession no longer feels as strict as it once did. People move between industries far more freely now, especially in creative fields.

At the same time, the degree itself still often matters — especially now, when many large companies filter first-stage CVs automatically through AI systems that simply check whether you meet the formal requirements. Sometimes, even if you are genuinely talented, you might never make it past that first automated step.

But this is also where the direction of your career starts to matter. If your path isn't necessarily corporate and you are planning to work freelance — and creative industries are among the most freelance-heavy sectors overall — then the pressure around diploma requirements becomes much lighter.

As simple as it sounds, whether you go through conventional education or not, extra learning still matters. And most of the time, it comes down to two simple things.

Honestly, the best books are usually the ones that naturally pull you in visually or emotionally. There is no strict rule here. Sometimes the most important references aren't even books you read from beginning to end, but books you continuously return to.

The interesting thing about learning online as a creative is that it usually isn't really about technical tutorials first. Of course, those exist too. But the more important part is developing perception — the way you look at the world and connect different ideas together.

Which is why, instead of only searching for “how-to” videos, it often makes more sense to explore things outside your immediate field and see what they spark creatively.

It could be channels like Veritasium, which explores science, physics, human behaviour, and unexpected everyday phenomena in a very playful and accessible way, or Undecided with Matt Ferrell, which focuses on future technologies, sustainability, energy systems, and how people might live in the future.

If you are searching for something a little more creativity-related, consider channels like NOWNESS — focused on short films, fashion, architecture, movement, and experimental visuals; Hochelaga — exploring mythology, religion, folklore, and medieval art; or Nerdwriter1, which is basically built around understanding why creative things work in the first place.

We talked about the fact that traditional education is going through a crisis, but didn’t really speak about why. On purpose — I left it for this part.

The thing is, more and more students are getting tired of receiving overly conventional knowledge that doesn't always correlate with practice. And we all know that many big and well-respected professors could easily not have worked in the industry for years, which means some of the information being taught can feel outdated and no longer applicable.

So what is your basic to-do list when it comes to finding the right place to study?