While some parts of the world place more value in the arts than others, you're still likely to find someone who doesn't appreciate what goes into a piece of art no matter where you are.
Because while it's disheartening to remember that arts programs are usually the first ones to go when schools face budget cuts, artists themselves have to face the daily disappointment of people who expect them to work "for exposure." And it's a common struggle whether that person happens to be a painter, a writer, or a graphic designer.
And as one story from Malaysia illustrates, potential patrons can still be pretty unreasonable even when they're not approaching artists with quite that level of gall.