If you’re an artist, you have no excuse to not do what you love. Art is an extremely creative field that opens itself up to some very cool careers. If you consider yourself an artist or you have training in an artistic field, consider one of the following career paths:
Cartoonist
If you have a sense of humor and you can draw, chances are you’ve daydreamed about a career as a cartoonist. You’ve probably paged through the Sunday newspaper, shaken your head at a comic strip well past its prime and thought, “I could do better.” This weekend, put down the paper, pick up your sketchpad and start doing better. If you work hard enough at developing your drawing and writing styles in graphic design training, you could pursue opportunities in this exciting field.
Art therapist
Art therapy is an extremely rewarding field that allows artistic individuals to use their gifts to help others recover from physical or mental trauma. Art therapists focus on helping patients express themselves through artistic media rather than simply teaching art. This career field requires more formal training than many other art careers, since most art therapy jobs require at least a master’s degree in therapy.
Photographer
Successful photographers work with visual elements the same way writers work with words. While some photographers use their camera journalistically to capture moments that tell a story, others are more like poets who find beauty in everyday life. If you want to succeed in the photography industry, practice taking a variety of different types of pictures, including action, journalistic, model and landscape. This will give you the freedom to work on a number of different projects throughout your career.
Fashion designer
The fashion design industry is rewarding because it allows artists to actually see their work put to use in real life. Freelance fashion design provides opportunities for artists to really flaunt their creativity, while in-house work at a mass market firm promises more opportunities for a designer to see his work worn in public. Because fashion has been around since the beginning of time, fashion designers must remember that they’ll never create something truly unique. Rather, they should focus on small details that transform the ordinary into something more.
Concept artist
Concept artists work on the ground floor of the entertainment industry. Most are independent contractors who collaborate with art directors to give direction on movie, television, graphic design and video game projects. While concept art has traditionally focused on science fiction and fantasy subjects, the increased use of computer-generated effects and characters has led to concept art being used in a wide variety of big-budget projects.
Museum curator
What if you have a passion for art but you’d rather look at other people’s work and chart the course of art history? Your perfect job may be found in a museum. Museum curators and art historians not only study art, but also put together collections of work that others can enjoy.
Because these art career paths are attractive to creative individuals, they can be competitive. But if you decide you want to pursue any these areas, don’t give up on your dreams. Study your desired occupation as much as you can, work hard and surround yourself those who share your passion.
Information in this article was provided by IADT – Sacramento. Contact IADT – Sacramento today if you’re interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with a graphic design degree program. (IADT – Sacramento does not guarantee employment or salary. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.)