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Does Welding seem like a good fit as a career for me?

If my strengths are creative a lot of my hobbies being art relates especially painting however I want to go into welding. I do consider welding a type of art and its something Is have done a bit of. I'm wondering if it seems like a good fit for me or should I steer towards something else. However if there's any other skills that could help me on my welding journey I am of course open to suggestions.

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Xander’s Answer

Welding absolutely can be artistic and creative, but it might have to be something you do on your own time. One of my good friends makes metal sculptures that he lands in museums and he loves it, but the creativity and artistic aspect of it kind of get pushed to the side on job sites or in fab shops. If you can afford it, maybe do some personal stuff with welding on the side and just let your brain run wild and if it feels like something you’d wanna devote more time to then find a place that will let you.
I hope this helps, feel free to reach out if you’ve got more questions
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Kim’s Answer

Hi Bryn,

I agree with Xander in that when you do any kind of production or commercial design work, what the client wants is the priority, and you may not get as much creative input as you want (or any at all). That said, if you want to be a sculptor working in welded metal, welding training and professional practice in a shop would be invaluable and would hone your skills and encourage creative development. Plus, there may be networking opportunities you might not get otherwise.

I'm all for any day job that strengthens the skills used in an artistic pursuit. Some people experience burnout and don't want to do their own projects when they get off work, but that's just something you'd have to wrestle with. Anyway, the problem-solving skills needed for metal fabrication would help you figure out how to make patterns and how you might join materials together, so you could go on work with to other, similar media.

Xander's made a generous offer; maybe you spend some time coming up with more specific questions and see if you could do an informational interview on Zoom. Or look up welders or a local tech school that teaches welding and gather more information there.

Best wishes to you in all your pursuits.
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Dardan’s Answer

Yes, welding can be a good carrier and you can make a lot of money if you travel for work especially in oil and gas industry. However I will also focus on becoming welding inspector CWI after welding for a while and also progress to welding engineering.
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Kody’s Answer

Hi Bryn!

I agree with the others who've shared that welding is a good, respected career, and it definitely is a form of art, not just production. I actually used to weld small sculptures in the past for fun, and loved it, so I think it's awesome that this is something you're interested in! As someone who loves art and had multiple passions, and thus had a hard time choosing what to do, I think you may want to ask yourself a few questions to help you with your decision.
-Why do you want to pursue welding? Is it because it can be creative, because you're not sure how stable the arts or painting would be, or because your genuinely enjoy it?
-Would you rather pursue a welding career, an arts/welding sculpture career, or something in between?
-If you pursued welding, and got a non-creative job, would you feel fulfilled knowing you'd still be able to be creative outside of that job?

I personally ended up with a career in between (being a visual designer at a professional firm) and love it, and I hope that no matter what you choose, you can still enjoy your creative hobbies!
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Kalika’s Answer

Welding is a very good career and respected profession. You can combine your artistic skills, hands-on skill, problem solving, technology, and craftsmanship experience. Look at a welder as a person who helps build bridges, building, ships, aircrafts, and other modern world things that are needed! If you really enjoy building things and solving problems, welding would be a good fit for you. Also don't let anyone make you feel like a trade is "less than" a college degree.
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Jamie’s Answer

If you want to pursue welding, do so, and research the field once you decide to follow this path.
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