5 answers
Caitlynn
Student
Gallup, New Mexico
1
Question
Asked
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If I happen to be interested in arts, What are some good career choices and steps I should consider?
I am in the 9th grade barely exploring my many career choices, and I happen to be interested in arts of drawing or artist of that kind. I do question how would I be able to find a similar career to the interest I have. #career #career-choice #career-path #arts
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5 answers
Andy Wang
Senior Storyboard Artist
110
Answers
Albany, California
Updated
Andy’s Answer
Hello Caitlynn,
A career in the arts can touch many different fields and industries. Arts are utilized in developing just about everything, from websites and advertising to movies and video games, even industrial design and company branding. Think about everything that you use everyday: your bed, linens, clothes, personal hygiene products, tv shows you watch, websites you visit, computers and other devices that you use, the vehicles that you drive or ride in. All of that needed to be designed by someone. Even beyond "practical" things that impact your day-to-day life there are also the fine arts. While you might not encounter a sculpture or landscape painting everyday, those are still career paths that can be lucrative.
I have worked in the video games industry for over 15 years and just in this one sector we utilize a broad spectrum of artists. The user interface and experience needs to be designed, the story and gameplay needs to be storyboarded, characters and environments need concept art, 3D games require assets to be created from that art, animators breathe life into those assets, etc.
I hope this addressed your question and gave you a little insight into how broad the art industry is.
A career in the arts can touch many different fields and industries. Arts are utilized in developing just about everything, from websites and advertising to movies and video games, even industrial design and company branding. Think about everything that you use everyday: your bed, linens, clothes, personal hygiene products, tv shows you watch, websites you visit, computers and other devices that you use, the vehicles that you drive or ride in. All of that needed to be designed by someone. Even beyond "practical" things that impact your day-to-day life there are also the fine arts. While you might not encounter a sculpture or landscape painting everyday, those are still career paths that can be lucrative.
I have worked in the video games industry for over 15 years and just in this one sector we utilize a broad spectrum of artists. The user interface and experience needs to be designed, the story and gameplay needs to be storyboarded, characters and environments need concept art, 3D games require assets to be created from that art, animators breathe life into those assets, etc.
I hope this addressed your question and gave you a little insight into how broad the art industry is.
Riley Insko
Digital Marketing Strategist
16
Answers
Newport Beach, California
Updated
Riley’s Answer
Hi Caitlynn - Have you considered looking at the world of marketing? I always jokingly say that this is where artists can build a career - and make money!
Marketing = EVERYTHING. So, where to start? Think of "Marketing" as New York City, with fields neighborhoods throughout. Below are some of the "neighborhoods" you might wander into...
- Performance Marketing = analytics & reporting
- Creative Marketing = graphic design, web design, UX/UI design, copywriting, film, photography, etc. (AKA.... art!)
- Advertising = tv commercials, creative ad campaigns
- Digital Marketing = social media, and intersects with performance marketing / creative marketing
- Brand Strategy = brand architecture, company / product naming, market research (qualitative + quantitative)
Speaking from my own experience of having to explore what marketing universe career path was right for me... here are a few things that really helped me learn more about what I wanted.
1. Linkedin Sleuthing
Choose your favorite brand. Is it Starbucks? Is it Spotify? Is it PlayStation? Head over to Linkedin, search and click on that business' page, click on their "People" tab, in the small search bar under that tab search "marketing" or "sales". You should see that company's employees start to filter! You can then click around and understand the ecosystem of their marketing world / job titles / career paths. You can even sleuth your way onto someone's profile with a job title you find interesting and see what experience they have that prepared them for the role! Very helpful, and a way to open the door to a possible informational interview.
2. Listen to Experts on Podcasts
I will list some of my favorite podcasts that offer a "deeper dive" into different career paths - to this day, it still opens my eyes and makes me think, "this is someone's job?!".
3. Always ask, "who was behind this?"
Let's take a Superbowl ad for example! You may think that it was the brand who put the ad together - like State Farm or Budweiser. But the truth is, there is an army of marketing and advertising agency professionals that brought it to life. I will link an article to AdAge that lists the Superbowl ads AND the agency behind them to help you start to dig into that world...
Wishing you all the best on your journey!
Listen to Podcast "How Brands are Built"
Listen to Podcast "How I Built This" by NPR / Guy Raz
Find Your Favorite Brands on Linkedin and Search Their "People" for keywords like "marketing" or "sales"
Explore "who is behind" Superbowl Ads: https://adage.com/SuperBowl2021Reviews
Marketing = EVERYTHING. So, where to start? Think of "Marketing" as New York City, with fields neighborhoods throughout. Below are some of the "neighborhoods" you might wander into...
- Performance Marketing = analytics & reporting
- Creative Marketing = graphic design, web design, UX/UI design, copywriting, film, photography, etc. (AKA.... art!)
- Advertising = tv commercials, creative ad campaigns
- Digital Marketing = social media, and intersects with performance marketing / creative marketing
- Brand Strategy = brand architecture, company / product naming, market research (qualitative + quantitative)
Speaking from my own experience of having to explore what marketing universe career path was right for me... here are a few things that really helped me learn more about what I wanted.
1. Linkedin Sleuthing
Choose your favorite brand. Is it Starbucks? Is it Spotify? Is it PlayStation? Head over to Linkedin, search and click on that business' page, click on their "People" tab, in the small search bar under that tab search "marketing" or "sales". You should see that company's employees start to filter! You can then click around and understand the ecosystem of their marketing world / job titles / career paths. You can even sleuth your way onto someone's profile with a job title you find interesting and see what experience they have that prepared them for the role! Very helpful, and a way to open the door to a possible informational interview.
2. Listen to Experts on Podcasts
I will list some of my favorite podcasts that offer a "deeper dive" into different career paths - to this day, it still opens my eyes and makes me think, "this is someone's job?!".
3. Always ask, "who was behind this?"
Let's take a Superbowl ad for example! You may think that it was the brand who put the ad together - like State Farm or Budweiser. But the truth is, there is an army of marketing and advertising agency professionals that brought it to life. I will link an article to AdAge that lists the Superbowl ads AND the agency behind them to help you start to dig into that world...
Wishing you all the best on your journey!
Riley recommends the following next steps:
Jaclyn Salem
Graphic Designer
5
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jaclyn’s Answer
Hi Caitlynn!
As a graphic designer, I am a bit biased but I think a career in the arts is a wonderfully fulfilling career.
You mentioned liking drawing—There are so many careers that you could utilize this skill, so I would start with thinking about WHAT you like to draw. Do you like drawing fashion drawings? Then maybe consider a career in fashion and merchandising. Do you like drawing buildings and rooms? Then maybe consider a career as an interior designer or an architect. Do you like drawing all kinds of things? Then maybe consider a career as an illustrator, graphic designer, or animator!
Like you, I was interested in all things artistic in grade school. I took a visual communications (graphic design) class in my senior year of high school and discovered how much graphic design combines all of the creative hobbies I loved (like drawing, painting, printmaking, etc), and gave me one career where I could use them all, depending on what the project was about. Making a living as an artist is definitely a hustle, but not out of the question if you are very passionate about it. I decided on graphic design because it felt a bit more secure to get a job, having had three different jobs in the field, I am 100% happy that I went this route. There are so many options even within graphic design: web design, animation, marketing, advertising...and most companies have in-house design teams, so you could also end up being a designer for a specific company—like the New York Times for example!
But yes, to sum up, my advice is to first think about *what* you like to draw, and then go from there!
As a graphic designer, I am a bit biased but I think a career in the arts is a wonderfully fulfilling career.
You mentioned liking drawing—There are so many careers that you could utilize this skill, so I would start with thinking about WHAT you like to draw. Do you like drawing fashion drawings? Then maybe consider a career in fashion and merchandising. Do you like drawing buildings and rooms? Then maybe consider a career as an interior designer or an architect. Do you like drawing all kinds of things? Then maybe consider a career as an illustrator, graphic designer, or animator!
Like you, I was interested in all things artistic in grade school. I took a visual communications (graphic design) class in my senior year of high school and discovered how much graphic design combines all of the creative hobbies I loved (like drawing, painting, printmaking, etc), and gave me one career where I could use them all, depending on what the project was about. Making a living as an artist is definitely a hustle, but not out of the question if you are very passionate about it. I decided on graphic design because it felt a bit more secure to get a job, having had three different jobs in the field, I am 100% happy that I went this route. There are so many options even within graphic design: web design, animation, marketing, advertising...and most companies have in-house design teams, so you could also end up being a designer for a specific company—like the New York Times for example!
But yes, to sum up, my advice is to first think about *what* you like to draw, and then go from there!
Ceil Tilney
Purpose-driven talent management
27
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
Ceil’s Answer
Hi Caitlynn - What a wonderful interest to have (no matter what specific form of "the arts" is what inspires you). Studying arts inevitably draws in studying culture and history (all of the arts are part of a strong tradition), and being asked to evaluate your own and others' art inevitably helps you develop critical thinking and communication skills. Not to mention the skills in the arts that your chosen area of focus will give you.
I mention that because it would be a shame to limit your career thinking to just "arts" careers - although of course those should be in the mix. Any career you choose will demand critical thinking, communication, and the ability to create new ways for ideas to go together. You can take those into business (as I did). You can take those to law school. You can take those into every kind of technical and organizational consulting. You can take those into publishing and journalism.
In the area of fine arts, there is a huge need for more great thinkers to be part of user-centered web design - what creates a fantastic user experience on a site? The right answer can make the difference between a web page that no one uses (see Yahoo from 15 years ago) and one that changes the world (Google, ditto). Once the overall design is in place, every site needs sophisticated, effective graphics that draw the user in - graphics design is a huge, and decently paying field.
In addition to web design, of course advertising, marketing, and publishing all need fine arts skills. If you love to write, journalism about technology is a fascinating place as well.
Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but I hope it's useful!
I mention that because it would be a shame to limit your career thinking to just "arts" careers - although of course those should be in the mix. Any career you choose will demand critical thinking, communication, and the ability to create new ways for ideas to go together. You can take those into business (as I did). You can take those to law school. You can take those into every kind of technical and organizational consulting. You can take those into publishing and journalism.
In the area of fine arts, there is a huge need for more great thinkers to be part of user-centered web design - what creates a fantastic user experience on a site? The right answer can make the difference between a web page that no one uses (see Yahoo from 15 years ago) and one that changes the world (Google, ditto). Once the overall design is in place, every site needs sophisticated, effective graphics that draw the user in - graphics design is a huge, and decently paying field.
In addition to web design, of course advertising, marketing, and publishing all need fine arts skills. If you love to write, journalism about technology is a fascinating place as well.
Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but I hope it's useful!
Stephanie Stephen Turner
Retired
11
Answers
Early, Texas
Updated
Stephanie Stephen’s Answer
There are several fields that you can enter into, that involve art, one of which is graphics design. Some others are web designing, as well as concept artist for gaming company’s like Nentindo, architectural design, drafting, interior design, as well as fashion design. And those are just some of the many jobs for artist in the computer industry. Then there are jobs in museums, as well as painter, sculpture, musician, recording artist, poetry, creative writing such as writing novels. As well as jobs in land scape. Just depends on which type of art you are interested in specializing in. I myself write poetry, and have done conceptual user interface designs in 3D reality programs.