As a lover of art and all things creative, there’s not always a clear path. If you love biology at school, you might go on to study anatomy and eventually go to medical school to hopefully become a doctor. There are options and variations available to you but, there’s a clear path for you to head down. When you love art, it doesn’t always feel as obvious. You may have been advised to study more academic pursuits, which would lead to a well-paid career down the line, and to just see art as a hobby that you enjoy.
But, you shouldn’t have to. If you love art, or other creative hobbies, and have talent, you should be able to follow it to a career. You should be able to study creative subjects at a higher level and find a career in the future. Fortunately, there are plenty of jobs out there for creatives. Many of which you might not have considered. Here’s a look at some of them.
Art Historian
Art and academia don’t have to be separate, and it’s completely possible to love both. If you enjoy studying and reading as much as you love drawing, or if you love looking at art, but not creating it yourself, a career in art history could be the perfect option. Art historians work in a range of fields. You could write books, start an art blog, work in art valuation or as an authenticator.
Other jobs for people with an art history degree could include an art gallery manager or assistant, a conservator, a heritage manager, a museum or gallery curator, an exhibitions officer, an archivist, a librarian or a teacher. Art history gives you a great way to mix creativity with academia to create an exciting and fulfilling career which could last a lifetime. You might even end up owning your own gallery one day.
Tattoo Artist
“Working as a tattoo artist is something that many artistic people never even consider if they don’t have tattoos themselves. But, it’s a fantastic choice. As a tattoo artist, you are charged with inking permanent art on people’s skin. You would often be involved in the design of original tattoos, working with clients to find the perfect piece for them. Then, they’d trust you to ink it onto their skin, using professional equipment such as a rotary tattoo machine. There’s no higher trust when it comes to art.
Tattoo artists need to be skilled in the fine details of design and drawing, as well as trained in health and safety and hygiene. Seeing your work on someone’s skin can be incredibly fulfilling, and this can be an exceptionally exciting career where no two days are the same.
Cake Decorator
If you are a keen baker, you might have considered turning cake making into a skill. But, it’s really the decoration that sets a cake apart. Anyone can master basic recipes. It’s the design and decoration that make an occasion cake truly special. Try creating artwork with icing and designing some fabulous cakes on paper. You could start your own cake making business from home. With practice and experience, you could go on to be simply a cake decorator, working to make other people’s bakes glorious.
Food Stylist
When you read a recipe book or a magazine that features food, one of the first things that grabs your attention is the photography. While these photos often look like they’ve been taken in someone’s kitchen, they haven’t. Unless it’s a working kitchen. Every picture has been arranged and styled. Each shoot features a cook, to create the food, a stylist, to make it look it’s best and a photographer. Big shoots might also have prop technicians and lighting experts.
Working as a food stylist can take you all over the world working with food photographers on a range of topics. You are responsible for turning the complete meal or product into the wonderful sight we see in magazines. You’ll position it, work with lighting, add props and decorations and lay it all out so that it’s as appealing as it can be. So that readers want to reach into the page and eat it. You’ll work on recipe books, magazines, tv shows and more. It’s a career with many options for someone with a creative mind.
Graphic Designer
Many modern artists now work with computers. Graphic design is a massive field, with many different careers and options. With a graphic design degree, you could work in animation, branding, and marketing, as a creative or art director, designing games or graphics for them, as an illustrator. You could work in film and television as a production designer, or as a printmaker. You could even work in interior design, as an architect or landscaper, a medical illustrator or a stylist. A graphic design degree can be valuable, as it offers you many different careers upon graduation.
Makeup Artist
Do you love art and makeup? Do you spend time practicing your own makeup, or doing it for friends and family? Do you enjoy trying new products and techniques? Or changing your style frequently? Are you often complimented on your makeup or asked for advice? If so, a career as a makeup artist might be for you.
As a makeup artist, you could work on makeup counters in department stores, in salons or spas. You could work as a freelance stylist, doing special events makeup. Or you could even work in TV, film or theatre. If day to day makeup isn’t your thing, why not get training in special effects makeup, for a more niche career in media?
Animator
Animation is one of the areas of media that has changed the most. Stop motion and 2D animation are still around, but CGI and 3D are growing in use and popularity. Animation is forever changing and developing and will only continue to do so as long as technology keeps advancing. A career in animation can be fun, exciting and ever-changing.
