Is Art the Right Career for You?
You love to create art! You certainly love the idea of being able to make a full-time income with your art, but, when you actually think about all the things you have to do to make it happen it doesn’t seem very exciting anymore, rather it makes you question yourself if it’s the right choice for you. Cause there’s a huge difference between loving the idea of being able to earn as an artist and being ready to do everything you can to make it a reality. If you are someone who can relate to this situation or If you want to clear up your confusion, keep reading, hopefully you will find it somewhat useful.
I think the first thing you should consider when unsure about choosing art as your profession is whether you want to do it because you love making art or you think it’s an easier choice. I have seen a lot of people who think it’s an easy option, on the contrary, some think you have to be lucky to be successful as an artist. And, according to me both are true, but, only for those who are truly passionate about creating art. When you love making art it becomes an easy option anyway, and, I believe being lucky is merely the outcome of good choices.
I know you all like to draw but, the question is do you enjoy art as a hobby like other hobbies or you enjoy creating art more than anything else.You need to be clear about how far you are willing to go to build a career out of it. I do understand it’s easier said than done, actually it can be quite overwhelming for some. That’s why to make it a little easier for you I have listed few things below(based on my experience) you might want to consider if you are not sure whether to choose Art as your career or not.
When to choose Art as your career
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When you are ready to do whatever it takes : It’s not easy but one hundred percent possible. If someone else can do it, I can do it, you too can. As long as you are ready to do what it takes you can build a career successfully out of almost anything.
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When you are truly passionate about creating art : According to me passion is not something we simply enjoy doing, we enjoy doing a lot of things but passion is something you feel attached to emotionally, you enjoy it on another level and living without it feels extremely hard for you. So before you consider to pursue a career in art make sure you are truly passionate about it. Otherwise you will find it pretty hard.
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You are willing to take risks and try new things: You probably know it already, without taking risks you cannot expect things to get better for you. Being a risk taker can open up new opportunities for you.
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You don’t create art to make money alone : From my point of view choosing a particular career solely for money is a waste of time, at least not when we have a choice and in most cases we do have a choice.
- You are patient : Becoming an artist and earning good is not always something you achieve in few days or even in few months, it takes years, so you must be patient and persistent.
- You focus on rapid improvement : Focusing on improvement is the most important trait you need to have to get success as an artist, without it you won’t make it very far, or it might end up being only a source of stress for you.
Why you should choose Art as your career
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Because art makes you happy: Nothing is better than making money by doing what you absolutely love, and we all want to be happy so why not follow our passion instead of living a life doing a job we don’t even like.
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Your work won’t feel like work anymore : It’s like you’re getting paid for having a great time. Every time I realise this fact I can’t help myself but end up shading tears of joy! lol. But, seriously it’s the an amazing feeling, you have to experience it yourself to understand what I mean. It’s not like my life is perfect, I still have to face difficult or unpleasant situation sometime but, I know it will pass; with time it will get better, and, no one’s life can be perfect all the time anyway, we all know it, but I think if we just accept everything life has to offer, and cherish both good and bad it does seem perfect, just the way it is :) And I guess when your passion is your profession even stressful times can be a little less stressful.
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You get your freedom : It was the first reason I chose to become a freelance artist, having the freedom to do what you want is possibly the best thing that can ever happen to any artist
- There are many sources of income : There are plenty of ways to make money, such as taking commissions, becoming a children’s book illustrator, working for studios, selling prints & digital products, become an instructor and many more, will discuss more in future.
- Because you can and it’s always worth giving a try: If you don’t give it a try you might regret it later, so it’s always better to give our best shot while we still can. People worry to much thinking what if I won’t make it, but, you will never know what’s on the other side unless you give it a try with all you have got.
I would love to know your opinions on the topic, so feel free to share your thoughts or experience, or if you have a topic in mind you want me to write about in the comments .