About Careers as an Artist

A career as an artist can be thrilling, lucrative and stimulating, but it can also be rife with frustration. Artists can choose from a wide array of artistic careers. Those that are pretty steady usually come with less recognition than blasting onto the art scene as the next Van Gogh. Anyone gifted or talented enough to make a career as an artist will only succeed if those talents come with a strong determination.

Careers as an artist are vast. Illustrators, animators, photographers and fashion designers are just some options. Others include craftsmen, jewelry makers, graphic designers, multimedia artists or those who specialize in the fine arts of painting or sculpting. Many artists strive to sell their art or be hired to use their talents to create art, while others pass on their love and knowledge of creation by teaching art or becoming an art therapist.

Several options are available for those who want to make a living as an artist. Freelancing is a big market. Artists can be hired for a per-project basis or license their works, which allows images to be used on a wide array of items, from greeting cards to T-shirts, coffee mugs to poster reprints. Other artists may be able to get a staff job at a publication, a paper or product company or other business that needs constant access to new designs.

Even the most naturally talented of artists may benefit from some type of training, workshops or schooling. Those in the graphic arts need to know how to use many computer programs and applications. Networking is also important to get your name known and your art as widely distributed as possible. Research is another essential tool for an artist, to find out what trends are popular, what subjects are hot and what people are buying.

Just because you nab a career as an artist doesn't always mean you get free reign to create whatever you want. Those on staff of a publication or in an art department of a company will be given specific assignments, some of you may not agree with. Even those who freelance need to keep an eye on the market and, if they want to succeed, tailor their creations to what sells.

Establishing a career as an artist often takes a lot of work, a lot of frustration and a lot of rejection. Creative types often struggle when it comes to the business end of things. Many artists have a steady day job in another field while getting into the art scene. Having an agent or business manager, both of whom will take a percentage of sales, is a useful step in helping to get your art out in the public. Contacts for agents, as well as companies who accept freelance work and other helpful information, can be found in many publications, such as the annually published Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market (see Resources).