“You can’t live on that!” – a phrase familiar to many creative people. Trying to earn a living with art is often ridiculed. But is that really true? The truth is that art as a career offers more opportunities than ever before – from digital media to creative self-employment. With talent, strategy and passion, art can certainly become a career.
Is art still recognized as a career today?
We live in a meritocracy geared towards commercial success. Every person is expected to fit into this system as an effective cogwheel and work until they have outlived their usefulness. In return, the person receives security: A regular salary, health insurance, pension etc.
For people who have chosen to live in this system, it can seem strange that someone would give up all these securities just to pursue their passion. Artists are often portrayed as dreamers who are just too lazy to pursue a “real” or “proper” career. However, an artist often works just as hard as someone with a regular job. The difference is that artists don’t have a “weekend off” or a “day off”. But we have been conditioned by the demands of modern life to believe that only work you hate is real work.
Art is everywhere and relevant, even if it is often frowned upon as a career.
You are surrounded by art every day, art doesn’t just exist as a painting or statue in a museum or gallery. Whether it’s the movie in the cinema, the advertising poster on the advertising pillar, the character design in a video game or the design of the new sports car you have in your garage: Somewhere in the manufacturing process, an artist was involved, without whom the thing would never have existed. Unfortunately, many people forget this and therefore can’t imagine how an artist could still earn money these days.
What impact does artificial intelligence have on the demand for artists?
Even with some companies now using or attempting to use AI-generated content/images, high-quality artistic work requires the expertise, creativity and originality of real artists. Large corporations are always looking for a way to save as much money as possible, but that doesn’t mean that the career of the artist is dying out. Established brands, small corporations and even private individuals are always more likely to hire real artists than to resort to AI. The reasons for this are consumer trust, morality, brand association and the fact that AI often fails to generate quality ideas or products. So art is still a passion worth pursuing and artificial intelligence should not be a reason to be put off.
Are you interested in art as a career? Here you can find more articles about artistic degree courses and creative careers:
How do I become a character designer?
Become a state-approved sculptor – combining craft, art and vocation
Studying Art: Free, fine or applied arts – what art degree suits you?
Source:
https://www.bbk-bundesverband.de/beruf-kunst/kuenstlernachlaesse
Ida Lene Greiner