Why I decided on an art degree
As many of you know, I’m a college art student. I’m actually working on a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Arts with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Trust me, plenty of people advised me not to take this path, but to focus on something in the math and science or business arena instead. However, I have always relied on the following advice from my mother (who was a business major and knows that’s her forte’, but doesn’t exactly fit me). Anyway, her advice is to find the intersection between what you love to do (hobby) and what you’re good at doing (talent). You will then not only enjoy every day of your life and never feel like you’re working (career), but you will hopefully make a great living while doing that (wealth). Therefore, I decided I needed the Bachelor’s in Digital Arts to help me gain knowledge and perfect my technical art skills and style. I added the minor in Entrepreneurship in order to gain knowledge and skills in marketing, accounting, and management.
Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life
I wanted to write this article because I believe there are many naturally talented artists who have been steered away from not only art degrees, but also from careers in art. This results in a lot of unhappy people who never get to live up to their true calling. Think about this. What if a kid with the natural talent of Michelangelo became a lawyer just because his or her parents thought that would be a stable and lucrative career, but the kid grew up and became a miserable lawyer because he/she just wanted to paint or sculpt? You get another miserable lawyer with a bunch of student loan debt, and there are already plenty of those. Plus, the world is denied the works of a great artist.
Know how to manage your money or someone will gladly separate you from it
Now, I certainly don’t consider myself a great natural artist, but I do love to draw characters, and I hope to make a business out of that. My plan is to create illustrated books, comic books, blogs, YouTube channels, games, apps, tee-shirts, etc. Basically, whatever I can think of to turn my type of art into a business. I certainly don’t expect or even want to be the next Walt Disney, but I truly believe I can make a living with my art. If you also desire the small business path, I do suggest a minor in Entrepreneurship. My mother insisted on that saying unless you can be successful at selling yourself as an artist or selling your art it really won’t matter how great or prolific an artist you become. Entrepreneurship minors not only include marketing classes that teach how to sell, but also accounting classes because you also need to know how to manage your money, your business revenue, and keep people from ripping you off. Anytime you become successful and have money, there are always people trying to scam you out of it. It’s sad, but true.
If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to build theirs
Now, I understand that not every artist wants to start their own business, but today’s technology also allows artists to work for others and earn great salaries. You just need to think digitally. Plenty of businesses need artists to do web marketing, and package design. Game and app creators need character and scene artists, and animators. Animated TV shows and movies need digital character and background painters in addition to animators. The possibilities are endless. An easy way to work for yourself without any upfront costs is the untapped opportunities on YouTube for artists showing, teaching and explaining various types of art. I have seen how-to-paint videos, how-to-sketch videos, how-to-make a sculpture out of clay videos, how to macrame a bracelet, etc. Once you have enough subscribers and watch time, you will make money from ads. The Income School Project 24 program that I subscribe to for instruction and help with creating my blog also has a step-by-step program for creating a successful YouTube channel. I highly recommend the Project 24 program. Also, gone are the days of the “Starving Artist” who had to sell paintings at a street fair for $20 just to eat. The online world allows artists to sell artwork in volume on sites like Etsy and Shopify. Art has become easily scaleable. Think about it. Would you rather sell one original painting in a local gallery for $500, or sell 1000 copies of a $20 print of that same painting online and earn $20,000 for the same amount of work?
4 simple questions to ask yourself before choosing a degree or career path
- What do I love doing (hobby)?
- What am I good at doing (talent)?
- Would would I enjoy doing for 50 years and it not seem like work (career)?
- Can I do this for a living either working for myself, someone else, or a company (wealth)?
Asking yourself these questions will help you arrive at the type of career you want. From there, you can pinpoint the exact degree needed to get into that career.
You don’t need a $200,000 degree from a private fine arts program
Okay. Back to the original title of this article. Is an art degree worth it? Yes it is, because an art degree will not only provide you with additional knowledge and skills to improve your art, but also provide you with knowledge in other areas that will help you become more successful overall. However, don’t make the mistake of assuming you need a $200,000 degree from a private fine arts program. You will end up saddled with student loans and still be a starving artist because most of your money will be spent paying back the loans for YEARS! Bachelors degrees in fine arts, digital arts, art marketing, graphic design, and art education with minors in entrepreneurship are available at most any state or regional university for a fraction of the cost. You can also participate in dual enrollment while in high school (that’s what I did), or attend a community college for the first two years to complete core curriculum requirements. That saves a lot of money! I’ve noticed that employers don’t really care about hiring graduates of expensive, prestigious art schools anymore, because what employers are looking for is skill. Therefore, I don’t believe those schools are worth the money. Anyway, be careful if you embark on a campus visit at one of these schools, they sell themselves better than a timeshare salesman offering a free 7-day beach vacation! I really think state and regional universities give you the best value. You get the same degree for much less cost, and scholarships go a lot further, especially state scholarships that pay more at public institutions (that’s how I’m going to college for free). I also think the entrepreneurship minor or at least some marketing and accounting courses will serve artists much better than a Master’s degree in art. Unless of course, you plan to teach art at the college level, or run a fine art museum. I’m sure those two jobs would most likely require a master’s degree.
Keep your eye on the prize
All in all, I think we artists just have to pinpoint what we want to do, and then go about making that happen by obtaining the best degree and training for that path. There is no exact set way to get there, and of course things may change along the way. Just keep your eye on the prize! I hope this advice works for some of my fellow artists. We have to look out for each other!
I will “see” you soon in our virtual art world!
Peace and love,
Mikayla
Writing is another art form, so if you love to write about your artwork, or anything really, consider creating a blog! I created mine by following the awesome principles of The Income School Project 24 program. They offer the best, most straightforward instructions and information on setting up a blog or YouTube channel.
