Becoming an Artist in 2021 and Beyond:
An Arts Career Survival Guide

August 27, 2021
Art Careers

Artists and creative types often struggle to find their place in the modern economy, especially when accessibility to public attention and sales opportunities seem impossible.

Do not feel discouraged. Today, there are unprecedented numbers of spaces, products, and media businesses and platforms that need a keen artistic eye. Almost every industry imaginable utilizes artists who embrace their passions to build respectable careers. And with an emerging new generation of digital art forms such as NFTs and virtual art exhibitions, pursuing a career as an artist can be more lucrative than ever.

For sure. Well, cheers. I know you’ve been holding on to that dream. Cheers to that.

Artists no longer have to depend on exclusive galleries picking them up and selling original pieces one by one. With digital platforms and marketplaces, artists now have many options, like selling digital copies of art that buyers can print themselves. Online art marketplaces can bring a massive audience to an artist’s work at low cost.

Selling digital art online allows artists to increase their passive income or earn a real living from following their passions. Harnessing the selling utility of the internet and leveraging the abundant resources of digital platforms is creating a new generation of business-minded artists across the world.

Can You Make Art a Viable Career?

Even for artists with exceptional talent, making a living from selling fine art and placing pieces in museums is rarely a sustainable career path.

Fortunately, the traditional route to marketing art is not the only option for starting and maintaining an artistic career. With so many unprecedented career opportunities today, any determined artist has a chance to succeed in the business of art.

Top-Earning Art Careers That Pay Well

1. Art Director

Most advertising and media campaigns require visual components for product packaging and ad layouts. Graphic design teams coordinate those components under the leadership of an art director. Typography and photography prowess are must-have qualities of art directors.

Median salary: $97,270

2. Multimedia Artist

Think about the mass of entertainment media that pervades our society. From animated TV, film, and online content to 3D gaming graphics, advertisements, and beyond, multimedia artist jobs can make starting and building an art career possible. One must be competent in creating specialized effects, graphics, or animations using computer software.

Median salary: $77,700

3. Multimedia Artist

APOC | By Krist Miha

4. Fashion Designer

Expertise in color principles, fabrics, art themes, marketing, and merchandising makes fashion designers successful. Fashion designers study fashion trends, come up with themes, develop designs in CAD alongside creative directors and teams, and participate in trade shows.

Median salary: $75,810

5. Industrial Designer

Countless consumer products depend on form as well as engineering: cars, electronics, kitchen and home appliances both small and large. Commercial industries need people who cleverly merge engineering savvy with aesthetics. Industrial designer positions involve knowledge of markets, materials, safety, manufacturing knowledge, computer software, and prototyping.

Median salary: $71,640

6. Creative Director

Creative directors research trends and guide creative departments to launch branding campaigns. Their administrative responsibilities require strong interpersonal and communication skills.

7. User Experience Designer

Web and software development includes researching, mapping, and prototyping digital experiences. The visual element requires a sharp eye and collaboration with graphic designers.

Median salary: $77,200

8. Landscape Architect

Multi-talented landscape architects create outdoor landscapes in parks and commercial and residential areas. Pleasing environments come together through the medium of plants, rocks, and natural shapes. Landscape architects need familiarity with CAD, materials, environmental reports, and land conditions.

Median salary: $70,630

The Entrance Garden by Alex Hanazaki Paisagismo. Photo credit: Yuri Seródio

9. Product Designer

The entire consumer economy depends on product designers to generate new designs and update older products. For functionality and visual appeal, product designers harness feedback to oversee a design’s evolution from initial sketches to completion.

Median salary: $65,970

10. Interior Designer

Homeowners and businesses sometimes need help redesigning interior spaces. Transformations entail decor and small construction projects to orchestrate using sketches and design software.

Median salary: $57,060

11 . Gallery Manager

Working within the traditional art world, gallery managers organize exhibitions and look after guests. Some galleries also employ their help managing budgets, installations, framers and technicians, artists, and gallery websites.

The Future of Digital Art for Artists

Artistic and creative fields are highly competitive. So whether you are trying to start a traditional, corporate, or digital art career, years of hard work and strategic decisions are a prerequisite.

Before planning the steps to become an artist in a preferred profession, you have to know how to delve into the business of art in a way that will prepare you for the career you want.

Choose a Discipline and Grow Your Skills

Work towards a tangible end goal. This focus guides all other ensuing steps to becoming an artist, including medium specialization and which artistic and professional skills you sharpen and why.

However, it is important to stay well-rounded to avoid limiting yourself. For example, those pursuing a digital art career should deliberately study traditional art forms like drawing, painting, and sculpture to advance their digital art and understanding of the craft and process.

Take Courses to Learn

Research the specific qualifications for how to start the art career you want to pursue. Some positions require a degree. In other cases, you may not need a formal college education if your skill level is high enough.

There are online courses to build and master artistic techniques. Search for local classes and workshops. Along the way, you might find a successful artist to teach you one-on-one and mentor your career.

Appreciate Art at Museums or Virtual Galleries

Attend museums purposefully. Online galleries greatly expand the scope of accessible art to explore. Exposure to notable art has two main benefits:

Appreciating art encourages cultivating a sense of taste. Decide which artists, styles, and works you like, and analyze and examine what you like about them. Ideas and inspiration will follow and grow your individual artistic voice.
Growing as an art aficionado helps you practice the art of discussing and analyzing art. In-depth conversations about art are fundamental to art-related fields. To be taken seriously as a professional, you must have excellent communication skills and insights.

Create a Sacred Space to Work

A comfortable and inspiring workspace facilitates the hard work required to develop as an artist. Make it conducive to doing your best work according to your personal creative style.

Privacy: Many artists prefer studios that are quiet and free from distractions so workflows are not interrupted.

Lighting: Spaces with maximum natural light and clean windows help artists see and consider their work and progress. Invest in proper lamps if necessary. It is nearly impossible to achieve your artistic potential if you cannot clearly see your work (and place unnecessary strain on your eyes).

Practice and Find Your Voice

Becoming a professional artist requires constant improvement. Devote time and effort to your craft and developing your skills.

Practice Your Art On Your Own: Make art a daily ritual. It does not have to be your best work or even in your primary medium. Constant practice strengthens foundational skills, revealing weak spots and encouraging gradual but steady creative progress.

Start a Journal: Take notes about inspiration from visiting museums and galleries. Organize and plan projects. Introspection overcomes creative blocks, reveals areas to grow, and defines goals.

Seek Out Feedback: Request honest, constructive criticism from artists and laypeople you trust. Ask questions about others’ processes and what you can work on to improve your artistic abilities.

How Do I Get a Job as an Artist?

Learn to see art as a business. Capitalize on opportunities to network and market yourself by building a valued presence and earning respect in the field.

Enter art competitions: Art competitions connect you with a broader audience, including buyers, galleries, and other artists. Connections lead to often overlooked but rewarding, gainful employment opportunities.
Apply for corporate art jobs: Search for open corporate positions that interest you and fit your skill set, especially if advertising yourself to art buyers does not appeal to you and your vision for your career.
Bring your work to galleries: Try to get your work placed in physical and virtual galleries [link to blog]. Your art career can thrive when you and your art are in the same room, whether digital or physical, with other professionals.
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Becoming a Career Artist is Possible

Do not surrender to the “starving artist” trope. Profitable art careers are all around, and artists everywhere are currently working behind the scenes for various spaces, products, ads, and entertainment businesses. Becoming a professional artist requires dedication, an entrepreneurial spirit, networking strategies, and constantly refining your skills. Be mindful about garnering the respect and recognition that can accelerate your art career. A rewarding art career is within your reach.

Dot Red allows you to unveil your creative work to a community of fellow artists, buyers, and collectors of digital art and NFTs – all while enjoying exposure and feedback from your industry peers.