10 Solid Career Paths for Creatives

The starving artist is a trope that is old as time itself. For those that identify as creative people, it can be hard to imagine a place for them in the standard workforce. As a creative one of the most important pieces of the puzzle to value is to avoid burnout. Many creative professions can be very “feast or famine” meaning lots of work to do all at once, followed by prolonged dry spells. This can harm your creative flow, can lead to exhaustion, and is just plain high stress. Choosing careers that will allow you to find balance and stability will lead to better longevity and more happiness. If envisioning yourself in a stuffy suit in a cubicle just doesn’t seem feasible, here are some career paths that might be better suited for the creative types!

Photography and Cinematography
Photography and cinematography used to be careers saved for print magazines and large-scale production houses. With the growing social media market and the increasingly impressive camera quality in our cell photos, the market has grown faster than almost any other. There are limitless niches one could enter. Real estate drone videography is a growing market, taking photos for influencers, product demonstration content for retail brands, as well as your classic portraiture and landscape photos which can be sold through a multitude of online platforms. Another benefit to trying this field is the wealth of knowledge available for free to increase your skill level.

Graphic Design
Graphic design is almost limitless in its applications in today’s screen-centered world. There are many platforms where you can hone your skills on your own time via online academies and creative tutorials. This is also a skill that you can begin to work and market part-time as well through various gig platforms. Many find their success by getting started reaching out to local companies that have outdated or clunky logos and giving them a refresh. Full-time graphic designers work with other team members to create anything a company could need from flyers to Instagram posts to print advertisements.

UX/UI Web Design
When it comes to lucrative and flexible career paths, there are few better choices than going into tech. It is a highly dynamic industry that is seeing continued exponential growth. Those behind UX/UI design work with other creatives to make engaging websites for brands. Learning how to code and how to mesh that with a strong creative vision will lead to success. With the growing remote work market, this is a career path that seems to be getting even more flexible with time.

Product/Packaging Design
On the retail market, creating the perfect product is only half the battle. The product must also stand out from its competitors when it is sitting on the shelf for the customers. That is where packaging designers come in. How can you show your customers that your product is the one to choose? By displaying it in pleasing ways. There are also so many fun ways to take this in green directions too with recycled and organic packaging material innovations.

Brand Management/Curation
Just like a product on the shelf, a brand’s presence in front of its consumer is paramount when it comes to authentic engagement. A product is not just a product, it is a statement made by a company. Those that craft the feel of a company effectively can secure very lucrative and stable careers in brand management. This can come from startups that haven’t launched yet, or even from long-standing companies that want to freshen up their image.

Event Planning
When you go to a wedding, it can feel like stepping into a new place and time. The florals, the coordinating tablecloths and napkins, perfect seating, themed photo booth spots, the list goes on and on. Those that truly hone this craft are in very high demand. This can be specialized focusing on corporate events, weddings and bridal or baby showers, launch parties, endless possibilities!

Makeup Artist
There is no better place to see how in-demand talented makeup artists are than by browsing social media. Whether it’s beauty influencing or working on campaigns from makeup brands themselves, it is a huge market with major spending power. Creating dynamic and eye-catching makeup looks is an excellent way to flex creative muscles while on the clock. The nice thing about this is that retail makeup counter jobs are easily attainable for practice, and from there the sky is the limit, especially if you know how to market your skills online.

Set Design
The best actors in the world can’t truly immerse viewers in a story without being backed up by the perfect setting. Set design can start with local theaters and can expand into show business. People can specialize in everything from sound accents to props used in scenes.

Interior Design
Interior design is a career that will always have a place in the market if people have homes and offices. There are so many potential clients waiting for a service that will allow them to curate an environment in their space that feels truly home. As an interior designer, you can make money by charging design fees, as well as commissions off any purchases made for the clients. There are interior design careers available for homes, offices, even offbeat paths like designing airstreams and furniture for tiny homes.

Blogging
Blogging may just be the best starting career path for a person looking to explore commodifying their creative spirit. It can be started almost for free, and there are several ways to start earning an income very quickly. Money can be earned by advertisements on your blog, sponsored content, marketing, creating a platform for guest posts, the list goes on! The beautiful thing about the internet is its ability to connect people. What are you passionate about? There are guaranteed to be readers who would benefit from you blogging about your niche.