I'm really interested in doing a degree in art, but ive never done art before on any academic level. Do you think its a good idea to do a degree in it? I enjoy doing drawings and paintings, and a trip to an art gallery is one of my favourite things to do. I have read many books on art and artists but im nowhere near being an expert. I want to do a degree, i have no idea what other subject would suit me. I started on a business course last year, and i could bear it, but i knew it wasn't what was in my heart so i dropped out. Im also just as passionate about music, but again i have no previous experience. I wish i had known what to do when i was younger, if only!
Step 1. Pick a career and find out what path leads to it. Step 2. Get on the path. An arts degree is a good thing so long as you pursue a specific area with a job in mind. In the art field the most sought after individuals seem to be those with an education in graphic design, which often pays fairly well. You'll have a lot of options if you go the graphic design route, especially with the way the web is going. I know dozens of illustrators, animators, interior designers, lighting technicians, actors, and would-be film makers who are working in call centres and restaurants. One extremely talented (I mean holy crap talented) illustrator/animator was working at a Wal Mart last I heard. That's why it's so important to find out where you're going first, then go there. Anyone who tells you "you need a degree so pick something" is giving really bad advice. Unless you want to teach whatever your degree is in.
Thats probably good advice, which sucks for me... my major is crafts because I didn't know what else to do... but I could take preliminary art classes and then decide on a specific major later, so you can do that. The thing with art classes is the beginner ones can be kind of in the box, really it depends on the teachers, but I have definitely learned a lot from all of them so far! As for getting a job.. yeah I have no idea, and sometimes I wonder if going to college is useless. But I figure I might find a job doing art and having a degree would really help the situation...
i did both art and music at university and have certainly made a good life of it since . always , anytime i want , i can make something that has value and it gets me anything . so i don't work very hard . an artist doesn't have to .
I began college with an interest in Anthropology and have ended up at one of the country's top art schools pursuing an MFA. I'll be honest, making a living as a studio artist will be extremely difficult if you live outside of New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Many artists find themselves going back to school to earn teaching degrees, a -few- are able to get into a good school and earn their MFA's so they can become professors (in a largely flooded job market,) and unfortunately, most end up doing other things. I wouldn't advise you AGAINST going to art school if you love art. I'm proof it can be done. I'd just think long and hard before committing to that journey. I'd suggest doing that even if you were looking at another field.
Would you consider yourself an artist? Have you always been a drawer or painter? If you truly have a passion for art and believe you're talented enough, I'd say go for it. Personally, I've always created art since I could remember. But, not thinking I'd be able to make a living through it, I got my degree in English. Now, oddly enough, I just got offered a job as an artist. So I guess my point is, you don't necessarily need a degree in art to get a job in art. And, if you pursue something else, that doesn't mean you can't still create art as your hobby. Now...if you search every crevice of your brain and, for the life of you, you can't think of anything in the world that would complete you as much as having a degree in art and making a living through it, then I'd say, by all means, follow your heart.
