Jobs for Creative People: Career Advice for Creative Souls

…the elusive art of finding a job and also expressing your creativity.

You are a person of passion and that passion is fed through creativity. It could be painting, writing, acting, or music. As a creative soul, the draw to your art is undeniable but worth investing in. However, you may find that you sometimes struggle with how to pay the bills while pursuing your art.

Yes, there was a time when wealthy nobles would pay an artist's room, board, and wages and let them embrace their art to their heart's content. Sadly, artist patrons are generally a thing of the past. That said, jobs for creative people do exist and can help keep you on your feet while you pursue your dreams.

Tips to landing jobs for creative people

It's true that there are those who throw themselves so fully into their art that they don't know how they will get their next meal. Sometimes referred to as “starving artists,” these individuals take pride in making no compromises and pursuing their dreams to the fullest, even if it means stressing about how to take care of their bills and then some. Sometimes, it works out. Other times, it leads to struggles and leaves one without any real employable skills.

There is a better way, and it doesn't mean giving up on those dreams. You can be an artist and pay the rent by landing one of the many available jobs for creative people. In fact, by setting yourself on the right career path, you can make yourself better at your art while gaining great work experience.

Below are a few ideas on how you can have a rewarding career as a creative soul without giving up your art.

Find your balance

What exactly is your dream? If your dream is simply to be a rockstar, that's great. However, if you're a musician who simply wants to be making music, then you may have some better options.

If you're the rockstar, you need to consider what it takes to make it big. Do you need more classes? How much practice time? What kind of equipment?

Then, look for jobs that you would enjoy that could help you pay those bills. Could you work at a music store? Is there a local music venue that needs help? For you, the key might be to just make enough money to keep working on the dream.

The same goes for best-selling novelists, painters dreaming of gallery shows, and actors eyeing the red carpet as well. The trick is to make sure the work you do is somehow tied to your passion. If you keep learning while you're on the job, you'll only improve your chances of success.

Finding the balance that works for you is important. Working a day job that you hate while trying to keep the dream alive during your off hours is mentally and emotionally draining.

Expert Tip: Pay attention to the company, not just the job. You'll want to find a company that offers jobs for creative people and also embraces employees' personal growth and offers flexibility to pursue your dreams.

Find a career that embraces your artistic skills

For those of you who are not driven by the limelight, you have other options available. For every artistic skill out there, you can find jobs for creative people like yourself to utilize your talents. Do some research and find one that you think you'd enjoy.

Examples of jobs for creative people

Here are just a few examples of jobs for creative people, including writers, musicians, visual artists, and actors.

Writers

Journalism – The news is always happening, and with today's online media market, there is always a call for writers. Find your favorite niche, from sports to fashion, and you'll be happy.
Copywriting – Advertising requires writing. Good writing. From billboards to TV and radio ads, there is always a need for fresh ideas that are written well.
Blogging and Content Writing – Websites need good articles to draw readers and turn them into customers.

Musicians

Audio Engineer – Work with bands at live concerts or in the studio working the soundboard. It takes a great musical ear to do it right.
Instructor – Establish yourself as a private music teacher for voice or instruments. Or perhaps you can become a full-time band or choral instructor at a school.
Session Musician – Play your instrument or sing as backup for a recording artist, or look into making jingles.

Visual Artists

Graphic Designer – Graphic design uses an artist's eye to create anything from websites to advertisements and logos. It can be a great career for artists who also have computer skills.
Photographer – Photographers are needed for weddings, websites, news events, and a lot more. If you like using your artist's eye behind the lens of a camera, there are opportunities out there.

Actors

Local Theater – From stage managers to executive directors, small theaters need people to help operate them.
Sales – Really? Sales? Yes. Actors are natural show people and that's a big part of sales. Having the ability to read your audience and react accordingly is crucial.

These are just a few ideas for jobs for creative people. Figure out what your biggest strengths are, and do a little research on your own to find a career you'll enjoy.

Expert Tip: Some careers will take some schooling above and beyond your personal talents. If you're still in school, consider adding in some classes that will help you get your start. If you're out of school, try taking a couple of continuing education classes in your area of interest.

Learn to promote yourself

Remember, no one is out there looking for you and your work. You have to get it in front of them and knock their socks off. Luckily, you live in the time of social media where you can make use of X, Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram (to name a few) to get your name and your work out there.

Create posts that highlight some of your best work. Keep in mind what kind of jobs you are looking for and play up the relevance of your work to that field. Have you won contests or awards? Get that information out there and then engage with your followers on social media during the job search. Soon, they'll see your personality as well as your talent.

Next, consider hitting up some live networking events. This means getting out and meeting people in your own community. You may think, “They're all realtors and HR professionals. I have nothing in common with them!” Wrong. They are people who are doing what they love to do, and they may just need someone with your skills. Besides, who doesn't want to talk to the person whose name tag says, “Jason – Singer” or “Sandy – Actor.” You'll stand out in the crowd.

Expert Tip: As you promote yourself on social media, keep in mind that everything you post is representing you, personally and professionally. Do your best to keep it professional and useful.

Create an online portfolio

If you're a creative soul, you need an online portfolio. It's that simple. You need to have a presence on the web that shows examples of what you can do and have done. Like it or not, you generally won't be taken seriously until you have it.

Here's the good news. There are a lot of freebie sites that will allow you to put something together without spending any money. However, before you start building your site, look at the portfolios of some other artists who are similar to you. Take note of what you like and don't like. Then, map out how you want your site to look, feel, and what features it needs. If a freebie site won't do it, there are many that will let you have your ideal site. A great portfolio website is worth dishing out a little money.

Expert Tip: You may have to pay a little, but you can likely use items for your job search as a tax write-off next April.

Jobs for creative people exist!

It's a wonderful world we live in where some people are instinctively drawn to engineering or accounting while others are pulled to the arts. If it weren't for the engineers and inventors, we wouldn't have television. If it weren't for the artists, there wouldn't be anything worth watching on television. We need both types of skill sets!

If you are drawn to the arts, embrace it. You have a skill many others wish they had. By using your talent to create a career for yourself and land one of the many available jobs for creative people, you can do what you love and have steady work. You'll have the best of both worlds - feeling fulfilled without having to worry about finances.

Even creative people and artists need a resume. Hire a TopResume professional resume writer today!

This article was originally written by Tyler Omoth. It has been updated by Ronda Suder.