Many artistic teens would like to enter the arts industry after obtaining their high school diploma. However, the arts are often brushed off by parents who are not aware of the many possibilities within the industry. Depending on your teen's interests, passions, talent, and abilities, the arts provide ample opportunities to give back to one's community, work directly with children and/or adults, work for a business or themself, and make good money. If your teen would like to pursue a career in the arts, consider these options and how they can provide your soon-to-be young adult the opportunity to work in a field they love.
Work for a Nonprofit Art Organization
Did you know that, with 113,000 nonprofit arts organizations employing 2.2 million artists in the workforce, the arts are a strong force in the United States' economy? Nonprofit arts organizations can include museums, art galleries, children's foundations, city art associations, as well as art initiatives and societies. These kinds of nonprofits serve communities and cities alike by raising money that goes toward a number of causes.
If your teen wants to be apart of community efforts while working in a nonprofit, museums, art galleries, and other organizations have job opportunities that include creating art or providing tours and explaining pieces of art to visitors. Your teen's passion for art would serve a greater purpose, and nonprofit organizations often have room for growth career-wise, which could allow your teen to one day run a gallery or museum within the city or community they're passionate about.
Provide Art Therapy
Another career in the arts that gives back to others is art therapy. Art therapy is based on the idea that creative expression can help adults and children alike through the healing process along with managing mental health, exploring emotions, coping with stress, developing social skills, and elevating self-esteem. If your teen is a gifted artist and also has the yearning and capacity to help others, art therapy may be a wonderful career for your high schooler to consider post-graduation. Becoming an art therapist requires a college education, and every state has different licensing procedures and college degree requirements. Look into your teen's options and visit the American Art Therapy Association's website to learn more about the field.
Design Graphics for Businesses
If your teen is artistically inclined and also enjoys working with people, they should consider pursuing a career in graphic design. Becoming a graphic designer often requires a college degree in graphic design or a similar art program. Graphic designers can work on an independent freelance basis or for a business or organization. Either way, graphic designers work with clients to execute advertising techniques, create logos, brochures, and other marketing materials, create designs for merchandise and apparel, design magazines and catalogs, and more.
Working for a business may entail meeting with clients and discussing advertising techniques that will be executed through designs and particular marketing strategies. For example, a graphic designer may create a design for a company's billboard or business sign. The value of on-site signage is equal to 24 full-page newspaper ads every year. Therefore, graphic designers can truly help small and large businesses alike advertise their services and stay in business. Just keep in mind, there will be additional expenses as business requirements are usually a bit different. You might have to invest in some professional equipment in order to compete and produce high quality results. Check out this guide for airbrush compressors to get an idea of what might be in store for you.
Teach Art
If your teen loves art and enjoys working with children, becoming an art teacher may be a great career choice. Art teachers can work in elementary, middle, or high schools. High school art teachers can teach courses on particular mediums, such as photography, design, ceramics, painting, or drawing. On the college level, art professors may even teach art theory or art history. Becoming an art teacher requires a bachelor's degree, and some states may require a particular bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and/or state certifications in order to start teaching. If your teen would like to teach art on the college-level, additional schooling may be required in order to get a teaching job at a university.
Run a Small Business
Many teens start making art for themselves while they're in middle or high school, and some may create art for family members and friends for birthdays or holiday celebrations as their talents blossom. For some teens, this hobby can become a successful business as they graduate high school and approach adulthood. Your teen may enjoy making earrings, necklaces, and other pieces of jewelry. Your teen may be a gifted painter. Your teen may have a talent for repurposing items into pieces of art. For example, your teen may know that the average wooden pallet has over 100 nails in it but also has the ability and creative mind to turn it into a bench, jewelry holder, or another piece of furniture or decoration.
Does this sound like your teen? Perhaps your teen should consider creating their own website and selling their art on a larger platform. This can become a full-time job, or it can be a side-gig while they're obtaining a college degree. Either way, creating and selling art is a great way for your teen's work and creativity to be seen by others. It could even become a lucrative business down the road.
Your teen's passion for art may be a motivation to find or create a job they will love. Whether it be working in the art industry, providing services through art, teaching art, or creating their own art for a business or in an entrepreneurial style, there are several options that parents often don't think of. Consider what your teen loves and how their hobby and passion can become a successful and meaningful career down the road.
