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Creative talent, such as writing and graphic design, is often looked at as a less-than-secure field. People outside these disciplines often assume that it’s too competitive and that it’s more difficult to create or sustain a career with these skills. The truth is that creative talent is useful in virtually every industry. There is no innovation without creativity.
If you’re looking for industries where your creative career can flourish, there is no shortage of options. However, there are some industries where creative talents are more in demand than others. These are often called the creative industries. For an industry to be categorized as creative, the artistic work drives the business model.
For instance, marketing is often thought of as a creative industry. Marketing, of course, is not all creative. The industry itself employs many computer science and data analysts to make better use of the information that goes into creating campaigns. It also employs those with business and finance backgrounds. There are other disciplines involved, but the main production is the marketing collateral — slogans, campaigns, promotional material, etc.
For those interested in developing their creative talents professionally, the creative industries aren’t the only option. However, the creative industries do have one advantage that other industries typically don’t have: There are more positions available for creatives in industries where the business model centers around that artistic discipline.
For the scope of this article, the focus is on industries where you can earn the most money from your creative talents, though income is not usually the biggest deciding factor for those who go into their prospective artistic fields. Many artists go into their field because they love the creation process. Some industries pay less but may be more fulfilling for your particular talents. Then, too, there are options available in other industries where your skillset may be highly prized because it is less common.
The biggest takeaway from this article is that you can make a living from your creative talents. In most cases, you can make a living that’s well above the median average.
The top five creative industries are:
Marketing and advertising are the most often-cited careers for those in the creative arts because they have the most need for talent. As discussed earlier, these fields use other disciplines which include analytics, finance, and business backgrounds. In today’s digital world, talent in this massive industry is in increased demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marketing, advertising, and promotions are predicted to grow at a rate well above average. Marketing managers earn substantially more than the median income levels, earning well over $130,000 per year.
The marketing field relies on numerous types of creatives including content strategists, copywriters, graphic designers, photographers, and web designers. Typically, you need a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field to qualify for an entry-level position. Marketing professionals also continue to upgrade and enhance their education regularly because the industry evolves at a rapid pace. If you’re interested in a career in marketing, you should enjoy learning new skills and be prepared to stay current on the industry trends.
Marketing professionals often do well when they have varied backgrounds. This field is a mix of creativity, science, social science, and psychology. Those who are interested in more than one discipline often find this field to be exceptionally fun and rewarding.
The publishing industry, contrary to some beliefs, is not at all dead. Magazine and book publishing saw some difficult adjustments when brick-and-mortar bookstores closed and people started getting their news and articles digitally. The job outlook for editors, for example, has declined. However, across all publishing-related fields, there’s only a slight 1% drop in positions projected over the next several years.
Editor jobs aren’t the only artistic positions available in publishing, and this industry covers a wide variety of different types of business models. Most magazines today are digital, but they include literary, trade, and geographically specific magazines as well as those in niche fields such as parenting, feminism, and fishing. There are also book publishers.
Many publishers hire in-house editors and writers, but they often also accept submissions from writers. This may be a key client base for those who earn their living as freelance writers or journalists.
Publishers also employ graphic designers and those in the visual arts to create illustrations, book covers, and other visual content. Art Directors are also heavily employed in the publishing industry, and this career path is not projected to change in the next several years. Art Directors need a bachelor’s degree and often have several years of experience before qualifying for the position, but they earn well above the median income, at over $92,000 per year.
For those who love fashion, this is a dream industry to work in. It’s also projected to grow. Overall, jobs in the industry should grow by about 3%. These creative jobs include various disciplines. The fashion industry consists of designers but also includes models, photographers, art directors, make-up artists, and stylists, to name a few. Take, for example, the job of a fashion designer. This position will see no change in growth over the next few years, which means there will be no loss of positions. To enter the field, you need a bachelor’s degree. The current median income is over $72,000 per year.
Fashion is an industry that people flock to because they love it. It’s a passion industry where the earnings are good but the ability to contribute to an industry you truly enjoy is even more coveted. If you’re interested in a career in fashion, there are many possible avenues which include costume design, publishing, modeling, and sourcing fabrics.
Industrial design merges graphic ability, science, and commerce. This field is ever-growing and pays well. Most industrial designers hold degrees in architecture, engineering, or industrial design itself. As an industrial designer, you would create computer drawings or blueprints to bring new designs or products to market. The industrial designer’s job is to create the image and model based on specifications from their client or company.
Often, the designer will work directly with the client to develop the original sketches, CAD drawings, and models. They may also need to work with other engineers or specialists to determine aspects of the project, such as whether the cost of production will be too high for profitability. Industrial design is a field that is projected to grow at an average pace.
This field may not be top-of-mind, but the events planning and services sphere is a huge industry that constantly needs artistic professionals to fulfill client and consumer needs. This industry encompasses conventions, concerts, weddings, and any family or festival event you can think of. The impact on the economy from these events is massive.
There are several artistic disciplines employed in this industry. They include musicians, audio engineers, AV technicians, lighting designers, artistic directors, graphic designers, writers, and speakers, to name a few. Event planning itself is also a creative career choice. It’s often looked at as professional party planning, but it includes a great deal of organizational ability and business acumen.
Going into a field that uses your creative talents can be an excellent choice for personal fulfillment —but it can also be a financially lucrative job choice if you choose the right industry for your specific talents.
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