Being passionate about arts or beauty (or both) can make you frustrated when it’s time to carve out your career path. If you’re just about to go to college, the adults in your life may influence your decision-making, with their opinions on which degrees make money and which ones don’t. And the hardest part is convincing them that an artistic or a creative pursuit is more sustainable than they think. Many older adults grew up with misconceptions that there’s no money in art, when in fact, many rich people in the world have artistic careers, like actors, musicians, and designers.
If you’re an adult considering a new career path, your age and experience don’t necessarily make the switch easier either. With no background in your desired career, it can be easy to feel as if you’re too late in making the switch. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Besides, this is your life and your future in question. As such, only you can decide what to do with them. While it’s helpful to receive guidance from your parents and peers, at the end of the day, the decision should come from yourself.
If you’re unsure which occupation to go after, here are some short guides on the careers available for creative and artistic people like you:
- Event Styling
Event stylists, sometimes called event designers, event planners, or event coordinators, are the people responsible for designing and decorating an event venue. They also arrange the logistics of an event, such as transportation and catering. While you can focus on venue decorating alone, it would be advantageous to master event planning as well. With multiple skills, more opportunities will open for you.
Beginners start as assistants to experienced event planners. Though a bachelor’s degree isn’t required to get employed, a variety of different majors, such as marketing, business, or public relations will give you an edge. If you took up hospitality management, that’s even better. Some colleges also offer specialized but rare programs in event planning, so if you find one, enroll as soon as you can.
Manage your expectations when you’re starting out, though. Entry-level jobs in event planning aren’t the most fun. You’ll only perform routine tasks like scheduling and handling client services. But as you gain experience, you’ll advance in your career and be the head event stylist in no time.
- Hair Styling
This is a career you can have either by self-studying or completing a course at a beauty school. The latter will give you more advantages, though. That’s because most states require a cosmetology certification from hairstylists obtaining a license.
But you don’t have to wait until finding a beauty school before honing your skills. Practice on your own hair first by using the best hair-cutting scissors or shears. Once you get more confident, start practicing with your family and friends. It’d be easier to complete your cosmetology course if you already know what you’re doing.
If you become well-known in your area as a skilled hairstylist, a celebrity hairstylist may notice you. They may hire you as an assistant or intern. That’d be the start of your glamorous — albeit demanding — career as a celebrity hairstylist.
- Makeup Artist
You can also self-study to become a makeup artist, but getting formal education has more perks, as with any occupation in all industries. You can also participate in workshops organized by top makeup brands, like MAC.
Nowadays, starting a YouTube channel is the easiest way to market your services, but going the traditional route is also smart. Working at exclusive salons may present opportunities for meeting and working with celebrity makeup artists. If that’s your goal, get a formal education and get employed at your city’s most luxurious salon.
- Interior Designer
If you prefer a job with a more predictable schedule, with a considerably calmer environment, like a home, interior designing might be right for you. You’d just deal with numbers in this job, but you’d be rewarded by the sight of your beautiful home designs, not to mention your satisfied clients.
You’d need an interior design degree or a background in architecture, then pass the three-part National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. Afterward, you can seek employment from interior design firms, and build up your career until you can start your own business.
These artistic and creative endeavors are some of the most fulfilling and rewarding occupations out there. They give you experiences most people can only imagine. More than the money, the lessons are the ones that make these jobs worth the challenges. So go for your passion, because when you do what you love, money just becomes a bonus.
Meta title: Your Best Career Options if You Love Arts and Beauty
meta desc: There are more career options for artistic and creative people than society thinks. If you’re having a hard time picking a degree, or deciding whether to go to college in the first place, read on and learn about your possible career paths.