The term creative arts is an umbrella description for a wide ranging and extremely diverse topic. If you consider yourself as a creative person with an idea of what skills you possess, then transforming these ideas into jobs can be difficult. Mostly due to the disparate industries that define themselves as being in the creative arts sector.



Probably the most far reaching of employment sectors, it contains art design, drama, film, publishing and music. All these subjects can be viewed as sectors in their own right and have an assortment of jobs related to them. Here I will try to clarify some of the career opportunities in each sector of the creative arts discipline.

Starting with art design as a sub category, a number of job roles are prevalent, in media and advertising graphic designers are in constant need to design advertising campaigns and often images for magazines and newspapers.

Also in this sector the role of cartoonists and animators is present, for those with a talent for drawing fun vibrant characters this is a very real option. This industry however functions on an extremely laborious medium so meticulousness is a necessity.

Drama and performing arts can also be viewed as fundamentally creative. Although some may dispel budding young actors from pursuing it as a career, there is more to the business than Hollywood. A number of smaller roles are constantly available in soap opera and television dramas. This is not to discount the stage as a valid career pursuit for those with the acting bug.

Also under the curtain of performing arts are the disciplines of dance, magic and comedy. Generally these are seen as gifts that require talent as well as expertise, although the dancing industry can be lucrative and breaking out can simply mean dancing in clubs as professional dancers.

Magicians are often requested at social events such as weddings and can make a fair wage purely undertaking private functions, whereas comedy has truly got to be a passion, its one thing being funny with your friends, but standing on stage in front of hundreds of people and making them laugh, could not be further removed from banter down the pub.

If blessed with the talents of writing the options are in many ways infinite. Granted it is a very small number of authors who become published and actually make a living from their writing, but that should turn people away from the medium. The press and media require creative writers in large numbers whilst the world of advertising has many uses for those skilled with a pen in their hand.

The music industry can also be brought under the creative arts umbrella, apart from the big band stars and vocalists on Top of the Pops the industry has a wide variety of jobs open to those who are interested.

Music production is often overlooked by the general public but in many cases it is producers who put the majority of work into records and not the stars. Also there are the more technical aspects such as dubbing mixers that give records their professional sound. Jobs in the music industry are advisable to anyone who lives and breathes melodies day and night.

Overall jobs in the creative arts incorporate so many different roles and skills that it is hard to make any generalizations about the industry. Apparently if you consider yourself as a creative person and have a real passion for what you do, be it sing, write, draw or act, finding jobs within your chosen sector will not be difficult.

Unfortunately it must be remembered that you will never be the only one who considers themselves creative enough for a job. Jobs within the creative arts sector are fiercely fought over, competition for positions is high and often low level positions are not so well paid.

Clearly employers in this industry look at your passion for a subject and willingness to achieve your goals in that field. Unless you truly desire jobs in this sector it is hard to break into the any of the industries mentioned above.