Creative Jobs for Artistic People

A creative job is a career where the skill to generate, develop, and complete an expressive product is crucial. Artistic, innovative, and original ideas are central to the job, and many resourceful individuals gravitate to careers for innovation and self-expression. Creative careers allow for more collaboration, can present more flexibility in schedule, and are always changing.

Careers for artistically driven people exist even in some of the most unexpected of job sectors. Creative careers are responsible for interesting advancements and many creative jobs pay well. Below is a list of occupations for the artistically inclined organized into different categories.

Craftworkers

People who work in this category create and build with their hands. They are often self-employed and independent contractors but can also find work through city departments, museums, or manufacturing companies.

• Woodcrafter: These skilled creatives use a variety of tools from computer design software to saws and sanding machines to create original pieces crafted from various woods.
• Glass and pottery artists: Glassblowers use high heat to melt glass and manipulate it to the desired shape. Pottery artists work with moldable clay to create decorative or functional pieces.
• Jewelry maker: Designing and creating meaningful and fashionable jewelry requires a stable hand and an eye for detail and how shapes come together.

Visual artists

The creatives in these occupations tend to express their ideas using various forms of visual media. Often they capture ideas and can communicate emotions through images.

• Professional photographer: Using cameras and lenses, photographers capture moments to be cherished later or can produce original images for galleries and commissioned work alike.
• Illustrator and cartoonist: These artists use their drawing skills to create fictional characters in media such as graphic novels and printed works.
• Tattoo or henna artist: Using humans as a living canvas, tattoo artists help individuals express themselves through images branded on the skin. They must follow strict guidelines for sterilization and licensing.
• Sculptor: Using hands and various sculpting tools, sculptors carve, chisel, and sand three-dimensional original pieces for display. They often work through commissions from clients.
• Art restorer: These professional artists use both skill and technology to return old masterpieces and works of art to their original form.

Wordsmiths

The types of creative jobs found under this category are good with words. They often can manipulate language and convey information in memorable ways to evoke emotion, surface new ideas, or find new ways to describe life.

• Screenwriter: These creative writers develop scripts to tell stories on television or the film screen.
• Copywriter: Copywriters work with companies to develop content and promote products, services, and brands.
• Technical writer: Writers in this occupation typically develop user guides, various instruction manuals, and other documents to help people understand difficult ideas.
• Editor: Editors review written pieces to make sure they are clear of mistakes and communicate ideas in the best way possible.
• Marketing manager: Creative people who work as marketing managers guide communications between businesses, brands, and their target audience.
• Advertising director: These professionals create promotions to help mold brand identity and inspire consumers to purchase products.

 

Performance artists

Creative jobs in the performing arts are often about entertaining an audience or expressing published storylines in a visual or three-dimensional form. The performing arts often create or interpret using their whole bodies.

• Actor and singer: Actors are charged with authentically portraying a character while singers use their musical and vocal abilities to entertain audiences.
• Dancer and composer: Choreographers create routines for dancers to perform and composers create original music in many genres for musicians to perform.
• Make-up artist: These professionals use cosmetics and other tools to help give actors an appearance that matches their character.
• Film director: Directors select cast and crew for the creation of motion pictures and determine how the script should be performed on screen.
• Film editor: Editors for films select the best shots and angles from raw film and splice scenes together to create a refined and complete visual experience.

Designers

Designers often produce plans for functional or decorative products. They can create the layout for things like buildings, dresses, shoes, video games, or even flower arrangements.

• User experience (UX) designer: These computer focused artists create a framework that helps users navigate a website.
• Architect: Skilled architects plan out and design buildings that are safe, functional, and beautiful.
• Fashion designer: These fashion-forward thinkers create unique pieces of garments, shoes, and accessories for individuals to wear.
• Industrial designer: Industrial designers create products such as machines, cars, and toys.
• Interior designer: Interior designers ensure the cohesive flow of a room’s interior using elements like lighting and structures.
• Floral designer: Floral designers arrange flowers in pleasing displays.
• Graphic designer: Graphic designers manipulate visual media of various forms to communicate an idea or maintain a brand’s image.

Multimedia creatives

Creative individuals working in this category use tools such as cameras, computers, or prosthetics to produce films, commercials, cartoons, or even games.

• Special effects technician: Artists working with special effects use a variety of tools such as mini-models, puppets, robots, and green screens to create characters and help bring to life fanciful sets that would otherwise be unattainable or extremely dangerous in real life.
• Animator: These creative professionals produce multiple frames of images that when strung together tell a story.
• Game designer: Game designers create worlds, storylines, and plots complete with conflict for new video games.