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Becoming a self-supporting artist is a dream for people of all ages, including students preparing for college. For many people it will always remain a dream, but it is easier to turn that dream into reality with the right background and education. Preparing for the right day job can make the transition to artist easier and be rewarding in its own right.
I am a mostly full-time writer but I have also had fascinating jobs at companies like Intel, Accenture, ESPN, and a variety of advertising agencies and start-ups. I don’t think I took the only path into writing —or that there is a single, ideal path— but if you want to have a job for which the barrier to entry is very high, like being an artist, writer, or professional athlete, it’s good to prepare not only for that job, but the jobs you will do while you are breaking in, and when your monetary success does not cover your living expenses.
If you are preparing for college and want to be an artist, here are some things to think about.
The half-drowned king by Linnea Hartsuyker
The Sea Queen by Linnea Hartsuyker
Going to art college
Many kinds of schools exist to let you focus entirely on your art, whether it’s filmmaking, visual art, music, or dance. These schools can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition, to get a foot in the door early. Preparing for an art college requires preparing a portfolio specific to that kind of art. Your standardized test scores may not be as important as your portfolio and entrance essay.
If you do opt for an art college, I recommend making plans to study something else on the side, or before or after. Skills in graphic design, marketing, project management, data science, and computer programming will serve you well in getting jobs that help you support your art. Happily, there are now many alternatives to a college degree for gaining these skills, from online universities, to boot-camps and certification classes in your area.
Majoring in your art at a traditional university
There are also colleges where you can study your art, but still have the opportunity to take other classes. It might be tempting to study English, and concentrate in Creative Writing if you want to be a writer, but consider if it would be possible to take Creative Writing classes in another major. Art adjacent jobs, like working in publishing if you want to be a writer, may seem like a good idea, but they can also be low-paying jobs with very long hours. If you are skilled at math or science, a minor, major, or double major that uses those skills will help you get a job after graduation.
Preparing for a traditional university requires good grades, essays, and standardized test scores. High in both math and verbal skills will show you are a well-rounded student who can study several different subjects.
Studying something other than your art
You can be an artist without studying it in college. I studied Materials Science and Engineering in college, and wrote on the side, and only took one creative writing class. I took more independent creative writing classes after college before applying to MFA programs for creative writing. Preparing for a high-paying career and planning to do art on the side is the best way to make sure you can always find work and support yourself. Still, many lucrative careers are also very time-consuming, and don’t leave much time for art. After jobs with titles including Web Producer, Product Manager, and Product Director, I decided to take lower paying jobs that left me more time, until I could support myself entirely with writing.
No matter which route you take, it is very possible to pursue your art without cutting off money-making options. If you can, use your time in college to develop a skill set entirely independent from your art—it can also give you good life experience to put into your art later on.
by Linnea Hartsuyker,
Author of The Half-Drowned King and The Sea Queen
