In this moment in time, I believe there are more creative people than ever before. Our nature is to create and build. It can be difficult to find and commit to a creative pursuit while staying financially afloat. Though I am not a very religious person, I found a brand whose fashion says, “God is a designer.” This is a graphic design company that made merchandise to fit within their theme of creation and innovation. Graphic Design, Web design, filmmaking, photography, programming, etc., are all careers where there are many technical aspects that once learned can culminate in a creatively charged result.

I believe that whether you are an engineer or a painter, you each have tools that can serve your nature to create and build. To me being a creative professional means that your work will continuously evolve and progress through ways only possible because you push the boundaries of what is expected of you. Moving passed the expectations of others creates the effect that may surprise, inspire, or provoke other emotional responses. I also think creative professionals should become proficient in different creative fields. For example, a Graphic designer that may want to push their brand and business forward will be a stronger creative professional should they become an exceptional photographer and web designer. This will add more skills and tools to your repertoire that will strengthen your ability to think creatively because you will take on different perspectives and continue to create and build within different creative worlds. I also believe a strong creative professional regularly writes through journals or brainstorming sessions. This improves self-awareness and hopefully self-honesty. Being honest with yourself is part of the learning and growing process and often separates those with a more authentic message and brand, from those who believe in delusions from the self or others.

I will hold a workshop with the name of this blog post: “Careers for Creatives.” In this workshop we will discuss how to be creative and fuel those instincts regardless of what your career path is, what it means to be a creative professional, essential skills for creative professionals, how to manage the business side of freelance creative work (including managing time and energy), online resources to help you find your own answers, and my insights and experience as a creative small business owner in the field of photography and videography.

This Article was contributed by Andy Cornielle, assistant director of career success in the office of Career Success and Experiential Education

To make an appointment with Andy or any of our Career Advisors click here: https://app.joinhandshake.com/stu/appointments/new