5/8 — How would a degree in a creative subject help my child to find work?
PART FIVE of prolific, invisible artist, The Mollusc Dimension’s personal reflections on perilous journeys in a thought-provoking 8-part picture book/essay: “Flying Across The Forbidden Ocean — Health Through Creativity”.
a) Finding out there is funding and that you can apply for it
You know when you see Arts Council or Company logos on a poster or programme, that means that the artist received funding/ sponsorship. I used to think that people were awarded the funding via head-hunting. I only found out that artists apply for funding from the Arts Council in 2016. This was 12 years after I graduated with a Masters in Illustration and Art. It has only recently occurred to me that I could apply for funding. Artists I know who studied Fine Art apply for funding to do their projects. So far, I have written one proposal. I wasn’t successful. But that’s sort of like sending in ONE job application and expecting to get it.
b) Practising and valuing creative professionalism
Artists I know may have taken some time to learn about using different materials and formats. Doing so in a studio space and with the necessary equipment is useful. As Sam Matla (EDMProd) says, outputting in quantity is a way to achieve quality. By working on many different projects with different people, we learn more each time about our materials, communication, audiences etc. Learning about the pre- and post-project processes: writing proposals, applying for grants, accepting commissions; documenting work, collecting feedback and reflecting would be useful while studying. I think that a huge aspect of studying art would be to feel deeply the value one’s role and voice as an artist in a world where art is commodified but not always valued.
c) Building networks
Years later, an artist friend pointed out that networking is a major outcome of higher education. My university friends have come to my shows in the past, have bought my work and hired me for projects. I have also worked extremely hard to find visual and music collaborators and commissioned work outside of my university contacts.
d) Resourcefulness
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” (Plato / proverb). Do resourceful parents dare to dream that their children could be as resourceful as themselves in developing their ambitions? Parents who work nine-to-five jobs or other shift work may also be cautious about self-employment. For me, the price of not having employment benefits is made up for by being my own boss.Many artists work several jobs, or work on several projects at a time, which can be viewed as resourcefulness. If you know me, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that I have worked in at least nine different customer service jobs before I went into self-employment (part-time / evenings, beginning from school-days, studying full-time).
Learning to create with whatever you have to hand is a form of problem-solving.
Next Part Coming Soon:
6. What if we saw artists as doctors and lawyers?
There are 8 parts to this picture book/essay:
- Part 1. Flying Across the Forbidden Ocean — An East-Asian Artist’s fight for health through creativity
- Part 2. I’m mostly self-taught as an artist and here’s why
- Part 3. Art saved my life and keeps me alive — Mental Health Through Creativity
- Part 4. My parents feared that if I was an artist, this would happen..
- Part 5. How would a degree in a creative subject help my child to find work?
- Part 6. Society needs artists, musicians, storytellers and teachers as much as doctors and lawyers
- Part 7. Could “ Tiger Mums” be.. a bit Victorian?
- Part 8. If this is a creative destination, what happens next?
If you enjoyed my work, there are a few ways you could show your support and I would really appreciate it!
