If you enjoy being innovative and are often complimented for thinking out-of-the-box, the chances are that your Creative Right Brain is more dominant than your Analytical Left Brain. Now, this doesn’t mean you are not an analytical person. But if given two tasks, you would prefer the one requiring creative skills over the one requiring analytical skills.
Etching out a creative career can indeed be a real challenge as it requires practice, risk taking, and trial and error. For people who do it on their own, it also means learning how to market themselves and run a business.
However, with social media invading our daily life and increasing the visibility of careers with a creative spark, now is your chance to grab eyeballs, and even get paid well!
This article covers selected careers in which creativity is key. Creativity can be defined as the ability to produce something of value that did not exist before. You could harness creativity to design a product, write a script, or develop a website. While the outcomes of creative work may be wildly different among individual people or disciplines, there are often similarities in the process.
The creative process often starts with a spark of inspiration: An idea. It can come at any time and from anywhere, such as from nature or people.
So, let’s explore a wide array of promising careers that allow you to utilize your creative abilities.
Applying makeup can be a work of art, so being a makeup artist can serve as a great career option for a creative person. Transforming people's faces and bodies so they can look their best or fit a specific role is the primary duty of makeup artists. They do so by using color to highlight and enhance features, skin tones, and looks. Those who specialize in doing makeup for the stage or theater command higher wages, but many talented makeup artists have found high paying-gigs by specializing in gigs such as bridal makeup and celebrity makeup.
Median annual wage: $99,990
Projected job growth through 2030: 13.8%
Photography is an exceptional medium that can provide you with an outlet for your creativity. This field allows you to share your perspective and create visual art by capturing moments. While many begin with Photography as a hobby, if you have an eye for detail and your pictures make other people think, then with some formal training you can venture into the field of professional photography. Today, this field provides abundant career options and specializations, such as Lifestyle Photography, Fashion Photography, Food Photography, Wildlife Photography, and the list goes on!
Median hourly wage: $19.85
Projected job growth through 2030: 17%
Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear. For each product, they choose fabrics, colors, and patterns that are practical and have aesthetic appeal. They may develop original designs or adapt fashion trends. Some products have a recurring theme, such as a similar color palette or style, and are designed as part of a collection. The Internet and e-commerce allow fashion designers to offer their products outside of traditional brick-and-mortar stores. These designers ship directly to the consumer, without having to invest in a physical shop to showcase their product lines of collections. You can also specialize in one or more categories - accessory designing, costume designing, clothing designing, and footwear designing.
Median annual wage: $75,810
Projected job growth through 2030: 0%
Graphic design is a great career for creative thinkers who enjoy art, technology, and communication. There are design requirements across every industry, so graphic designers have many opportunities to take on a range of new and exciting projects. It can also be a very fulfilling career, as graphic designers can see the real-world impact of their work. Frequently, designers specialize in a particular category including logo designing, product design, UX/UI design, video game design, or advertisement design.
Median annual wage: $53,380
Projected job growth through 2030: 3%
The sky is the limit if you have a flair for writing. As social media marketing has gained momentum, companies are beginning to realize that no product or service can make it big without good relevant content to accompany it. Good content is important because it helps to communicate with the target audience, direct visitors to the website, and obtain a high-ranking placement in search engines. Hence, companies are in search of good content writers with a passion for writing, excellent research skills, a good understanding of grammar, and an ability to meet deadlines.
Median annual wage: $67,120
Projected job growth through 2030: 9%
Interior designers plan and furnish the insides of residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. They consider the aesthetics, safety, and function of each space, as well as the client’s needs and budget. Interior designers create a plan to specify design elements, such as lighting fixtures, furniture, and flooring. The plan also estimates the project’s cost and timeline. Interior designers often work with architects, engineers, and builders. They may specialize in a particular style or field, such as sustainability, renovation, or kitchen design. If you have an eye for aesthetics and detail, this could be the ideal career path for you.
Median annual wage: $57,060
Projected job growth through 2030: 0%
Films are more than entertainment. They inspire, inform, and may even become part of our culture. And for many people, films also offer jobs and a career path. A filmmaker is a storyteller, a visionary. The filmmaker has to be adept at not only envisioning how a story will be expressed but also taking care of the day-to-day activities that go into making a film. All in all, the job of a filmmaker involves everything from translating the script into moving pictures, to casting, directing, editing, screening, and budgeting. For many filmmakers, getting the opportunity to work with creative coworkers is another plus.
Median annual wage: $76,400
Projected job growth through 2030: 24%