Old perspectives say that art school and other creative pursuits are in vain. The image of the starving artist often comes to mind when young people say they want to pursue a degree or other education in art. We here at Americans for the Arts would strongly disagree. What comes with art is curiosity, unique perspectives, and intuition that can help people thrive no matter what careers they pursue after art school. Pursuing art and creative ventures is filled with ups and downs for sure, but the lessons learned are invaluable. Here are some of the skills that artists have that they can use if they continue to pursue art in later years or another career path.

Desire to Learn
Artists have an innate desire to learn about the world around them. They express their knowledge through art, music, and other creative mediums. They often learn new art techniques just because they want to. This desire to learn helps them tackle any new task they need to master at work. They can jump in and gain new insight and knowledge because it’s what they already do when they are creating art.

Desire to Improve
Most artists want to get better at what they do. They want to make better compositions. They want to use light or darks better. They want to sculpt more meaningful pieces. They are constantly practicing what they do to try and improve their technique and get better at creating art. In a career, it’s important to want to improve. Employers love it when their staff have a thirst for excellence because it means they will do their jobs well and help the business thrive.

Ability to Receive Constructive Criticism
Many of today’s younger workforce struggle when they first get started because they never learned to receive constructive feedback or constructive criticism. This can be a harsh wake-up when they get to work and their boss pulls them into the office to tell them how they can do a better job. Artists need a tough skin to survive. They are constantly getting feedback from others on whether their art is any good or not and what they can do to make it better.

Art is just art. Some people will love a piece and others will hate that same piece. Some people will use all the standard art rules and others will break those rules on purpose. At the end of the day, artists can take a lot of constructive criticism. This quality serves them well in college and beyond.

Entrepreneurial Spirit
Not all artists are businesspeople, but many businesspeople are creatives at heart. They have an entrepreneurial, can-do attitude that looks for ways to make a brighter future for others. Entrepreneurs are typically those who start businesses, but that entrepreneurial spirit means that they don’t give up when things get hard, and they can thrive in almost any situation. Artists use this to recover from bad reviews, they use it to look for income to fund their artistic pursuits, and they use their entrepreneurial spirit to learn new things.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Have you ever watched an artist work on a piece and put it down? Sometimes it’s the fact that the inspired moment is gone. Other times, they are carefully planning their next step. They want the piece to look a certain way, so they are trying to come up with solutions in their mind before they create it. These critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential for the workplace. It’s also essential for higher education. Many artists seek degrees and if they further their education to get an international business degree or a master’s degree in leadership business, they will be well-prepared. The best students are problem solvers who know how to seek out answers to tough questions. They can critically think about issues and look for relevant solutions.

Conclusion
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to artists and art education. The lessons they learn through their art are tremendous. When employers are looking for quality staff it’s important to consider those with art degrees and the value they can add to your company. They are resilient, strong, and capable of taking on almost any challenge.