Disadvantages of Art Careers

Although there are many advantages to art careers, there are some negative aspects that you may want to consider. It's important to know that even with an art school education, not every artist becomes successful. Because of the economic downturn, many people are being frugal with their purchases and are therefore spending less money on frivolous items, including fine art. So even if an artist was once successful, many things can change that, just like with many other careers.

One disadvantage of an art career is the lack of stable income. Yes, there are successful artists, but they are very few and far between. Fine art is an especially difficult area of art in which to make a decent living.
The term "starving artist" is not a myth. Especially if you freelance or have your own business, you will need to have excellent artistic skills and the ability to market yourself well in order to succeed.
You may have a project one week and nothing else for weeks or months. The work is not that stable.

Those who work in stable industries such as advertising, marketing, or video game design have a better chance of receiving a regular paycheck, making a decent living, and having a career for many years to come.

Another disadvantage is that turning your love of art into a career can backfire. Yes, you're doing something you love, but making art your job can cause artwork to become less spontaneous. When you do art as a hobby, you can do it on your time and on your terms. However, when you work for someone else and have to produce art to accommodate someone else's needs and schedule, it can stifle your creativity. You're doing the type of artwork they want you do, when they want you to do it.

Art careers also have another disadvantage in that jobs may not always be plentiful. If you're interested in computer and technology art and have the skills, then those jobs will be available. However, artists who focus more in the fine art area will find it difficult to find jobs. There is not very high demand for this type of art. Jobs in fine art include artist, painter, and sculptor. There are sometimes jobs available in art museums and galleries as curators and historians, but these jobs are not easy to come by, either. If you strongly feel the need to pursue an art career, you can always teach. Many people are interested in workshops or small classes in which they can learn basic art skills or a specific type of art, such as oil painting or sketching.