If you have an interest in the arts, you might be surprised to learn that there are a number of different career paths that you can pursue. While many people think of painters and sculptors when they think of an artist, there are actually many other career opportunities available to those with a creative spirit. Even better, you don’t have to be a “starving artist” in order to allow your creativity to flow on a regular basis. Here are a few different careers you might want to consider pursuing within the art field.

Art Therapist

With the help of art, an art therapist helps individuals who are struggling with addiction, personal problems, psychological issues or other concerns. Therefore, if you are interested in a career in art therapy, you will likely find yourself working at a private counseling center, a school or a hospital.

In order to pursue this career path, you will first need to get a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in counseling as well as a license. It would also be a good idea to join the American Art Therapy Association in order to start networking with other professionals in the field and to get connected with professional organizations.

Carpentry

Carpentry is another area where you can put your creativity and your hands to work. You don’t necessarily need to have formal training in order to start a career in carpentry, though completing an apprenticeship program or taking coursework in carpentry will certainly be beneficial. Primarily, you need to be certain to maintain a portfolio of your work so you can show potential clients some examples of your work. Setting up a website with samples of your work is another great way to bring in work and to easily showcase your abilities. Customer testimonials will also help you bring in new clients, so don’t be afraid to ask satisfied customers to write reviews about their experiences with you.

Corporate Presentation Specialist

Image is important to corporations, which is why many are willing to pay top dollar for a creative individual who can put together presentations and other materials that are to be used with current and potential clients.

In order to perform this job effectively, you will need to be an expert with software applications such as PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Suite and Photoshop. In addition, it is beneficial to be familiar with both Mac and PC platforms. Therefore, you may need to head back to school to learn more about these software programs and systems. You will also want to maintain an extensive professional portfolio – both online and off – demonstrating your skills at creating presentation materials.

Art Teacher

As an art teacher, you can enjoy great benefits and job security while also helping to shape and mold future artists. You will, however, need to head back to school in order to get your teaching degree as well as certification in the field. After obtaining the proper certification, you will be eligible to teach at private or public elementary schools, middle schools or high schools. In some cases, a degree and certification is not necessary to teach at a private school. If you can land a job at one of these schools, it can help you get your feet wet so you can determine whether or not being an art teacher is right for you.

Real Estate Stager

When trying to sell a home, many real estate agents and homeowners call upon a professional stager to come into the home and make it more appealing to potential buyers. While this may include doing things such as painting the walls and replacing the carpet, it is primarily about choosing the right colors and textures to make each room more attractive. You don’t necessarily need to have a professional training in the field in order to become a real estate stager. Rather, create a portfolio containing before and after photos so you can show what you are capable of doing.

To gain an extra edge, however, it is a good idea to take classes in the field. You can learn more about classes by visiting the Certified Stating Professionals website or the Home Staging Resource website. You can also increase your chances of landing a job by networking with real estate professionals, which you can easily do at websites such as UpWorld.

Market Researcher

As a market researcher, your job is to track trends and to determine “what’s hot and what’s not” for the season. Corporations pay market researchers handsomely, as they play an integral role in helping the corporation determine which products to manufacture and what types of new products need to be developed. While this may sound like a “number crunching” job, it really isn’t. Rather, you need to be able to understand society and its changes so you can spot current trends and identify new ones as they develop. Again, you don’t necessarily need to have a formal education in order to pursue a career in this field. In fact, you might want to visit a website such as TrendWatching.com and write reviews of trends you have noticed. Not only will it help you establish a reputation in the industry, but you will also earn money as Google directs traffic to your contribution.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the arts, visit the Top Colleges home page and start exploring the many different degree programs that are currently available.