Q: What are you going to do with that art degree? A: Kick ass!
Painting in a four-part series about redevelopment and restoration in Tacoma that I created with an undergraduate research grant; see full project here. © Jenni Denekas
I can’t count the number of times that I have been asked, “What are you going to do with that art degree?”
That’s not because art majors are bad with numbers, har har. I took calculus for fun, actually. But I’m not here to belabor a sore subject or rehash stale jokes.
I’m here to explain what a fine arts education provided me, including transferrable, professional skills. More broadly, I also want to encourage my fellow artists to pursue their passion (even when no one gets it), and to explain why it might serve your company well to hire more artists.
Here are six ways my fine arts background supports my professional success:
Ingenuity. Artists are not only creative when it comes to subject matter and color palettes, we are inventive and resourceful no matter the situation. We don’t give up when it’s the middle of the night, we’re on a deadline, our sculpture has broken, and we urgently need something with which to fix it. It doesn’t matter that the hardware store isn’t open or that we haven’t slept in two days. We search the cupboards, we creatively repurpose materials, and we make our pieces both structurally sound and aesthetic.
This resourceful mentality extends to my work as a nonprofit communications professional and entrepreneur. Even when I’m tasked with something outside my comfort zone, even when there is a small or non-existent budget, and even when we’re tight on time, I will find a way forward. With a can-do mindset and an ingrained sense of ingenuity, artists get it done.
Work ethic. This hopefully was already conveyed with point #1, but to say artists are determined is an understatement. We are accustomed to pouring our entire selves into creating intricate pieces. There’s no “halfway” or “half-hearted” with us.
The finish line is different for us, too: We are done when we are fully satisfied. We work ourselves to the bone to bring our pieces to perfection. Every detail counts, sleep be damned. (I’ve seen that get twisted into an argument about poor time management, but that is simply not the case; see #3.)
Mark my words: You will not meet a harder worker than an artist on a mission.
Project management & execution. Artists are accustomed to implementing every step of a project, from concept to completion—without the benefit of a pre-existing blueprint.
Exhibit A: Conducting textual, interview-based, and visual research on an extensive environmental remediation project, writing a 20-page report about it, building four 4 foot x 3 foot canvases by hand, then creating four glazed oil paintings in one summer (it typically takes a single layer of oil paint a week to dry). I planned and executed this project with meticulous attention to detail, solo, and on time (see it here).
Critical thinking. Artists are an organization’s built-in fact-checkers + zeitgeist-checkers. We don’t accept things at face value. We question. We ponder. We reinterpret and reinvent.
And, more specific to communications, we are accustomed to analyzing messaging from multiple angles, contemplating unintended implications that need to be remedied, and drawing upon thousands of years of art history to ensure the final product is neither cliché, nor insensitive, nor incomprehensible.
In short, artists are an indispensable asset for any forward-thinking organization.
Accepting feedback. This is an underrated but essential skill for any professional, in any discipline. Being able to accept critique is a crucial way to refine skills, forge effective collaboration, enhance team dynamics, and, well… be a functioning adult.
I get it: It’s easier said than done. When you’ve put your heart into a project—whether it’s a database cleanup, a strategic communication plan, or a painting—it’s not easy to hear that it wasn’t perfect. But the best way to inch closer to perfection is being open to revision.
Artists have this drilled into them. In my undergraduate studies, we had weekly group critiques. If you were in multiple studio classes (as I often was), your work would be verbally evaluated multiple times a week—in front of everyone. The level of scrutiny only increases in a graduate program, like the one I did for an entirely new medium: filmmaking.
Critique is a daunting prospect, but you learn to quiet those initial feelings of discomfort at your masterpiece being picked apart. You realize that a lot of the advice you’re receiving is phenomenal—it’s from peers in your own field (experts, even!) and it’s tailored to you. What a gift that is!
Of course, it’s also vital to recognize when advice is not quite right. Sometimes, you have accept the input gracefully, and explain why you are pursuing a different path. This can open the door to a fruitful discussion in which all parties end up with what they need. It all begins with the ability to have a calm, reasoned, and brutally honest discussion. That’s all in a day’s work for an experienced artist!
Integrity. It takes a special personality to be willing to pursue a passion that is frequently misunderstood by broader society. It also takes integrity to accept feedback (see #5), to keep working until a project is perfect (see #1, #2, and #3), and to challenge others’ preconceived notions (see #4). Artists have the courage of conviction necessary to elevate their work to the next level—and they will do the same for your organization if you give them the opportunity.
If you are in a position to hire an artist, you will not find a more dedicated or innovative employee. Your organization will certainly be stronger for it.
