Everyone has a passion that they would love to be able to live off of. Making a living doing something that you love can be tempting and pushes people to make decisions that will help further this goal.
How can you make it happen, though? These are some tips to help you start your career in entertainment.
Consider What You’re Talented At
What entertainment or art forms are you good at? Are you a natural performer like John Born, able to take on a myriad of performances at once, or are you better at one solitary thing?
Consider what skills you have that get complimented the most. For example, have people always said you’re a fantastic singer? Do you get tons of compliments when you dance? Is illustration something that comes naturally to you?
It’s easiest to build skills onto a talent you already have rather than trying to start a new career from scratch.
What Are You Willing to Grow Skills In
What skills are you willing to grow? If you’re naturally fantastic at painting portraits but hate doing it, it’s not a career you should chase.
Instead, think about what skills you’re most willing to pour hours to years of effort, time, and resources into. This is something you’re going to be investing in, like a business, so it has to be something you’re eager to do and willing to learn more about.
Connect With Peers and Build Community
A community is the most important part of any creative person’s career. Not only can other entertainers inspire you to grow and show you new things you didn’t think were possible: they can also help get the word out about your skills and abilities.
Over time this will help you build an audience and possibly start a career off of what you’re capable of doing.
Consider a Formal Education
Is a formal education in your cards? Although most entertainment jobs don’t require a degree, they can help get your foot in the door if you’re an unknown person. Unfortunately, most entertainment spaces have a heavy focus on connections before anything else, so if you have none, you’ll have to focus on other ways to make yourself stand out on paper.
You don’t have to go to Julliard, or paint by learning from the pros, but you should consider what classes you can take to further your career. School is also a great way to make connections in your field since everyone starts at the same level and then grows to different levels of fame and fortune.
Art is Fifty Percent Marketing
Although many people like to romanticize art as a solitary and quiet thing, if you’re not able to market yourself: you’re not going to get anywhere. Therefore, it’s important that as an artist, you set aside the time and resources to advertise yourself by sharing your art on social media, getting to know other entertainers and agents, and by getting your craft out there as much as possible. If this means that you have to set a schedule for schmoozing: do it.
Any Career Can Be Profitable if Done Well
The entertainment industry is hard to get into regardless of your skills. Consider some of the tips above, and create your path.