Perspective on Careers from a Fine Arts Major

After first year of university straight out of high school as a student hoping to graduate with a fine arts degree, I felt right to follow my passion. The class FA 101, taught by Mark Leiren-Young, helped cover art-major stereotypes with the countless opportunities of studying an arts degree.

I’ve witnessed my friends in other majors struggle with motivation and work ethic in their classes and I didn’t relate to the intense feelings of overwhelm and stress. I felt that my chosen degree was a passion that I wanted to learn and improve on. I felt that passion blocked out the potential experiences of helplessness, self deprecation, and over working. I was enjoying my studies and wanted to keep learning more. This is when I realized that my happiness is worth more than money.

In FA101 we listened to and could ask questions to different artists who had made careers out of their creative passions. Every week was an interview of a new perspective and experience about pursing a personal passion. The one thing every speaker had in common was that they were happy without money feeding their satisfaction. Their personal projects may have made small amounts of income but their fulfillment came from the creation of the project itself. Money wasn’t the reward for the creative artists, but finishing a project for the world to see motivated their creation of future projects.

I am now confident in answering the question: What are you going to do with a Writing degree?

I don’t know what I’ll be doing and that’s the best part because I can go everywhere and anywhere with it. I can change my directions at anytime. I will go where my creativity calls me and where I feel I want to go with my career. I will have many careers and play many roles as a Fine Arts Major. Nothing is set in stone, certain, or established my final career but I know it will be me following my passion; following my happiness.

I will be in control of my future instead of money being in control of it. My happiness will come first.

I’m excited about my uncertain final career because that means there won’t be a final career; there will be my passion guiding me through multiple careers.

UVic’s writing program program allows students to develop their writing skills in the imaginative genres of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting and playwriting, so you can focus on what inspires you.