10 careers for creative people: Think out of the box and make the most of social media

Etching out a creative career can be a real challenge as it involves doggedly pursuing your passion and working through the initial ups and downs. The first step to reaching success depends on your willingness to think out of the box — it’ll place you far from the madding crowd. As social media has invaded our daily life and increased the visibility of careers with a creative spark, now is your chance to grab eyeballs.

Top 10 creative career options:

Design

This broad term is a connection between areas as diverse as fashion, technology, manufacturing and art. You can become a designer with a keen eye for details and a creative spark. And what’s more, you can explore a lot of industries like fashion and video games by adapting your skills to their requirements.

Institutes: You can enrol in Design courses at top institutes like IIT Bombay; Indian Institute of Cartoonists, Bangalore; National Institute of Design, multiple locations; MIT Institute of Design, Pune; Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune; Srishti School of Design and Technology, Bangalore; and Indian Institute of Cartoonists, Bangalore.

Career opportunities: Depending on your expertise, you can work in specific fields of design such as fashion design, graphic design, cartoon design, game design, product design, jewellery design, UI/UX design and automobile design.

Journalism

If you’re really interested in what’s happening around you, a career in journalism can be a creative option. Depending on the medium of transmitting information, you can become a broadcast journalist, digital journalist, photojournalist, sports journalist, political journalist, critic, print journalist, business journalist and columnist.

Institutes: You can go for Journalism courses at institutes like Jadavpur University, Kolkata; Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai; Indian Institute of Mass Communication, multiple locations; Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune; and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Career opportunities: Journalism presents a whole new world of opportunities. Other than being in print and digital media, you can also work as a media planner, radio journalist, TV journalist or branded content creator.

Photography

Visual arts are increasingly becoming popular in the age of social media. If you’re skilled with a camera and can catch tiny details, you can make it big as a photographer. Patience, concentration, aesthetic sense and strong networking skills are some of the things you require in this growing industry.

Institutes: You can enrol in different Photography courses at institutes like Delhi College of Photography, New Delhi; Bengal Photography Institute, Kolkata; Creative Hut Institute of Photography, Kerala; Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad; and AJ Kidwai Mass Communication Research Center, New Delhi.

Career opportunities: As a photographer, you can explore different areas such as forensic photography, fashion photography, wildlife photography, lifestyle photography, documentary photography, street photography and wedding photography. It’s important to create a solid portfolio in the area of your interest to enjoy a successful career in photography.

Stand-up comedy

With the swift rise of digital media content, stand-up comedy is one performance art that has substantially grown over the last decade. Comedians come from a variety of professional backgrounds. No prior experience is required for this career. Most comedians start performing part-time at open-mics and bars — the successful ones can become instant celebrities.

Courses: There are several courses where you can learn the basic traits of stand-up comedy. Some of them are Stand Up!; Comedy Writing and Performance Poetry by edX; Learn Comedy with Biswa Kalyan Rath by FrontRow; and Ultimate Beginner's Class to Learn Stand Up Comedy by Udemy.

Career opportunities: This is a passion — you need to work extremely hard to make it your career. Most comedians begin by performing at open-mics on the side while working a full-time job. Live performances are the main sources in this career. As you work up the ladder of corporate gigs, festivals will come to you. Having a YouTube channel can add to your portfolio.

Writing

Writing is a profession that will never go out of fashion. If you enjoy writing down your thoughts, you can consider taking up a career as a writer. The field is vast and includes content writing, creative writing, blogging, editing, scriptwriting, screenwriting and book writing.

Courses: You can check out different courses that teach writing techniques. Some of them are Copywriting For Beginners: How To Write Web Copy That Sells Without Being Cheesy by Skillshare; Introduction to Creative Writing for Adults by the British Council (India); Creative Writing Course by Henry Harvin; and Ruskin Bond teaches Creative Writing by Unlu.

Career Opportunities: The sky’s the limit if you have a talent for writing. Big corporates and media houses seek to manage their content. Apart from that, you can also choose to be a freelance writer.

Make-up art

Make-up artists have come into their own over the last few years. You need to be versatile and monitor the latest fashion trends to become successful in this field. Work varies from designing make-up and hairstyles to taking care of whole events.

Institutes: You can do some courses in this field at institutes like Pearl Academy, New Delhi; National Skill Development Corporation, New Delhi; and Lakme Academy Powered by Aptech, multiple locations.

Career opportunities: People who work as make-up artists can get an opportunity to work at events such as weddings, shows, theatre, films and photography. You can work as a make-up artist with several organisations or simply operate as a freelancer.

Advertising

With every brand wanting to engage with their audience and be proactive online, the demand for advertising is rapidly increasing in both small and big businesses. Skills required to excel in this domain include good communication, project management skills and the ability to work in a team.

Institutes: You can do courses in Advertising at institutes like Mudra Institute of Communication Studies (MICA), Ahmedabad; Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai; and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, multiple locations.

Career opportunities: Advertising professionals perform a variety of roles in client service, research, copywriting, editing, scriptwriting and video production. As an advertising professional, you will be able to work with corporations, publishing houses, media companies and advertising firms.

Food photography and blogging

The diverse culinary range of India can inspire you to have a creative career in food photography and blogging. Food preparation and presentation are equally in this specific field. Attention to detail, organising skills, multitasking capabilities and time management are some of the crucial skills required for the profession. You need to follow your passion as there’s no specific course that teaches you to capture the essence of food.

Career opportunities: This is an emerging sector where you can work for hospitality hubs or choose to work as a freelancer. When combined with hospitality management, a lucrative career opportunity can open up from a business perspective.

Animation & Multimedia

You need to innovate and experiment in a fast-paced environment to work as a multimedia artist and animator. Teamwork and attention to detail are important skills in this field. An individual working in this field is required to use computer programs to create visual graphics and animation. Collaboration with directors, game designers and other animators is viable.

Institutes: You can do Multimedia courses at institutes like Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), Kolkata; National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad; Fergusson College, Pune; Amity University, Lucknow; and Brainware University, Kolkata.

Career opportunities: As a multimedia artist, you can work in fields like animation, entertainment, art and design, gaming, advertising, filmmaking, digital news media and online learning. You also work as a character animator, art director, CGI supervisor, video game designer, special effects animator and lighting technician in these industries.

YouTuber

This is a unique profession that has grown substantially during the pandemic. It involves creating easily consumable and engrossing videos on a topic you are passionate about and publishing them on YouTube. A lot of hard work can go into becoming a successful YouTuber. There is no course that teaches you how to become successful in this domain —it depends on your content and how you present your content.

Career opportunities: YouTube allows a wide range of creative approaches. Since content creation has no boundaries, you can choose anything you like. You just need to sharpen your presentation skills to engage your audience. YouTubers have become extremely popular among today’s generation, and you can become a celebrity overnight.