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Written/Compiled by Andrea Mulder-Slater, KinderArt®

Dear KinderArt,
I am a highschool student seriously considering getting a Fine Arts Degree (BFA) or maybe even higher such as masters... or even PhD.. All I wonder is that is it worth it to pursue such a goal? Everyone (other than people also aspiring to become artists, and my mother) that I talk to believe that getting an Art Degree is pointless, because "There is nothing to do with an Art Degree" so my parents want me to get a practical degree. My question is "Is it worth it to go into art in the end?"
Signed, Insperatium

I was recently invited to speak to secondary school students at a career day session. My mission, should I choose to accept it, was to talk about what I did for a living. A simple enough task, however, in preparation, I felt I should research what (other than artist, writer and teacher) can be done with an arts degree. In addition to locating a number of suggested career paths for those graduating with an arts degree, I sat down and began writing down all the careers, associated with the arts, that came to mind. I stopped when I reached 206.

Not long after, the above letter touched on the very same topic. The author of the above question is facing something many entering college/university do. There is a common belief that an arts degree will get you nowhere and that those who study art should really do it "on the side" while working toward a "practical" degree. That might be true if an arts degree only leads to a job as a visual artist. However, I'm here to show you that possibilities exist far beyond an artists studio...