In this article, I will talk about the fields where you, as a fine arts graduate or someone with creative traits, can work and generate income by using your design skills. I won’t just list every option that comes to mind, as you might see in many online posts. For instance, I won’t mention UI/UX design, claim that “those who do it well earn great money,” and leave it at “if you can’t do it, that’s your problem.”
I am presenting options where someone with average luck, an average network, and average talent can get a return if they put in the effort. Sometimes, aside from having nothing to do, the problem is having too many options. There are many areas you can focus on here. But let me say right away what I would normally say at the end. The returns you get from the steps you take here are heavily dependent on your target audience, as I mentioned in my previous article, and like any venture, most of these options require a certain amount of capital.
Therefore, my biggest advice is that since you studied this field and spent money and effort on it, you shouldn’t see it as your only option right at the start. Ideally, after acquiring a profession that allows you to build capital, you should pursue this endeavor in a higher quality and more enjoyable way. This way, you will reach a state where you are freer and can truly enjoy real creativity.
Therefore, my biggest advice is that since you studied this field and spent money and effort on it, you shouldn’t see it as your only option right at the start. Ideally, after acquiring a profession that allows you to build capital, you should pursue this endeavor in a higher quality and more enjoyable way. This way, you will reach a state where you are freer and can truly enjoy real creativity.
I couldn’t help myself and gave my most valuable advice right at the beginning. This will probably cause disappointment when you first hear it. But my goal isn’t to crush you with this idea and make you abandon your passion; it’s to help you face reality as soon as possible and move on to the right phase of the struggle without wasting time:
1. Academic Career – Teaching
I didn’t rank these by what pays the most, but rather by professions where I have witnessed everyone eventually securing a position with a little perseverance. Unfortunately, since pedagogical formation training is not provided in the animation field, it doesn’t grant official educator status. However, if your department allows it, you can aim to become a teacher or pursue an academic career to become a lecturer. It must be a character trait of mine, but I never put any effort into this area. Yet, as people age, their ideas change; there is no guarantee I won’t appear before you in the future as a lecturer wearing suspenders.
Everything after this option is truly a shark tank; it requires a good strategy and, as I specifically mentioned, a certain amount of capital. I must also emphasize that although they were popular opportunities when I graduated, I am not including animation channels and gaming companies in this list. I know that job postings in this field are often opened purely for advertising, and even when there is a real need, selections are generally made from their own social circles. If you have connections, don’t pass up trying, but if you don’t, I have written a key suggestion below that you can apply to get noticed. Let’s continue:2
2. Event and Video Production
Considering the money spent on weddings, especially in Turkey, it is no coincidence that this title is in second place. You can develop an Instagram account that appeals to the right audience and reach your potential customers this way. You can even request invitations to events to shoot for free just to build this portfolio. By creating elegant edits on the videos you capture and keeping the workload manageable, you can turn this into a regularly operating business for yourself. Through unpaid work, you will not only increase your editing practice but also build an effective network with people who have a high potential to become customers.
3. Content Creation (Instagram, YouTube, Blog, Stock Video-Animation)
If you closely follow post trends on social media, these platforms allow you to stand out very quickly. On these platforms, you can aim to provide time-saving, useful information to the audience as I do, or you can produce content entirely based on entertaining trend videos. These platforms will not start making you money immediately, and while some posts may unexpectedly take off, a post you are very hopeful about might stay in the background. The key point is being consistent and enjoying what you do. You can also aim to earn small incomes by uploading the videos or animations you shoot for these posts to stock sites. Collaborating with people walking the same path as you right from the start and creating something together will have an igniting effect.
4. Getting Tattoo Application Training and Opening a Tattoo Studio
Although it’s not my style, I am aware that my friends practicing in this field have somehow caught an effective rhythm. When you say tattoo, you shouldn’t necessarily imagine highly detailed, large applications. A highly demanded portfolio can also be created with minimal designs. One of the important methods in starting your own business is not worrying about making a huge financial profit in the first few jobs. In fact, doing free work at the beginning will be one of the most effective gains in building a portfolio, gaining experience, establishing a network of relevant people, and generating organic advertising.
5. Wall Painting/Design, Interior Architecture, Decoration
Unless you are an artist, painter, or sculptor who has established a style and has a high-income circle, this option is one of the areas where your manual labor will be most valued. This is especially true in a country like Turkey, where the circulation of new construction is high. The strategy is the same here: tell the people around you that you will do relatively low-workload jobs for them for free, provided they only cover your materials, travel, and food expenses. Perhaps you can even include your content creation idea in this journey.
6. Hobby Painting, Ceramics, Animation Workshop Studio – Cafe
An environment that will not remain empty with the right location and relationship management. Even if not executed with mastery, everyone needs to experience such hobbies at certain points in their lives. Socially, it will fill a wonderful void for like-minded people to come together, drink a warm tea or coffee, and spend a quiet day. Although it is a much larger venture than what I mean, I can mention The Cartoon Mill educational institution founded by Fatih Küçük in Kaş, Antalya. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to visit, but from what I understand from the videos, this is a place where people can both stay and experience farm life while receiving cartoon animation training. I hope they are still continuing with joy.
7. Costume and Textile Product Design
This field remains in a slightly more niche category. The idea of designing a wearable costume for children in daily life came to me through an AI video I saw. It is important that the costume is not an entirely difficult-to-wear one-piece outfit, but rather has an appearance that is both practical for winter use at home and brings joy to the family with its design. For example, a cute little dinosaur onesie with kneepads (especially since kids this age rub their knees on the floor often) and little spikes that the child can comfortably play in and stay warm while going outside. Or an octopus blanket with plump arms that they can put on from the middle while sitting at home. If you have an interest in textiles, you can consider this an area where money is spent without hesitation. Moreover, you can create and simultaneously present your designs simply by using AI video. This will also provide engaging content on social media.
8. Game and App Development
I am not someone who prefers mobile games very much, but I do enjoy testing games whose gameplay mechanics catch my attention from time to time. However, there are so many varieties of games now that I observe Google Play has become somewhat saturated in this area. No matter how fun a concept you catch initially, maintaining user loyalty is quite difficult. Therefore, I believe the real value in this field lies in applications that make our lives easier.
Still, if you have a game idea that you think is fun, don’t hesitate to bring it to life. Do you remember? I mentioned earlier that I would give you a tip to catch the attention of game or animation companies. If there is a company you have your eye on and you don’t know anyone there, one of the most effective methods to get their attention is to start acting like a competitor producing against them. Try to mimic their style and produce the same products. However, this advice is unfortunately not limited to just creating graphic designs in the same style and showcasing them on social media; I am talking about releasing and showcasing the exact same finished games, even if they have simpler content.
In my general mindset, the designs you want to create must somehow touch the real-life, important needs of people. I believe our power of expression will only frequently take a demanded form in this way. If you think otherwise, please let me know in the comments below and change my perspective.
To achieve success, you don’t have to apply every single field mentioned here one by one. In fact, I am sure that over time, by revealing your own talents and character traits, you will meet a completely different need. Or, you can integrate more than one model into your work discipline at the same time.
I would like to reiterate that you should lean toward these fields not to escape financial depression or unemployment, but with the goal of resolving that issue first and producing in the area you are passionate about, or at least minimizing your risk this way. Because in countries like ours, such needs appeal to a very small segment, and ventures made in this field do not always yield the expected results. Therefore, I advise you to manage your risk and investment with this awareness.
