Ruining career by not majoring in art?

[Arshes Nei]

It was a joke, some of us got it. You didn't get it, it's ok, we still like you.

I did get the joke, it's just not funny. Doesn't mean I hate anyone either.

[Areglom]

If you are going to pursue a different degree, what will it be in? I could see a business degree being useful to an artist. You could then minor or double-major in studio art, or illustration, or what have you.

I'm considering programming, which may somehow help if I want to be a game artist. Or it may not, but hopefully it will be interesting for it's own sake. I'm also interested in literature. A lot of posters here think college is a bad place to learn time management, but I'm not going to the sort of school that will allow me to be lazy. I have no intention of setting myself back from my goal of being an artist, although some people seem to view it that way. I'll still study it on my own time.

[vineris]

A lot of posters here think college is a bad place to learn time management, but I'm not going to the sort of school that will allow me to be lazy.

Well, you're going to do whatever it is that you want to anyway, but my opinion is based on 15 years' experience at a university known for its hard science and engineering programs, both as a student and an employee who dealt directly with students. It's possible that you'll wake up on September 1st and turn over a new leaf, but what's much more probable is that you'll go to school all gung-ho about your classes and within a month you will be behind on your work. Especially if you take programming, which is a discipline where you can spend three weeks writing something which then completely fails to work. Multiply by three for each programming course you will be taking in a semester and you can expect to spend all your time in front of the computer.

I wouldn't go and take literature though. If you're going to be unemployed, you might as well just go with the thing you were hoping to do in the first place.

[Qitsune]

I'm considering programming, which may somehow help if I want to be a game artist. I have no intention of setting myself back from my goal of being an artist, although some people seem to view it that way.

If you take programming, you will NEVER be a video game artist. You might do life drawings or paintings on your own and sell them at art fairs (I know a programmer who does that, and he posts here) but if you work in a game company and anyone hears that you have any coding skills at all they will dump coding tasks on you. Seriously, it would start with with innocent things like a little script to automate something in 3D Max and the next thing you know you are writing sfx particles systems and shaders and your boss took your wacom away because you were not using it anyways. If you don't tell anyone about your degree, they will wonder what's that hole in your resume. It nearly happened to me and I'm not even a programmer.

And how can you choose to be an artist when you have 3 times as many choices of jobs as a programmer, often with better salary? If you want to be an artist, be an artist (but if you want to take part time business classes, I would go for it, especially stuff related to being self-employed.)

[JeffX99]

I think you should also start a glam-rock band. And be a cowboy-explorer! And change your name to Buckaroo Banzai!

[_jt_]

If you take programming, you will NEVER be a video game artist. You might do life drawings or paintings on your own and sell them at art fairs (I know a programmer who does that, and he posts here) but if you work in a game company and anyone hears that you have any coding skills at all they will dump coding tasks on you. Seriously, it would start with with innocent things like a little script to automate something in 3D Max and the next thing you know you are writing sfx particles systems and shaders and your boss took your wacom away because you were not using it anyways. If you don't tell anyone about your degree, they will wonder what's that hole in your resume. It nearly happened to me and I'm not even a programmer.

And how can you choose to be an artist when you have 3 times as many choices of jobs as a programmer, often with better salary? If you want to be an artist, be an artist (but if you want to take part time business classes, I would go for it, especially stuff related to being self-employed.)

Everything Qitsune said is true. I know from first hand experience. It is spot on.

[themegagod]

I wouldn't go and take literature though. If you're going to be unemployed, you might as well just go with the thing you were hoping to do in the first place.

That escalated quickly!
Are literature degrees really that useless? good to know.

[TinyBird]

Are literature degrees really that useless? good to know.

[Elwell]

Related:

[Qitsune]

Tristan, I always find that video hilarious for two reasons. 1) It's true. 2) I used to have friends who worked at XtraNormal and who made videos like this possible. Hint they didn't study literature.

[D0ming0]

If you take programming, you will NEVER be a video game artist.

My brother and I both have a Programming/IT background. In the 90's the company we worked for went bust. I moved to another IT outfit, he joined the Royal Marines. After 9 months of gruelling training, he moved to his unit and ended up writing their vehicle maintenance system (amongst other things) as well as all the soldier stuff. When he left, we got together and now run our own small IT firm. For him, there is no escape from the IT gods! :-)

[Januz]

If you take programming, you will NEVER be a video game artist. You might do life drawings or paintings on your own and sell them at art fairs (I know a programmer who does that, and he posts here) but if you work in a game company and anyone hears that you have any coding skills at all they will dump coding tasks on you. Seriously, it would start with with innocent things like a little script to automate something in 3D Max and the next thing you know you are writing sfx particles systems and shaders and your boss took your wacom away because you were not using it anyways. If you don't tell anyone about your degree, they will wonder what's that hole in your resume. It nearly happened to me and I'm not even a programmer.

And how can you choose to be an artist when you have 3 times as many choices of jobs as a programmer, often with better salary? If you want to be an artist, be an artist (but if you want to take part time business classes, I would go for it, especially stuff related to being self-employed.)

THIS. I worked in a studio a few years ago as a graphic designer. As soon as they knew I could do web development I turned into their code monkey. I would get a few design jobs, mostly tweaking something in an already made design or a template but most of the jobs would be almost entirely code. Then it happened again in another company. Then I stopped taking web jobs

There are other things you can study: Photographer, 3D Artist, Graphic Designer, Architect, Industrial Designer, Motion Graphics Artist.
All these provide job opportunities, but you'll also learn useful stuff that you can apply to art.

[{CKL}]

I think the bigger question is are you going to ruin your life by TRYING to be an artist.

Do or do not.

If you're all in, then be all in. If you aren't, that's okay. Just be honest with yourself. For some of us Art will just be a hobby, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In that case, get a good solid degree in something that will provide a decent living, programming being a good option.

If not, then it's time to put some balls to the walls. You won't have time for another field.

[vineris]

That escalated quickly!
Are literature degrees really that useless? good to know.

They're all right if you want to get into law or PR. The one English grad I know works for the government in communications. They're pretty dang useless otherwise.
Somehow I don't see this guy getting into law, though.