In a world bursting with creativity and color, where digital design dominates, galleries thrive, and films touch hearts globally one would think choosing art as a career would be welcomed with open arms. But for many, art is still seen not as a profession, but as a waste of time.
“Yeh sab shauk ke liye hota hai, career ke liye nahi.”
This is a sentence almost every aspiring artist in such settings hears at some point. “Art is for hobby, not a career.” The underlying belief is that art cannot feed you, cannot earn you respect, and certainly cannot be taken seriously. The child who draws tirelessly, paints their emotions, or choreographs with passion often grows up being told to “choose something real.”
But what is “real”? Is it only the professions that come with fixed salaries, job security, or societal validation? Or is it what brings you alive, what makes you work 12 hours and still smile?
For many students, the pressure to pick mainstream careers engineering, medicine, government services becomes a silent burden. Their sketchbooks stay hidden under study materials. Their poems are scribbled in the back pages of math notebooks. Eventually, the spark fades.
I’ve met students who said they loved art but never considered it as a career because their families didn’t see value in it. Some were even ridiculed for dreaming of becoming illustrators, writers, photographers, or fashion designers. Not because they lacked talent, but because the idea of art as a profession was too unfamiliar, too unsafe.
Why This Mindset Still Exists?
1. Lack of exposure – Many communities don’t know anyone who has “made it” in the arts.
2. Economic insecurities – Art careers are seen as unstable, with irregular income and fewer job guarantees.
3. Educational gaps – Schools often don’t offer proper art education, or treat it as an extra-curricular “period for fun.”
4. Cultural conditioning – Success is often linked to authority, power, or wealth not creative expression.
But Here’s the Truth,
The design industry in India is growing at a rapid pace.
* Content creation, animation, gaming, digital art, and even traditional arts have huge markets.
* Freelancing platforms and global exposure have created new ways of earning through art.
* Art is not just drawing it’s communication, storytelling, design thinking, therapy, branding, fashion, film, advertising, and more.
And most importantly, no field is “easy.” Whether it’s engineering or art, success requires the same dedication, hard work, learning, and resilience.
What Needs to Change
* Families need to listen before they decide. A child who finds joy in creating is not lost they’re just trying to find their voice.
* Schools must invest in art education, not just as hobby classes, but as meaningful learning.
* Communities need role models, artists from their own contexts who can show what’s possible.
* Young artists need platforms to showcase their work, gain confidence, and learn industry dynamics.
A Personal Note:- If you’re someone who dreams in colors, who sketches instead of taking notes, who feels things deeply and expresses through movement, story, or strokes don’t be ashamed of your passion. It’s not just art, it’s your language. And the world needs your voice, even if your immediate surroundings don’t see it yet.You may have to fight a little harder, believe a little deeper, and stand a little taller but you’re not alone.
Choosing art as a career should never be a curse but unfortunately, it still is in some places. That doesn’t mean it always will be. Change begins with conversations, with courage, and with one artist at a time choosing to stay true to themselves.
And maybe, just maybe, your journey will inspire the next one.
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