How to Tell Your Family You're an Artist 101

#Articles #Artistic & Personal Growth

Even though your parents might try to convince you it's a phase, let's face it. You're an artist. Still, when you tell your parents that you want to turn your passion into your career, you might receive looks of surprise, confusion, and even horror.

The truth is, explaining your art career to your loved ones can be difficult. Especially when nobody in your family has experience or knowledge about the industry. They might believe the outdated stereotypes that artists are poor and unstable. Now, it's your duty to convince them otherwise.

Student Art by Max Liu in 2D for 3D Artists

Thankfully, some of our very own instructors and students have dealt with this conversation. And while every family situation is unique, we hope you can take some advice out of each and every story:

Christian Nacorda: Ditching Engineering
Alben Tan: Laying Out a Plan
Patrick Jones: Forging Your Own Path
Hugh Trombley: Hearing Concerns
Cohen Brawley: Exceeding Expectations
World of Warcraft Interns: Embrace Your Artist Family

1. Christian Nacorda: Ditching Engineering

Christian's family was hesitant about his art career, but his persistence paid off. After trying his hand at engineering, he made it clear to his family where his interests and talents were.

Read "3 Reasons You Should Rethink a College Degree as an Artist" and "Why the Reclusive Artist Stereotype is a Myth" to help dispel any stereotypes your family has about artists.

2. Alben Tan: Laying Out a Plan

When Alben made the switch from architecture to concept art, the first thing he asked his mom was to not get mad at him. He laid out his idea for her, including assembling a portfolio and finding the right industry. She surprised him with full support!

If you need a plan, check out CGMA's Getting Started in the Game Industry: Interviews, Portfolios, and More course.

3. Patrick Jones: Forging Your Own Path

Patrick Jones's artist origin story is truly incredible. As a teenager with a passion for drawing, Patrick and his father spent their summers doing hard labor for 14 hours a day. Telling his father he was going to become an artist was incredibly difficult, but Patrick knew his path and stuck to it.

4. Hugh Trombley: Hearing Concerns

When Hugh told his parents he was going to become an artist, he had to answer some questions first. The first concern was whether or not he could make enough money in this field, a common question from parents. But Hugh was prepared and explained how many opportunities the entertainment art industry truly has. The next concern? How Hugh was going to get enough sun.

Read 4 T.I.P.S to Prepare for Your Big-Break to seize your art career!

5. Cohen Brawley: Exceeding Expectations

Cohen had the opposite experience of most artists. His entire family had artistic careers, so he had not only support, but expectations to take a creative path. He followed his interests, and even in a family of creatives, found a unique artistic path that was perfect for him.

6. World of Warcraft Interns: Embrace Your Artist Family

Blizzard interns Peter Burroughs, Michael J. Esten, and Tiffany Shen all met in Ashleigh Warner’s CGMA course. Even though all of their families ultimately support their careers, they don't always understand what it means to create environments for World of Warcraft. But these artists can come together to talk shop. So if you find your family's faces going blank while you're describing your recent project, lean on your art family.

[printfriendly]

LEARN MORE

CGMA provides comprehensive instruction for Art, Games, and VFX industries in a variety of courses for a range of students, from 2D and 3D artists looking to supplement their college studies to industry professionals looking to stay up to date on emerging trends and techniques in the field.

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

VIEW COURSES

SCHEDULE CALL