Creative artists, career patterns and career theory: insights from the Australian context

Abstract

Despite the challenges associated with the pursuit of a career as an artist, such as job insecurity and an oversupply of labour, many individuals continue to seek a career in this field. Australian artists also face additional challenges, such as geographic isolation from the major art centres of the world, resulting in perceptions of the need to migrate to large cities. This paper explores the push and pull factors influencing the career paths and geographic locations of a group of 20 creative arts graduates from one regional Australian higher education institution. The findings reveal that a range of complex factors, not just the lure of large cities, influences artists’ career decisions. In addition, the findings propose that the complex and highly uncertain nature of a career as an artist is best understood from multiple career theory perspectives.