Australian Artists, Starving and Well-Nourished: What Can we Learn from the Prototypical Protean Career?

Abstract

Recent literature documents the demise of traditional linear careers and the rise of protean, boundaryless, or portfolio careers, typified by do-it-yourself career management and finding security in ongoing employability rather than ongoing employment. This article identifies key attributes of the ‘new career’, arguing that individuals with careers in the well-established fields of fine and performing arts often fit into the ‘new careerist’ model. Employment/career data for professional fine artists, performing artists and musicians in Australia is presented to support this claim. A discussion of the meta-competencies and career-life management skills essential to navigate the boundaryless work world is presented, with specific reference to Australian artists, and recommendations for future research.

Creative work careers: pathways and portfolios for the creative economy

“…A major contention of this article has been the complexities of such pathways -a perspective that builds on Haukka's (2010) discussion of how creative industries' education-to-work transitions are not institutionally or occupationally determined compared to pathways into other industries. In illustrating this, Haukka (2010) points to extended transition periods, multiple entry attempts and employment within and outside the creative industries (see also Bridgstock 2005). Developing Cunningham's (2011) earlier comments on creatively trained people as more likely to be working outside specialist creative industry sectors, this formulation draws attention to creatively trained people, who neither work in the creative industries or in embedded creative employment.…”

Creative graduate pathways within and beyond the creative industries

“…Characterisations of 'portfolio careers' comprising piecemeal creative and non-creative jobs, short-term project-based and self-employment-based work abound (see for example , Bridgstock 2005;Ross 2009;Throsby and Zednik 2010). Some theorists (see for example Hall 1996;Howkins 2001) have touted lifestyle benefits of the varied, entrepreneurial aspects of the portfolio career, including flexibility, autonomy and excitement.…”

The careers of fine artists and the embedded creative

“…The experience of the cohort studied here bears out this finding. Although it is somewhat beyond the scope of this study, there was evidence that some members of the study group experienced a protean career (where the emphasis and direction of the career sits with the individual as opposed to an organisation [Bridgstock 2005]). There was a tendency, particularly amongst the female participants, to be working on a number of projects at the same time, including some paid work and unpaid carer or family responsibilities.…”

“…(124) Whether artists share characteristics with other creative disciplines is discussed elsewhere. For example, while they tend to work on an individual basis, there appears to still be a high level of networking in terms of sharing and collaborating on exhibiting opportunities (Bridgstock 2005).…”