If you’re reading this, my guess is that you’ve discovered that your child has a lot of creative and artistic potential, but you don’t know what that means. You probably know by now that it’s possible to make money as a creative, but you just don’t know exactly how to set your child up for success. Even as a career animator, I get it. Other, “traditional” careers are easier to predict. If your child wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor, for instance, you know there’s only one way in, through very specialized higher education.
Landing a career in a creative field is largely unknown and can feel really unpredictable. My parents were always very supportive, but a few years into my career my father confessed to me that he had always worried about, “This animation thing,” and he joked that he fully expected me just to walk in the door and say “I’m a business major!” Now, after 30 years of working in the animation industry, we can all look back on that unknown time and laugh, but you’re still stuck in that scary period thinking, “How do I know my child will be able to make a career out of this?”
I’ve now worked as a professional animator in film and television for 30 years, and began my career even before animation became the giant industry that it is today. So, I get it if you’re a bit overwhelmed that you can’t quite envision your child’s future creative career. There are a couple of key things that I had to learn the hard way for myself and that I’ve now passed on to my creative children, so if you’re searching how best to guide your child, allow me to share these three big things you can do to set them up for success.
Help them build solid habits
On my first day of my first animation job, Season 2 of the Simpsons, I put my pencil down for the first time after six straight hours. I was exhausted. I had never drawn this long before! And it was only Monday afternoon! Over the years of drawing for fun when I was growing up, and even during my four years of art school, I had only ever drawn when I felt inspired, a feeling I might be able to ride for one or two hours at most, but never six.
Years later, as I witnessed my 12-year-old daughter who had begun to compose her own music, rush to the piano whenever she had an idea, I decided that I wasn’t going to let her make the same mistake I had made by only creating something when I felt like it. So, I created a routine for her. Every evening at 7 pm, I had her sit at the piano and write, even if she wasn’t feeling inspired. For the first week or so of this, she would yell at me, “I don’t have any ideas!” I would yell back, “Just play something!” At first, whenever that hour was up, she fled from the piano like it was her nightmare. But after a few weeks, she began to be able to compose music during that hour, and would even stay glued to the piano past the hour I had set for her!
Now, my daughter is 24, and is a professional creative herself, making a living taking graphic design clients and even running a successful YouTube channel. In a world full of creatives who depend solely on inspiration to create anything, she has turned her ability to create something even when she doesn’t feel like it into a business. If your child is showing talent in some creative field, chances are they still depend on their inspiration to strike in order to make anything. Try helping them set a time where they have to create something even if they aren’t feeling inspired. They might yell at you now, but trust me, they’ll thank you later.
Business Training
In 2020, there are careers for artists left and right -- animators, graphic artists, musicians, photographers & videographers, you name it. However, with all this opportunity also comes more competition. There is no doubt that the most financially successful artists know how to market themselves and their art.
I suggest finding ways to help your child understand business from a young age. In my opinion, the best way to learn good business savvy is real-life experience. Challenge them to get a job and learn how their company operates successfully. Encourage them to start a business and sell products they make. I’d also suggest getting some business books or curriculum for your child to learn some business basics.
Understanding how business works has helped me land positions and be monetarily valuable to my employers, and it’s also helped me run two very successful businesses as an artist. I can guarantee that I would not be where I am today as an artist if I didn’t understand the different aspects of business (marketing, sales, etc.), pure and simple.
Don’t rush it
It’s a common tale: a gifted teen over-practices and burns out before college and their career. I’ve seen this with ambitious kids of all kinds, and especially with creatively gifted kids. It breaks my heart to see extremely well-intentioned parents know that their kid has a huge amount of potential, push them just a bit too hard, and then be disappointed that their child doesn’t pursue their awesome talent.
Instead, encourage your child to have fun! Becoming a really good creative requires a lot of time and practice -- it isn’t something that anyone can learn in 1 year, or even 5. If your child does decide to make a career out of their creative gift, they will inevitably experience a lot of pressure. Don’t start that early. Help them instill good habits and be encouraging, but above all, help them to understand that a good artist/musician/designer/animator/writer/photographer/filmmaker and yes, even YouTuber might take 10 to 20 years. So don’t be in a hurry.
These are just a few things that I’ve learned over my 30 year career as a creative. I have worked as a professional animator in film and television for almost 30 years both with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Sony Pictures on films like Emperor's New Groove, Tarzan, and Polar Express. Now I’m bringing my wide experience—both from the professional animation field and from being an expert homeschooling dad—into teaching students ages 11-18 about this fascinating art form. If your child is interested in animation, filmmaking, or storytelling, check out The Animation Course!
Chad Stewart
Founder & Teacher, The Animation Course
Former Disney Animator
