Can I get a JOB as an ART HISTORY MAJOR?!

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to By Amara. This is a weekly news show.

Well, typically, this is a weekly news show where we discuss some of the weird, strange, and downright odd things that have happened in the art and history fields. However, this is going to be a very different episode. Instead, I'm totally switching things up, and I'm going to be answering a frequently asked question that I get asked

Frequently. Can I get a job in the art history field, whatever that means, and how do I get one? So, I guess I'm answering a few different questions in this episode, but I figured we would just switch it up a little bit this week, so let's just dive right in.

So, like I just teased, I didn't really tease, I just told you what we're doing, this is going to be a little bit different of an episode. I, honestly, to be fully transparent

Too, I couldn't find any stories that were weird, strange, or downright odd, I guess. So, I am deciding to, you know, answer some frequently asked questions. I do get these a lot actually in my DMs about, you know, how do I get a job in art history?

What does that even mean? How do I even get into an art history program? What's grad school like?

I have all these various different things, so maybe if you enjoy this video, make sure you like the video so I know that you actually liked it, and if not, then don't listen to these, I guess. I'm maybe going to do more of these types of videos in the future, but we'll see kind of how this pans out. If you do have any questions, though, leave them below in the comments.

I also, I do offer one-on-one coaching if you are in the art history field, or you're about to go into it, or you're not quite sure what you want to do.

I do have coaching, so the link is in the description below just in case, I'll just say that at the top of the hour because I'll probably forget by the end of this. First, though, some life updates, I guess. I don't know, I always like to start the show off a little bit slower.

It's kind of like on a Monday morning if you work in an office, I used to, and, you know, everybody just takes their sweet time getting into work. Well, I guess in my work environment, it was like that because it was just kind of like, "I want to ease into my day," so we're going to ease into the episode.

I don't have any story updates from previous episodes, so unfortunately, I don't have anything there. I do just have some life updates, I guess. Last week, I talked about how we were doing, sorry, there's a hair tickling my arm.

Last week, I talked about how we were doing bedroom and bathroom renovations. I keep thinking kitchen, even though our kitchen is totally remodeled, so not the kitchen. Bedroom and bathroom renovations, we were painting the bedroom, we were painting it all white, which has literally been a years-long process because I fucked it up a couple of years ago, so

We're finally getting to it, and now it is an all pristine, beautiful white. We took off, our house was built in the '50s, so it has some older things to it, like this brown wood. If you're watching this, you can see me gesturing to it, but there are a couple older sort of things that we're slowly but surely modifying.

That was in the bedroom. We tried painting it, and it did not turn out well because of me, my doing. And so, we just completely took it off, and the bedroom looks fantastic like that, just nice and white.

We have a charcoal accent wall, too, which is very lovely. Obviously, we really like gray in this household, we like grayscale. So, we're slowly

Renovating everything to be our nice, modern, grayscale aesthetic, which is cool. So, all of the stuff that was over here, like I said last episode, is now back where it's supposed to be, so thank God. I like to keep things, I mean, both of us do, but I like a very clean, clear, visual space so then I can actually think about what I'm thinking about versus thinking about all this other shit that's in the way.

Our bathroom, we fixed all of the different accents and things that we wanted to, so it's nice and gray, not gray, black and white in there, so I love it. There are still a few different things to do, but for now, it's looking spectacular, so I'm very happy.

So, that is done. I, personally, am not a DIY household project kind of person. I actually did not enjoy the process.

I told Jeff he's on his own for the rest of this. I'll, I'll probably will help out, honestly, because that's just, I want to help out, so I said he's on his own, but he won't be, so don't worry. I have a very busy week ahead of me, two big shoot dates, in case you have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about.

I have a business, MAVEN, which is videography, and I help small business owners and real estate professionals make social media content.

If you need social media content, feel free to reach out. The link is in the description below. Also, for my website, whatismaven.com.

And I have a really big shoot tomorrow with one of my clients that are, today as of this. Spoiler alert, recording it the day before. Really big shoot, we have a lot of content that we shoot all the time.

This Friday, I have a huge shoot that's going to be a house-in-history tour, which will be really interesting. It's looking at architecture in this one specific town, and then

Documenting the entire house and process and things like that. I don't really know what to expect for that, so that's going to be interesting. And then a bunch of other content that day, so it's a, it's a big shooting week, and then next week, I have something else, so, I don't know, it's really fun, though.

I don't think of it as work, but it is just a lot at once where I normally like to try to break things up, but that's fine. Totally doesn't matter. I've also been working on creating some new Etsy shop videos that are on my YouTube channel, which was really fun.

I haven't recorded one in a very long time. I actually, I started on YouTube doing cooking videos, and then

Also doing these Etsy shop videos because I was literally documenting as I was learning how to have an Etsy sticker shop, and I was just like, "This is what I figured out. Here's how to do it. Good luck." They did very well, those videos, and it actually helped people, too, which that is honestly the thing that matters most to me is that it actually helped a person, let alone like two or 10 people is amazing to me.

So, I made a couple new ones. Only one is out right now. I'm still editing another one, so that'll be out at some point.

Sorry, I'm fiddling with my mic, I should stop.

And then Jeff and I recorded another episode of our other podcast, What is MAVEN, where we talked about patience, and I learned that I am not a patient person at all, like not even remotely. I've been trying to work on that, that's like one of the skills that I would like to get better with, so speaking of patience, you're probably like, "Can you just get to the heart of this episode right now?" And yes, we will get into it.

Let's just get into it now. So yeah, those are just all my life updates. I'm just blabbering, so let's get into the episode.

Normally, I'd have transition music, but I just don't need it right now, so we're just going to get straight into it.

So, the heart of this episode is what to do with an art history degree. That's kind of the main premise of this video. So, what do you do after you've graduated, whether with your bachelor's or your grad degree, or whatever?

What do you do? What can you do? What are you able to do?

Do, do, do. In this video, we are going to talk about kind of the, the skills that you're going to get and also some career paths for you. I have a couple questions maybe to prompt you, hopefully make you think about it a little bit, think about what you did, and I'm also going to talk about my journey a little bit, just because it's very kind of everywhere.

So, to start off with, what is an art history degree? Or, I guess, what is available to you and what kind of skills do you get? There are technically like three different levels of art history degrees.

Technically, I say technically, because you can kind of count like post-doctoral fellowships and research as something, but essentially, there's bachelor's, master's, PhD. That'll depend on your country and everything, but I'm just talking about the United States specifically right now, bachelor's, master's, PhD, and then, like I said, post-doctoral fellowship, whatever, it's kind of like another level.

So, those are sort of the main degree programs. You can get like a certificate or a minor in art history if you feel like it. It kind of doesn't really make sense to in a way, but that's totally up to you.

You do whatever you want with your money. And what do you learn or study in the program? A lot, surprisingly.

I was, I had changed my major a bunch. I was going to start with illustration, and then I went into fashion design, and then I went back to illustration, but then like graphic design and art direction and stuff like that.

And then I was going to get a major, or a minor in art history, and then I was like, "Why would I do that when I could just get the whole major?" So, I switched over to the dark side, and it was very fun, but essentially, what you're doing with an art history degree is you're learning how to synthesize a lot of information for one specific thing.

So, you're doing, you're learning how to read an artwork no matter what that means. You could do like traditional painting, sculpture, you could do performance art even, you could do audible arts, you could do a wide variety of different arts, like the plastic arts and things like that.

Looking at it and being able to synthesize a variety of different things that surround it. So, like what is the context to this piece? Why did this person make this?

What does it look like? How do I describe what it looks like? Various different things.

I keep looking at my notes because I could go off on all these tangents. I have like a nice little list that will keep me nice and concise so I'm not talking for 100 million years as I am doing right now. But basically, it's just to synthesize all of that and then also looking at theoretical ideologies and principles and life philosophies even, how those can tie into the moment that this art object was created or that this artwork or whatever, and I'm saying artwork, but I generally mean just like all types of art, when this was created and what does that mean for the object itself.

So, looking at all of those different ideas and applying it to this one specific piece. So then, what kind of skills do you receive in an art history program?

Like I said, a lot. It is very surprising. So, I have a list right here.

I'm just going to read it off really quickly. These were just a couple things that I was able to think of that I was able to garner and kind of noticed in some of my classmates and stuff, but problem-solving. So, you're able to figure out, you want to get to the, why is kind of the main question in art historical study.

And art history as a discipline, also, I just want to say, has widely changed from what it used to be where you're just looking at the formal qualities of an artwork to now where you're tying in the formal, but then also the context, and then applying these theoretical principles and philosophies to the artwork to better understand what it means within its time and space in time and space.

So, problem-solving is the kind of the main thing that I could think of where it was like, "Okay, well, why is this? Why was this created? What is this?

How did this come to be?" You kind of ask those guiding principles and then that can lead you everywhere, which is really cool. So, problem-solving. How to synthesize complex texts and ideas.

So, like I said, you do read theoretical principles and philosophies, and they're very heavy. They can be almost indecipherable. Sometimes even, too, in grad school, not typically, but I did choose to read the actual main text in the original language it was written in just because I wanted to see if I could pick up upon any nuances or stuff like that, way too fucking complicated.

I was in over my head, so I was just like back to English, which, that said, you also get foreign language skills, but I'll talk about that in a minute. But you need to be able to understand what these people are talking about. Now, they're going to talk way, I'm out of frame if you're watching this, way up here where you're like, "I genuinely have no idea what the hell you're talking about." I felt so lost and then I thought all my other classmates understood it, and then they were just like, "I had no idea what we were talking about today." And I was like, "Oh, okay, good.

It wasn't just me."

Which also, make sure you're asking questions. You are paying money or whether or not you're paying money for this, just ask questions because otherwise, how are you going to learn? You might think you sound stupid.

There's literally no stupid question, so just ask away. So, you are learning how to synthesize these complex ideas and how to also apply them to what you're looking at. So, number two, sorry, this is a long list, I'm going to just speed it up a little bit.

You also get contextual analysis. So, like I said, understanding the historicity of the object that you're looking at or whatever you're looking at. So, what does it mean for if this was created in the 1950s, well, where?

France. Okay, well, by who? Why?

Did they create it for something? What influenced them, and so on and so forth. I mean, you could just go all over the place depending on what you want to talk about, but that is very helpful to know.

So, you learn how to do that kind of analysis. Writing and communication, these are also very central points to an art historical degree or program or whatever.

You do a fuck ton of writing. You do so much writing. You might hate writing at the end of this.

I realized that the more I was writing, the more I actually did enjoy it because I was able to, it's kind of like when you exercise, like you get better at doing something the more you do it. So, like for example, I hated public speaking so much. I got better with it through my program, but I've actually gotten a lot better at it, I think, through this podcast because I'm able to just talk and figure out my ideas and what I think and feel and blah, blah, blah.

So, in an art historical program, you get to do a lot of writing, research papers, you do, hold on. Okay, sorry, if I'm in a different spot right now, I needed to switch out the batteries on my little recorder because I was like, "Oh, my god, it's going to die." Okay, anyway. So, yes, lots of written and lots of writing and communication skills.

Writing is essential for many different jobs, being able to, you know, provide your ideas and your input in a very cohesive, strong manner is very helpful, which also brings me to, like I said, public speaking, and then persuasive writing, that is also something that you will definitely learn in your craft, whether you're in a bachelor's class, whether you're in a master's, whether you're in a PhD, which your dissertation essentially is providing your viewpoints and supporting your evidence of why you think a certain way and why you think this is that way.

So, being able to do a very persuasive essay is hugely valuable. That can be valuable in a business setting, that can be valuable in a law setting, that can be valuable in a creative discipline, whatever it is, persuasive writing is extremely important, and that is something that you do learn how to do in an art historical field, or study, or program.

Research skills, huge, again. I love doing research, that was like one of the main things that I absolutely love, just getting so into the weeds in something that it just doesn't even matter, and just getting so far into the library, you don't even know where the fuck you are. You're like in the restricted section in Harry Potter.

Like you're getting into some weird shit, and that is what is so fun because it's like, okay, maybe only five people in the world right now know that this exists. I am one of those five and it's so cool. I don't know, it's just really neat, I love that.

You also get critical thinking skills, like I've talked about this entire time. Objective reasoning, this was one that I may just not even be framing it in the right way, but you really learn the difference between subjectivity and objectivity. You already know this as an adult, I'm sure, or as a, as a human, but subjectivity, just as like a really brief synopsis or refresher, subjectivity is your own thoughts, opinions, and feelings.

Objectivity is when something, it is the truth, it is looking at things objectively, it is looking at, "This is what it is," in just black and white, no emotion, no thoughts, no opinions tied to it. It's like, "This is a laptop. I am Amara."

Those are objective. "I think I am a wonderful, great person." Very subjective, extremely subjective, because those are my own thoughts and opinions. Not even remotely, but you know what I mean.

That is the difference between the two. So, objective reasoning is when you get to look at the objective principles, which ties into formal analysis and contextual analysis. It is very difficult, though, because a lot of art history and all of history is extremely subjective, so trying to sift through that and figure out, okay, well, what is the truth, and what has actually happened?

And that's why history is such a hot field right now because of the way that things have been presented and written about are not accurate by many different people.

So, that is something that is really being explored right now in art history programs. Also, if you are in an art historical program, a lot of times people entered it because they were interested in art, obviously. Not all the time, but a lot of times, it's because somebody was in a creative discipline and then they're like, "Oh, this is really interesting," which is exactly what happened to me, like I said at the top of the episode.

Having that creative lean is really helpful when looking at ideas and arguments and things like that, because you will take a creative approach at examining things and looking at things. So, that is hugely valuable, because somebody's going to look at it kind of from a more like analytical quote unquote perspective. You could look at something a totally different way or try a totally different approach to something that maybe somebody else from another discipline would never think about.

Like I teased, also, foreign language skills. I took a lot of foreign languages just because I actually also I wanted to be a spy.

That sounds so dumb to say it out loud, but I was like, "Oo, espionage, that's kind of fun." But I just I wanted to learn as many different languages as possible, just because I want to travel everywhere and just be able to communicate with a bunch of different people, and like I said, resource texts. I tried teaching myself ancient Assyrian and ancient Akkadian, which kind of worked, but really didn't, and that was the end of that.

But like foreign language, I took, well, Spanish all throughout high school, obviously. I was born and raised in Arizona, so Spanish was just like everywhere. I took a year and a half of French, almost two years, I think, and then a year of Italian and a year of German, so like not crazy expert level of any of those languages, but I can definitely get around.

I can read things well enough to comprehend it, so that was a hugely valuable for my graduate program where you had to translate an entire block of text. Now, my French was a little rusty, so I definitely needed a dictionary, but at least you have the comprehension of understanding, "Oh, okay, this is the, passė," whatever.

Just, foreign language, super important. You get knowledge of other cultures, time periods, peoples, and how these all intermix, that is like one of my favorite things, is like, "Okay, at this time period, this is what was happening," and that's where the context comes in. It just provides you with a much more well-rounded understanding of people, places, cultures, time periods, various different things.

You also learn to communicate your ideas to people. That is my kryptonite. I hate it, I hate trying to tell people how I think and feel, and it just, I don't enjoy it, but that was something that I had to get out of my comfort shell, which not so much in my program.

That helped me a little bit, but mostly actually this podcast, which is something I'm going to talk about in a little bit. And just to round this out, also, for the skills that you'll learn in your art history program, psychology. You learn sort of, well, it's up to you whatever you want to learn, like at the end of the day, this is just, these are just some examples of what you can learn if you choose to, if you choose to accept it.

Psychology, you can learn human psychology and why people do certain things, why people don't do certain things, why things are the way they are. It is very fascinating, which also ties into sociology. So, you get, you get a myriad of different degrees at one time, and it is really interesting to kind of explore, sorry, my chair is very squeaky.

It's interesting to kind of explore all these different things. Like I said, those are just a very brief list of different skills that you can acquire in your art historical program.

So, after you finish your program, then what kind of jobs can you get? I feel like I was just like Jerry Seinfeld. What's the deal with art history?

So, I have a lot of thoughts on the job market, and if you've listened to the podcast before, you know that I am very passionate about giving museum workers proper wages and proper respect, and blah, blah, blah, and just any institutional worker, it is very competitive, it is very difficult, and it is extremely not good pay, just to be fully transparent.

It's not terrible. It depends, obviously, on your location, so where you're living within your country, if you're near a major city, if you're further away in a smaller city, in a smaller city, you for sure will be making nothing, absolutely nothing. You'll make good money, maybe, in relation to all the other people you work around, but you will be making very low money.

If you live in a larger city, you should be making more money, but again, not guaranteed, you are going to make not as much money. It's just how the field works. So, just be prepared for that, if you go the traditional route.

I'm going to talk about some non-traditional job options, also, so don't, don't feel discouraged, I promise there is, I'm trying to do this to help you. So, something you should ask yourself when thinking about a career is, what do you love about art history? What do you love about your program?

Out of all those skills I just listed, what is it that you really love? And maybe there are skills that I, no, not maybe, there are skills that I didn't list. Maybe there's something within there, too, that you really loved.

What is it?

Do you like kind of the more historical research side? Do you like kind of more of the historical research side? Do you like more of kind of like the analytical, technical, theoretical side?

Do you like even just the art of it? Like, you just like being around art and you like the creativity. You could like all of them.

Like, that's totally fine, obviously, because that is like art history, that's all of it together. But, if you kind of lean toward one of those a little bit more, that can help inform what you do for a future career or careers or whatever you want to do.

And, you can Google traditional art historical career paths, if you like. I'm not going to spend too much time on that just because it's literally just a Google away. Obviously, some of the traditional ones are like working in a museum.

Oh, my god, shocking. So, you could be a curator. You could be a preparator, who's somebody who prepares to put art objects up on display.

You could do, you could be a docent who gives tours in various different things, which those are typically like volunteer opportunities, so you might not get paid or you might not get paid well. You could work, obviously, like I said, a curator. Extremely competitive.

Don't even hold your breath for that. That is like, there were three jobs in this country for that, and it's very competitive, so just FYI. It's also very stressful.

You could be a research associate. Like, there are a lot of different museum jobs that you can do. So, just look at your local museum or wherever you want to work, and you can find the jobs.

You could also work in an art gallery, if that's kind of more what you're into. You could do art consultant. You could be a professor.

You could work at a university, if you like to. I worked in a few, and I have a lot of thoughts and opinions. You could be a conservationist, a consultant, an appraiser, an art librarian, an art writer, a critic.

Like, there are just a lot in kind of the more traditional sort of scope. You also don't need to work at an institution. You could start your own consulting business.

You could start your own gallery, if you want to. Granted, there is a lot to think about. You have to have a business mind, if you're going to do that.

You might think you're not business-minded. It's just because you haven't read enough. I promise, I am not a business-minded person, but I have learned a lot in the past few years starting my own business.

Granted, I've had a ton of help from my boyfriend, who's been completely invaluable, or valuable. I never know how to use that one. But, he has provided so much help in doing this.

But also, you can, like, now you have the world at your fingertips. You can learn anything you want, which is amazing. So, just, you can do your own consulting business, start your own gallery.

You could do freelance work, freelance writing. You could have your own podcast, like me. You could even teach what you are learning on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Threads.

I, I don't understand Threads right now, but that is my own opinion.

But, you can do literally anything you put your mind to. You could be a travel agent, which is something you might not have thought about. Just because, you know, you'll have more familiarity, maybe with foreign languages, or various different cultures, peoples, things to do, places to go.

You could be an editor, medical copywriting, even, freelance journalist, international relations, social media, photography, videography, because you will have that, you'll have those skills of looking at something and figuring out, "Okay, this composition doesn't look balanced. This doesn't look right. These colors need to be done in a different way." You can do that.

You could even do set design, now that I'm thinking about it. You can, oh, my god, you can literally do anything.

Like I said, there have been law professionals who have started in art history, who have then gone into law because they were like, "I really like having that argument, not argument, but proving my point to people and finding out that why and telling people why my answer is the correct one." So, it, oh, I also had thumbnail designer on my list just because that genuinely is something.

Like, you are making an artwork. Again, you have to figure out what it is about art history that you really enjoy it. Is it the creative aspect, the research aspect, the analytical, theoretical, or the historical part?

Any and all of those, if they apply to you, then you can basically do anything. So, very briefly, just to tell you what I did and kind of what my career path was. It's a little messy, so I'm giving you an extremely brief look at everything.

But, I basically, like I said, I started in illustration, and I was like, "Okay, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I'm cut out for this. Everybody else is way more talented than I am."

Then I switched over to fashion design, and then I was like, "Okay, I don't really love this. This isn't my jam." I moved back over to like illustration graphic design, hated it, realized it was super competitive. Everything is competitive, but it just wasn't what I wanted to do.

Then I went to art direction, I was like, "I'm only into this because it would make way more money, and I just, I don't care that much about it, honestly." So, then, like I said, minored in art history, and then I was like, "I should just be a major in art history. What am I doing?" So, I switched to that, loved it, was totally into it, and then I finished my undergrad program.

While I was doing my undergrad program, I was also, which this will be in the next part where I tell you what to do next, which I recommend. But, I was doing a variety of different volunteer work to kind of see, okay, well, what do I want to do with my life? Like, I have no idea.

I'm 21, 22, whatever. So, I was just like, "Okay, I'm going to volunteer as a docent." So, I did that for a little bit. Then I was also, at the same time, I was working part-time and going to school full-time in addition to volunteering and also then doing an internship at a museum in downtown Chicago for rare books.

I was very busy. I was very tired all the time, but I really enjoyed everything. And on top of that, I was commuting very far, so it was just, it was a lot of different, it was a lot.

It was a lot, lot, lot, but I was able to figure out, "Okay, I don't like this. I like this. I hate that.

Oh, I really want to do this." So, like I said, then I got a part-time job at my undergrad as I was going through school, which was really nice. I was able to work in archives and special collections, absolutely loved it. I really realized that I like the historical research component of art history.

I like being able to, like I nerded out earlier, I like being able to figure out things that maybe people haven't found in a really, found, why did I say it like that? Things that haven't been found in a very long time, so I just, I really enjoyed that.

Then I graduated, and I went to grad school for art history, so I got my master's in art history. During that, I was also still working in archives and I absolutely loved it. I interned also at the Art Institute of Chicago in their archives, so I was just going full archival, and then my internship ended and then I was still working at UIC, or at my grad school the entire time, and then I got offered a full-time job.

So, then I was like, "Yeah, sure," in archives, like in the same department and everything. I literally just stayed in the same office, and I was like, "Oh, cool. Now I'm full-time." And I absolutely loved it, but again, working a full-time job wasn't necessarily for me because I have more of the creative lean, also.

So, during the pandemic, we were working from home, and then I was making TikToks for art historical things. They took off very well. I panicked because I was like, "Oh, my god, I don't want people knowing who I am." So, that was a huge mistake on my part.

But then, one of my professors from my undergrad saw the TikToks, and she's like, "Hey, would you like to teach? Like, I see that you, I really like your videos. I see that you're doing this.

Do you want to teach?" And I was like, "Oh, my god. No." And then I said yes, eventually. So, I was an art history teacher, also.

Then I didn't necessarily enjoy some components of that, also. I like being able to do my own thing at the end of the day and have the opportunity to not have to be somewhere at a specific time, unless, obviously, a client appointment. So, I like just having the, the free range, I guess I'll call it.

I'm a free-range chicken. So, now I have a videography business, like I teased at the beginning, for social media, and I love it. I've so much fun with that.

I do YouTube videos. I have this podcast. I have another podcast with my boyfriend where we talk about business, it's called What Is MAVEN, and it's essentially just to give you the kick in the pants you need to get started on your week and, like, kick ass.

I also have an Etsy shop where I make art historical-related stickers and art, like, archivist stickers and a bunch of other stickers. But, that's just something fun that I do. I do copy editing, a lot of different things.

Oh, and then I do coaching for people in art historical fields.

Ooh, it's like raining really hard right now. So, that is just kind of my pathway, again, super brief version of it, a lot of self-doubt, self-hatred, not knowing, a lot of fear, also, in there, too, just because it's like, "Okay, I'm getting a degree in art history. I'm not a nepo baby.

I don't have parents who are very wealthy. I don't have anybody to fall back on." So, that was very scary for me, so that's why I was working part-time and doing internships and volunteering and going to school and doing all these different things and getting very tired. So, anyway, that is just something to think about.

So, what should you do? Sorry, this is very long-winded, but I hope it's at least helping you a little bit. I have a lot of different things that I would recommend.

Like I said, if you want to do one-on-one coaching and you need to talk to somebody, please reach out to me, link in the description below, and we can chat, like, whatever you need. Also, if you just have a quick question, leave it in the comments below, and I can help you out. But, I recommend doing internships and volunteering.

Yes, you will be doing unpaid labor. However, it's normally for a short amount of time. If it's not, don't do it.

Do whatever works for your schedule.

If you can make it work, you should do that. Why? Because you have more flexibility.

If you're doing something unpaid, a lot of times it's much easier to be able to quit, leave, do whatever, than it is when you are working for money, because then you're in the system. You're in the system, man. But, try a bunch of different things.

Try something. I tried docenting, I fucking hated it, because it was public speaking, it was talking to people and telling them about things, and then they ask you questions, and then you get off your pathway, like on your on your script. And then, just try different things.

If I didn't do my rare books internship, I wouldn't have become an archivist, plain and simple.

It's all of those different things and using those, using the skills that you learn within those opportunities, and applying them to your future opportunities, that are what make you. And that's what makes you successful. So, say yes to things.

If it seems even remotely interesting to you, go for it, apply for it. Again, you don't have to do a traditional job, traditional internship, whatever. You don't have to do that.

You can do something totally different. Like, just use whatever skills and things that you have learned. Whatever you have in your little toolkit, use it to your advantage.

So, like I said, internships, volunteering, working in the field that you want to work in, work in a museum, even if it's just like in the cafeteria or something, like, I'm not saying that as like diminutive, but just like whatever it is that you want to do.

Work within the institution, work within the field, whatever, and then you can get a little closer and kind of see how things work a little bit closer versus being totally on the outside, because if you've never worked in a museum, whether as the janitor, as the lunch lady, as an assistant curator, you have no idea what it is.

Front desk, whatever, do whatever. So, those are some things that I recommend. Also, if you are planning to do art history for your undergrad, you will more than likely go to grad school for art history.

Again, you may not, totally up to you. If you do, though, make sure you are taking foreign language classes in your undergrad, or off to the side, like, privately, or whatever. Make sure you're taking a foreign language that relates to your area of study, whatever kind of art history you're passionate about.

You will have to take a test in that language, just FYI. At least know the basics of the language, and then you can scoot by with a dictionary. Just know that.

Also, make sure that you're networking at school. That is something I am terrible at. I am so not good with networking, it's not even funny.

I would love to be better at it, but I am not. I'm very shy. I get awkward.

I don't enjoy it. And that is something that I wish I did in my undergrad and grad school a lot better. But again, I was focusing on all these different other things to build my career, and I wish I had focused on networking, also, because that is huge and hugely valuable.

So, focus on that, also, if you can. Finally, share your work and findings on social media. If you like writing research papers in private, I know that sounds nuts, but that is something that I really liked doing, or if you like reading, and you read and learn all these new different things, share it on social media.

Make a quick, little video. It doesn't have to look amazing. It could be a short, shitty-looking video, but as long as you're sharing your passion and what you like, people will find it, and people will find you, and you will have so many more opportunities.

Like I said, I was making TikToks just for fun, because I was just like, "Fuck it, why not? We're all going to die in this pandemic." And I was terrified, and I needed to take my mind off of stuff.

I was just making these TikToks, ended up into a teaching thing where I made extra money that I wouldn't have made, and I had all this other opportunity and skills that I learned that I wouldn't have done. So, sharing that on social media, it is free, technically, there are some things. So, even if people, don't be afraid of sharing things on social media, also.

If people disagree with you, which there will be people, they will let you know 100%, fuck them. Like, just, "Okay, cool, that's their opinion. You have your opinion, too." And if you get anything wrong, like a year, a person, whatever, okay, cool, just be like, "Thanks for letting me know," end of story.

I'm so sick of people feeling like they can't learn and they can't make a mistake.

You can make as many mistakes as you want, just own up to them. If you make a mistake, what you do after that shows way more who you are than making the mistake. If you're just like, "Oh, okay, cool.

Then, thanks for letting me know. Cool. That's awesome." Like, that shows that you're a real human being.

If you get defensive and shitty and hostile, you're a piece of shit. So, I just, I hate seeing that, where people feel like they can't be wrong, and people get attacked for being wrong. Totally fine.

Like, everybody's wrong at some point. Don't be mean to each other. So, those are just some of my tips for what you should do moving forward.

At the end of the day, too, don't get hung up on your major.

It is just one small part of your life. Yes, you're spending a shit ton of money. At the end of the day, most people I know who I went to school with are doing nothing even remotely related to their major.

You might as well do something that you are really loving. If you don't absolutely love art history, don't do it, plain and simple. Do something else.

You don't have to do art history, or if your parents are making you do that, that is very weird, and I would have a lot of questions. But, just don't get too hung up on your major. Again, probably won't be doing anything even remotely close to your major, or you'll be taking those skills and things, like we talked about way at the beginning, you'll be taking those skills and applying them to something totally different, so do not be worried about that.

Just stay curious, stay creative, and you'll be fine, I promise. So,

I think with that, oh, and like I said, too, if you have any questions, and you need help in the coaching field, or whatever, that is linked in the description below, and I can totally help you out. It can be really scary. I wish I had, like, a nice, little cohort of people.

The people in my programs were very nice, but I just, I didn't work on the networking and everything because I was really busy with everything else. So, if you need somebody to talk to, and you don't feel like you can talk to anybody else, like, reach out. Description below, or just the link is in the description below for one-on-one coaching, or leave a comment or something, or reach out to me on some other social media platform, and I will be there to help you.

So, with that, that will do it for this episode. Sorry it wasn't our normally scheduled programming, but hopefully, if you are struggling with going to school for art history, you're freaking out about what to do, maybe you're graduating next year, and you're like, "Oh, my god, it's happening," hopefully, this was able to help you at least a little bit.

Again, please reach out. I'm here to help. I was so scared to graduate.

I could not even tell you how scared I was. So, just use that fear, use it to your advantage, and just keep learning, keep being curious, and just keep being awesome. So, just kick ass and take names, and that'll do it for this episode.

So, I'm Amara Andrew, never stop creating.