Previously, we highlighted pointers that you should take into consideration before pursuing an education or a career in the creative industry, from whether you have what it takes to work in the industry to how prepared you need to be prior to making your start there.
Should you opt to further your study in the creative field, it’s worth noting that you don’t necessarily need to do so overseas, for you can find many education options here in Malaysia.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the country’s creative industry, which includes the multimedia industry and the culture and art industry, contributes approximately two percent towards its gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about one million people (as of 2019).
Across the globe, the creative economy has been an important contributor to world trade, with global exports of creative goods rose from US$208 billion in 2002 to US$509 billion in 2015.
The creative industry is expected to grow each year, so those looking to get involved in the creative field can look forward to highly rewarding careers, combined with hard work and seizing opportunities.
Creative fields come in numerous forms, as education and career sites like Hotcourses Abroad and TARGETcareers UK suggest, thus as mentioned in a previous article, make sure to determine your creative niche.
From there, find out if there are study programmes related to your preferred creative field, be they full time, part time or short courses.
Creative individuals tend to be open to new environments and experiences, as well as are willing to constantly learn, explore and question, so consider furthering your creative studies beyond your home town if you can afford it.
The Klang Valley, where Malaysia’s creative industry is mostly concentrated, is home to some of the most renowned tertiary institutions that offer courses in wide-ranging creative fields, such as the Malaysian Institute of Art, National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage, The One Academy and Sunway University.
With the drive to grow the creative industry within the State, tertiary institutions in Sarawak also have creative industry-related study programmes, including Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, University College of Technology Sarawak, Limkokwing University and Swinburne Sarawak.
Alternatively, you can consider online workshops and courses, especially if you don’t intend to enrol in formal education institutions or are just casually interested.
Online learning platforms like SkillShare and Udemy provide various online courses on creativity and are available for all skill levels, so you can take your time and learn whenever you want to.
When selecting a study course that aligns with your creative niche, it would be helpful to read up the course details, including course outline, teaching staff, career prospects and even testimonials from former students.
A good creative course should enable you to gain hands-on experience from industry professionals. It should also be engaging and challenging enough to test your limits and most importantly, it should provide you with opportunities to express yourself as a future creative.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels.
