Important skills helping you through the new digital art realm

Not only is technology an increasingly pervasive part of our daily lives, it’s having a growing impact on the art world too.  From tech being used as a tool to make art, to it helping us expand our access to art, to it occasionally even teaching us how to enjoy the art world better or simply being the medium used – one thing for sure is that creative industries are becoming a lot more URL than IRL.  This means if you want to work in the art world,  it’s time to become more digitally advanced.  Now and even more so in the future, success and mobility in the art world will be determined by a new mix of tech skills. But what fundamental skills are needed to succeed in this new hi-tech future? Here we list out the three most vital basic skills to learn to succeed. By having elements of this winning trifecta skill set, you can become a desirable candidate.

Image of Yayoi Kusama’s light installation via CBC

1. HUMAN vs ROBOT
You may fear that a robot is going to take over your job one day but believe it or not human skills are the most important asset to your basic skill set. Otherwise known as “soft skills,” these encompass social, creative and critical thinking, which can help lead the way for innovation and collaboration. These skills allow you to work creatively and well as a team and are in high demand across roles within the art world.

2. BECOME A CHANGE AGENT
A true business enabler is someone who is able to identify, and instigate, opportunities for key business improvement. These skills allow other skills to be put to work in practical situations. Examples of business enabler skills are project management, business process, communicating data, and digital design. This skill set enables individuals to connect the capabilities of digital technologies to broader business goals. This deep and far-reaching skill will also give you a unique perspective to really understand where the pain points, and critical elements are within the tech side of the art world. So, from a culture standpoint, being a business enabler will help you become a change agent.

3. DIGITAL BUILDING BLOCKS
Before you start your hunt for a job in the art world that is more digitally inclined, it is important to have basic tech skills. This means the fundamental skills that are at the heart of most digital programs. By having a basic idea, you will be able to build on your skills more easily. Examples of such skills are computational thinking, data science, and machine learning. These skills are expected within many job roles in the art world today. Once you have these fundamental skills with the availability of online learning, the power to learn the ins and outs of specific tech abilities lies in your hands to enhance you career even further.
Now you have the idea of the three basic skills needed to move forward on your high-tech job search, consider conducting an audit of your skill-set. Always stay in the mindset of being a lifelong learner because the tech world is growing daily, so it’s best to learn to adapt along the way.

Text by Peigi Mackillop