Art can build the foundation for many different creative industries and some are surprised by the options young artists have to use their skills as a working adult. While what we teach is a tangible art form, more than once we meet a student who has aspirations in creative technologies. Holt School alumni, Drew Busch, was one of these students and has accomplished his goal of breaking into the game design industry. Drew took classes at Holt School from 4th-12th grade and also spent time as an assistant in our classes.
As a young artist, Drew preferred oil painting and charcoal. While his subject matter varied, he was always very focused on his work. One of the things he enjoyed most, was stepping away to discuss what he was working on with his instructors. "I really enjoyed when my perspective was challenged, and I learned how to get around a problem by thinking about it differently, thanks to my instructors." He also enjoyed the time he spent learning to collaborate with others on our mural team.
The game design industry is not easy to break into and Drew started working towards it in 7th grade by simply playing with game design programs and trying to figure it out. In college, he worked with a team to create an award winning game. Now that he's a game designer, Drew calls on some of the skills he learned in art class. "I've found between making visual art, music, and games, that the fundamental process is very much the same, and all about problem solving, getting feedback, and thinking creatively. Â I've still kept up with doing charcoal drawings and oil paintings every now and then. I'm also a very musical person, and I play piano, sing, and love to write music. But the art I practice the most now is game design, as I now work at a game studio called Infinity Ward as a game designer."
It's exciting to see past students call on their art class experiences as they enter the work force and Drew is one of the many individuals who has shown us that there are more options for young artists than just becoming a professional artist. When we asked Drew why he chose the creative career path, he told us "At the end of the day we don't do art because we love holding a paint brush or tapping a piano key; we do it because we want to share our ideas with the world and create memorable experiences."
Want to see some of the options for creative careers? Download our list of "Creative Careers for Artists."
To see some of Drew's projects visit: www.drewbusch.com