Through a series of interviews, this qualitative study takes a close look at the motivations and outcomes of four individuals at different stages of their career change. Each participant boasts successful employment histories outside of the arts, yet all have dedicated their futures to art education. A closer look into the challenges and rewards of entering a new career from a previously unrelated profession sheds light on the passion these individuals share for helping others use art to make connections to their work and the world beyond. Although research on career change to art education is scarce, these findings generally support previous research into the motivations of career change professionals to education, as found in the literature. This study begins to look at how career changers value the balance between content knowledge and technical skill vs. the personal attributes and past experiences they bring to teaching. As a result, questions arise about which approach is most beneficial in producing highly-effective, not highly-qualified, educators.

Keywords: career changer