Creative Labors: The Lives and Careers of Women Artists

Abstract

A qualitative study investigated the meaning and experience of career for 8 women between the ages of 40 and 65 years who identified themselves as artists and whose primary career pursuits were in the visual, performing, or literary arts. The question that guided this phenomenological investigation was: What is the meaning and experience of career as it is lived by women artists? Three in‐depth interviews were conducted with each participant over 2 years. Detailed analysis of the interview transcripts identified 9 common themes in the lives and career development of these women artists. The implications of the findings for career theory, counseling practice, and research are discussed.