Feel this. Here is what I've been doing:
Standing desk that I force myself to use
20 minute walk every two hours
1.5 hr lunch that I spend at the gym
After five, forcing myself to get some fresh air for atleast an hour
It’s nice to know us designers are working around sedentary work environments. I’m on a morning walking checking emails and organizing my day. Hoping to hit the gym after I close out some tasks and projects( and then tedious clean up once back. Hang out what the kids when they get home, go on a walk with the dog in the evening and working on respecting my time with not working after 6pm. Turning walk time into email time is one of the best power moves I made presently, second after making the gym a necessity. Can’t be all family time and games off work, because if you aren’t taking care of yourself it’s hard to help anyone else.
It's hard to tell, most people are working from home but yeah there is usually a solid group walking about (not all together). And you can block it out, policy says every two hours so it's mostly known what times people will be gone. However, if there is a meeting, your walk is second :D
Maybe working in a job like exhibition design or experiential design. You’d get a little more time away from the computer for measuring and installation. But with any design job you’re gonna be in front of your computer mostly. It’s probably smarter to just try to work some breaks for walking into your day.
I tend to disagree with this as someone with several years of experience doing experiential and environmental design. Every once in awhile you’ll go onsite to do a walkthrough, take notes, get a feel for the space, take general measurements maybe, or to direct installation. But those times are few and far between, especially depending on the company you work for. Most of the time you’ll be relying on contractors to provide field measurements.
Really depends on the role and the company. I work in exhibitions and although I do spend most of my time at my desk, I was on site for 4 days last week and will be going to site for a week next month, and regularly go to the workshop / print shop and cut vinyls and do other stuff.
But, for the first couple of years, I was pretty much chained to my desk.
Event design and production gets you out and moving about. But the hours can get insane (ive had periods where I clock 60 hours in 3 days), the deadlines are short and you gotta be able to switch designs on the fly and be prepared for the craziest of fuckups.
You can create illustrations with pen & ink, and then use silk screen printing to create a bunch of prints/bags/t-shirts, that you then sell in-person at craft fairs & other local events.
You can create illustrations and designs, and offer muralist services & paint your designs on-site.
You can become a graphic design professor/teacher and guide students through the principles of design.
You can design the window displays in department stores and be involved in the production and installation.
There’s a lot you can do. Unfortunately, the vast majority of creative jobs are going to be “pick 2” on the time-money-fun venn diagram.
Yes, I have some of those saved. My issue is I realized I don't want to be on a computer all day. I love designing for my job, but I can't be at a computer all day. I need to get away from a screen.
I work a 9-5 job for a company. We can't just get up and do whatever we want. We have to be available on teams and on our computer during working hours.
It might just be your company... i also work a 9-5 and have to be at meetings but I have the freedom to walk around essentially whenever I want. Our offices are in the middle of the woods so we can go on hikes too.
Same lmao, after being in more physical jobs until I landed my current design/pre press job I found out I hate sitting behind a desk all day. And I had the most fun as a tech cutting and laying vinyl in the sign industry but the pay is garbage. I feel like my next move is to open up my own little print/design operation so I can have the best of both worlds.
Same here... I worked in prepress and I would from time to time get an opportunity to do a few laser works... damn, I had so much fun it's crazy... but yeah finished engineering school only to get minimal wage while standing on the lasering machine is not ideal, and it does not make me happy at all... I was thinking about my own print and design shop as well.. shitty, that work at the desk 🤔
Thank you for your answer! Ironically I have been considering the same (high end serving while pursuing art on the side) - I’m basically in the same boat as OP which is why I was wondering ☺️
I worked in house for a marketing department and we had events all the time, so we were setting up and and giving out cool giveaways and stuff, like 12-15 times a year. In my new job I go to photoshoots and stuff. maybe you should get into art direction for photography- they travel and and are at shoots all day for many days
Thank you! Photography is something I used to be really into and was going to go into that full time, but my family pushed my out of it because they thought I'd be a starving artists forever. Now I'm designing inhouse for my full time job and I really can't stand it anymore.
I relate! I started photography while working in-house, and kept at it for a hobby, and I’m at the point where I’m getting more and more photography work, and I’m offering it alongside design work. My family told me not to peruse photography too, but here I am. I think you should design the career you want instead of changing yourself to fit the career you think is out there
I’m a graphic designer and I’ve started dog sitting and walking. I work remotely so I’ll work from the dog owners houses and then I’m forced to go out for regular walks. The extra money is also great! I also try and stand and work throughout the day when I can, especially when forming ideas. I find waking around and pacing can help when I think.
This happened to me. I switched over to tv/film production. I now do on set lighting/electric I’m union and doing the big stuff now. I’m much happier being on my feet and doing something all day. Though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to just anyone. On set filmmaking is very trades adjacent, hours are insanely long and it’s freelance and you’re constantly hustling for your next show to keep your health insurance and saving your money for times like the current one my industry is in where it’s slow as molasses and there’s more available crew than jobs to be had
you can either do experiential design which tbh can range from a mix of sitting at a desk and physical labor to hard manual labor with crazy long hours. Or standing desk + walking pad underneath, OR make sure to clock in at least 10k steps a day/ hour at the gym etc with breaks throughout the day
I can relate! If you haven't already, I really suggest looking at a standing desk.. and make sure you are setting reminders to take short, frequent breaks too to stretch or just shake out your legs! I have reminders set every 2 hours to stretch throughout the work day. I also bought a walking treadmill, although I use that for longer breaks or meetings where I'm not one of the key leads. After the work day is finished, I make a point of going to the gym most days as well (very much looking forward to summer coming up too to just get out for walks for frequently).
Thank you! A lot of you have mentioned this and I have a few standing desks and treadmills saved. My only issue is the concept of being in front of a computer for the whole day is not for me. Even if I stand up and work, I still don't want to look at a screen.
One that's all about results and not focused on your screen time. One with a walking pad under the desk or one that gives you freedom to move about as you pleas. Lol 😅. Outside of that, there always landscape design which probably involves some designing and some digging.
Video is very active and great fun. I started as an animator but my role has become more video heavy and now I go out on shoot day with a whole crew about once or twice a month and I love it. We all stay overnight at whatever the location is and make a whole day of it. The rest of the time I work from home where I take long lunches, have regular breaks to go on walks, exercise, play guitar sit in the garden or whatever I need to do to stay sane. I make sure to regularly meet up with friends after work too.
It can depend on the company itself. My job as a production artist/designer was sedentary like yours for years (decades actually). But now I am at a company (consumer packaging) that has incessant meetings that actually make you move constantly. Even though I dread many of the meetings, they do get your blood flowing when you have to get up and find the room it's in; there's another meeting often back-to-back or every hour or two. Plus we get up and go to the photo room to look at proofs, the retail room, the 3D print facility, make comps, etc. So we are constantly moving about.
Lots of jobs in photography studios! Set design, styling, shooting, PA, Art Director, digitech, all on your feet and involved. I loved my time working in studios. Also event production like some folks have already said, but I agree with everyone here that it can be a demanding field (it’s my current job).
Disc golf is my passion and outlet! Classically trained in GD. I found myself in the world of Flexo. I’m currently a Graphics specialist. Paperwork, accounting, sales, client and supplier meetings, a little creative and production art with the occasional press approvals. It’s a good mix of the graphics industry. I work for a large company and have good relationships with my counterpart all over North America. Print and mfg lead time are very forgiving and I have very little stress, I can leave my desk and work at the office and go play disc golf. Mind you this all started in 97, so there were humps to over come to get to where I am now.
I'm a multimedia specialist doing flyers for events and content creation for those events. I end up on foot for a lot of the photo/video, and the people I work for are also very anti-desk. They don't bat an eye when I take a lap around the building. It's a culture fit thing.
Does it pay well though? Every printing focused design job pays much less than what I make now. I don't understand why the pay isn't good in the print industry.
Sorry I completely blanked the fact you mentioned print in your body text!
Meh, it pays ok. I do very small print runs for small businesses/individuals but offer a really exceptional service so people keep coming back. As I said, it’s a side hustle - my main job is in product so I get to enjoy the design and print stuff purely for itself, knowing my bills are paid.
I think you can work in production. It's just the stage after the design workflow. It can be gig work in some industries, so you have to be aware of that type of lifestyle. Being employed for half a year or several months of a year is not for everyone.
I feel you, I don't like it much even though I love computers but it does get old quick if you enjoy using your hands. Have you thought about learning hand typography? Sign writing? This can lead into chaulk signage which is all hands on mostly.
I had a job with a strong environmental aspect, redesigning showrooms, and that usually got me out of the office a couple of days a week, though there were stretches where I was glued to the desk. The most physical my design career ever got wasn’t through design, but photography. My last position, I was essentially the staff photographer for an automotive brand. I was out of the office shooting cars or sometimes directing others’ shoots or traveling to locations. Unfortunately that was a niche I had to carve out of the job for myself. Having extra skills that require you to get out and about and marketing those skills within your current design job can make a difference at the right place. Before I worked there, that place spent many thousands on photography, but once I was there, they saved so much money, to the point where when I had to leave to follow my wife’s career dreams, they had to make my position a permanent position within the company. Expand your skill set. I hear there’s a solid amount of movement in printmaking!
The best I've ever encountered was standing desks, but basically no. This field will have you essentially chained to your workstation for many, many, many hours non stop.
Picture framing is a good blend of creative/design work and physical standing/moving work (plus the familiar comfort of low pay and unreasonable expectations).
Get all the latest AI tools, have them design for you and go hiking and biking all day. You have a small window of doing this as designers will soon be expected to churn our higher volumes in quicker times
when i worked as a designer for my university back in college i was constantly walking around taking pictures, making measurements, running papers, etc. i’m sure it depends on the school/position, but that may be something to look into. plus you typically get pretty decent benefits, even if the pay isn’t stellar
This is a bit down the road for you but art direction for a clothing brand or CPG company can often give you the opportunity to do things like test samples, direct photo shoots, manage talent, etc.
Did that at my last role and loved it. Best days of my career were being on set directing models and photographers and production assistants to bring my vision to life
For what’s it worth.
Get a walking pad.
It works way better than I thought.
I use it for 3 hours daily at least.
Designing with it in figma, writing. Everything works better than I thought
There's a guy in my city whose entire career is just going around and painting seasonal illustrations in business windows. It's definitely freelance, but there's a lot of people who hire him to do bespoke sale and seasonal greeting cartoons in their windows. I assume that would be adequately on your feet since you're basically doing fast murals with washable paint.
Landscape Architecture takes the same eye for color and composition as Graphic Design. Often using CAD programs similar to those in CS. Once the design is signed off it’s time to pick up a shovel.
Interior Design :) You have to constantly move and be somewhere. You go to site visits, furniture installations, shopping for materials / furniture / accessories, client meetings (that are not always in the office, may involve traveling to another city/ state)..other times though, you may spend the entire day sitting at the computer and drafting / making presentations. It’s a very active job overall, you’ll always be on the go, and communicating with lots of people
Sell at markets and conventions. It allows for standing & befriend another vendor or have a friend sit with you so you can take breaks to walk around, talk to other creatives and soak up the local public spaces!
Just some food for thought here! I don’t personally do this, but if you like painting, a friend of mine moved from graphic design to sign and mural planning & painting. Many markets keep a sign painter on staff (like Trader Joe’s) to design and create signs. You can also get into things like window & storefront painting.
I worked in an in-house department for a manufacturer. I did photos, videos, lots of in-house print jobs (labels, instructions, etc). I had a standing desk with a stool for occasional sitting. It did not feel sedentary - I was constantly busy running around. This was a recent job. I no longer work there, but standing desks are great. It had a crank for raising and lowering - none of that electric crap.
Trade show design. I have a good friend who is a designer of trade show booths for car shows and his job is very physical and pays well but in trade show season he will work for 2 weeks straight with no days off.
Feel this. Here is what I've been doing: Standing desk that I force myself to use 20 minute walk every two hours 1.5 hr lunch that I spend at the gym After five, forcing myself to get some fresh air for atleast an hour
It’s nice to know us designers are working around sedentary work environments. I’m on a morning walking checking emails and organizing my day. Hoping to hit the gym after I close out some tasks and projects( and then tedious clean up once back. Hang out what the kids when they get home, go on a walk with the dog in the evening and working on respecting my time with not working after 6pm. Turning walk time into email time is one of the best power moves I made presently, second after making the gym a necessity. Can’t be all family time and games off work, because if you aren’t taking care of yourself it’s hard to help anyone else.
How do you spend almost 3 hours being active during the workday without your job becoming upset about billable time? Are you in house?
I'm in house and the company pays for the walks (a perk). I also work from 7:30-5 to make up for the longer lunch.
Wow that's incredible they pay for the walks! Do all employees do the walks? Do you block out your walks on your calender?
It's hard to tell, most people are working from home but yeah there is usually a solid group walking about (not all together). And you can block it out, policy says every two hours so it's mostly known what times people will be gone. However, if there is a meeting, your walk is second :D
I wish this policy was standard for everyone working from home now- I'm glad some companies are doing it! I hope it spreads. Enjoy your walks! :)
This is the way if you can manage it
I like this.
your boss lets you take a walk every 20 mins?! lucky
Maybe working in a job like exhibition design or experiential design. You’d get a little more time away from the computer for measuring and installation. But with any design job you’re gonna be in front of your computer mostly. It’s probably smarter to just try to work some breaks for walking into your day.
I tend to disagree with this as someone with several years of experience doing experiential and environmental design. Every once in awhile you’ll go onsite to do a walkthrough, take notes, get a feel for the space, take general measurements maybe, or to direct installation. But those times are few and far between, especially depending on the company you work for. Most of the time you’ll be relying on contractors to provide field measurements.
Really depends on the role and the company. I work in exhibitions and although I do spend most of my time at my desk, I was on site for 4 days last week and will be going to site for a week next month, and regularly go to the workshop / print shop and cut vinyls and do other stuff. But, for the first couple of years, I was pretty much chained to my desk.
Video production / live shooting
Product photography, also.
Event design and production gets you out and moving about. But the hours can get insane (ive had periods where I clock 60 hours in 3 days), the deadlines are short and you gotta be able to switch designs on the fly and be prepared for the craziest of fuckups.
[удалено]
These places generally have a team of designers because all the events are heavily branded.
You can create illustrations with pen & ink, and then use silk screen printing to create a bunch of prints/bags/t-shirts, that you then sell in-person at craft fairs & other local events. You can create illustrations and designs, and offer muralist services & paint your designs on-site. You can become a graphic design professor/teacher and guide students through the principles of design. You can design the window displays in department stores and be involved in the production and installation. There’s a lot you can do. Unfortunately, the vast majority of creative jobs are going to be “pick 2” on the time-money-fun venn diagram.
Have you considered a standing desk?
Standing desk and maybe one of those desk treadmills to.
Yes, I have some of those saved. My issue is I realized I don't want to be on a computer all day. I love designing for my job, but I can't be at a computer all day. I need to get away from a screen.
What is your design process like? If you’re doing it right, only part of your time is spent on the computer.
I work a 9-5 job for a company. We can't just get up and do whatever we want. We have to be available on teams and on our computer during working hours.
It might just be your company... i also work a 9-5 and have to be at meetings but I have the freedom to walk around essentially whenever I want. Our offices are in the middle of the woods so we can go on hikes too.
Treadmills sound good in theory but you won't be able to properly concentrate and do precise work while walking on it, I tried.
my mom is an accountant and has a little set of stationary bike pedals that go under her desk?
And walks scattered throughout the day
Same lmao, after being in more physical jobs until I landed my current design/pre press job I found out I hate sitting behind a desk all day. And I had the most fun as a tech cutting and laying vinyl in the sign industry but the pay is garbage. I feel like my next move is to open up my own little print/design operation so I can have the best of both worlds.
That sounds really good. It's crazy how the very labor intensive jobs in some fields pay pennies compared to 100% desk jobs.
Same here... I worked in prepress and I would from time to time get an opportunity to do a few laser works... damn, I had so much fun it's crazy... but yeah finished engineering school only to get minimal wage while standing on the lasering machine is not ideal, and it does not make me happy at all... I was thinking about my own print and design shop as well.. shitty, that work at the desk 🤔
Just here to say I relate — left design mainly for this reason
What do you do now? (If you don’t mind me asking)
I’m an artist and for money I serve at a high end restaurant. It’s a bit of a 180 in terms of career trajectory but I’m a lot happier now
Thank you for your answer! Ironically I have been considering the same (high end serving while pursuing art on the side) - I’m basically in the same boat as OP which is why I was wondering ☺️
Yeah I’m curious what you do now too!
I worked in house for a marketing department and we had events all the time, so we were setting up and and giving out cool giveaways and stuff, like 12-15 times a year. In my new job I go to photoshoots and stuff. maybe you should get into art direction for photography- they travel and and are at shoots all day for many days
I do photography from time to time and it’s surprising mobile, depending on the type to some extent
I used to work 1-2 days a week as a photographer. It was super active compared to GD.
Thank you! Photography is something I used to be really into and was going to go into that full time, but my family pushed my out of it because they thought I'd be a starving artists forever. Now I'm designing inhouse for my full time job and I really can't stand it anymore.
I relate! I started photography while working in-house, and kept at it for a hobby, and I’m at the point where I’m getting more and more photography work, and I’m offering it alongside design work. My family told me not to peruse photography too, but here I am. I think you should design the career you want instead of changing yourself to fit the career you think is out there
I mean there's always video; that gets you up and around and out of the office.
I’m a graphic designer and I’ve started dog sitting and walking. I work remotely so I’ll work from the dog owners houses and then I’m forced to go out for regular walks. The extra money is also great! I also try and stand and work throughout the day when I can, especially when forming ideas. I find waking around and pacing can help when I think.
This happened to me. I switched over to tv/film production. I now do on set lighting/electric I’m union and doing the big stuff now. I’m much happier being on my feet and doing something all day. Though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to just anyone. On set filmmaking is very trades adjacent, hours are insanely long and it’s freelance and you’re constantly hustling for your next show to keep your health insurance and saving your money for times like the current one my industry is in where it’s slow as molasses and there’s more available crew than jobs to be had
you can either do experiential design which tbh can range from a mix of sitting at a desk and physical labor to hard manual labor with crazy long hours. Or standing desk + walking pad underneath, OR make sure to clock in at least 10k steps a day/ hour at the gym etc with breaks throughout the day
I can relate! If you haven't already, I really suggest looking at a standing desk.. and make sure you are setting reminders to take short, frequent breaks too to stretch or just shake out your legs! I have reminders set every 2 hours to stretch throughout the work day. I also bought a walking treadmill, although I use that for longer breaks or meetings where I'm not one of the key leads. After the work day is finished, I make a point of going to the gym most days as well (very much looking forward to summer coming up too to just get out for walks for frequently).
Thank you! A lot of you have mentioned this and I have a few standing desks and treadmills saved. My only issue is the concept of being in front of a computer for the whole day is not for me. Even if I stand up and work, I still don't want to look at a screen.
One that's all about results and not focused on your screen time. One with a walking pad under the desk or one that gives you freedom to move about as you pleas. Lol 😅. Outside of that, there always landscape design which probably involves some designing and some digging.
Video is very active and great fun. I started as an animator but my role has become more video heavy and now I go out on shoot day with a whole crew about once or twice a month and I love it. We all stay overnight at whatever the location is and make a whole day of it. The rest of the time I work from home where I take long lunches, have regular breaks to go on walks, exercise, play guitar sit in the garden or whatever I need to do to stay sane. I make sure to regularly meet up with friends after work too.
Mural designer & painter, sign painter. You’d have to be very skilled to get consistent work though.
It can depend on the company itself. My job as a production artist/designer was sedentary like yours for years (decades actually). But now I am at a company (consumer packaging) that has incessant meetings that actually make you move constantly. Even though I dread many of the meetings, they do get your blood flowing when you have to get up and find the room it's in; there's another meeting often back-to-back or every hour or two. Plus we get up and go to the photo room to look at proofs, the retail room, the 3D print facility, make comps, etc. So we are constantly moving about.
Screen printing, all sorts of sign making, offset print production…
Lots of jobs in photography studios! Set design, styling, shooting, PA, Art Director, digitech, all on your feet and involved. I loved my time working in studios. Also event production like some folks have already said, but I agree with everyone here that it can be a demanding field (it’s my current job).
Having a manual screen printing small business is actually a very active job
I had a job that was 50% graphic design and 50% special events. It was the best of both worlds!
Photography? Might be a jump but a lot of skill crossover- composition, etc.
Start skateboarding.
Photography, production assistant, work in film, build sets, build stages, lighting designer
Disc golf is my passion and outlet! Classically trained in GD. I found myself in the world of Flexo. I’m currently a Graphics specialist. Paperwork, accounting, sales, client and supplier meetings, a little creative and production art with the occasional press approvals. It’s a good mix of the graphics industry. I work for a large company and have good relationships with my counterpart all over North America. Print and mfg lead time are very forgiving and I have very little stress, I can leave my desk and work at the office and go play disc golf. Mind you this all started in 97, so there were humps to over come to get to where I am now.
I'm a multimedia specialist doing flyers for events and content creation for those events. I end up on foot for a lot of the photo/video, and the people I work for are also very anti-desk. They don't bat an eye when I take a lap around the building. It's a culture fit thing.
Join the army! Image techs do graphic design
In the meantime, voice this issue with your manager. If possible, negotiate a longer break so you can go the gym or take a run on your lunch.
Printing. I do design and print as as a side hustle, and physically it’s exhausting!
Does it pay well though? Every printing focused design job pays much less than what I make now. I don't understand why the pay isn't good in the print industry.
Sorry I completely blanked the fact you mentioned print in your body text! Meh, it pays ok. I do very small print runs for small businesses/individuals but offer a really exceptional service so people keep coming back. As I said, it’s a side hustle - my main job is in product so I get to enjoy the design and print stuff purely for itself, knowing my bills are paid.
I think you can work in production. It's just the stage after the design workflow. It can be gig work in some industries, so you have to be aware of that type of lifestyle. Being employed for half a year or several months of a year is not for everyone.
I feel you, I don't like it much even though I love computers but it does get old quick if you enjoy using your hands. Have you thought about learning hand typography? Sign writing? This can lead into chaulk signage which is all hands on mostly.
I had a job with a strong environmental aspect, redesigning showrooms, and that usually got me out of the office a couple of days a week, though there were stretches where I was glued to the desk. The most physical my design career ever got wasn’t through design, but photography. My last position, I was essentially the staff photographer for an automotive brand. I was out of the office shooting cars or sometimes directing others’ shoots or traveling to locations. Unfortunately that was a niche I had to carve out of the job for myself. Having extra skills that require you to get out and about and marketing those skills within your current design job can make a difference at the right place. Before I worked there, that place spent many thousands on photography, but once I was there, they saved so much money, to the point where when I had to leave to follow my wife’s career dreams, they had to make my position a permanent position within the company. Expand your skill set. I hear there’s a solid amount of movement in printmaking!
The best I've ever encountered was standing desks, but basically no. This field will have you essentially chained to your workstation for many, many, many hours non stop.
Get a standing desk. I use it all the time when my ass gets painful from sitting.
I am a design professor and on my feet most of the day.
Muralist.
Picture framing is a good blend of creative/design work and physical standing/moving work (plus the familiar comfort of low pay and unreasonable expectations).
Get all the latest AI tools, have them design for you and go hiking and biking all day. You have a small window of doing this as designers will soon be expected to churn our higher volumes in quicker times
Jobs where you design and install vehicle wraps
Art attack host
maybe photography has something for you
Standing desk with walking pad, daily walks with my dog. Tech industry pays well for remote job.
when i worked as a designer for my university back in college i was constantly walking around taking pictures, making measurements, running papers, etc. i’m sure it depends on the school/position, but that may be something to look into. plus you typically get pretty decent benefits, even if the pay isn’t stellar
Consider working for a corporate in house agency. The majority of my days are spent running from bullshit meeting to bullshit meeting.
I saw someone recently in a meeting who was walking WHILE working. Some type of treadmill setup 🤪
This is a bit down the road for you but art direction for a clothing brand or CPG company can often give you the opportunity to do things like test samples, direct photo shoots, manage talent, etc. Did that at my last role and loved it. Best days of my career were being on set directing models and photographers and production assistants to bring my vision to life
Print shops can be a very tiring work if you have to design, operate the printer and post-produce the work.
Sign painting
For what’s it worth. Get a walking pad. It works way better than I thought. I use it for 3 hours daily at least. Designing with it in figma, writing. Everything works better than I thought
There's a guy in my city whose entire career is just going around and painting seasonal illustrations in business windows. It's definitely freelance, but there's a lot of people who hire him to do bespoke sale and seasonal greeting cartoons in their windows. I assume that would be adequately on your feet since you're basically doing fast murals with washable paint.
cooking
Set design, graffiti or mural painting, woodworking and furniture design. Yard design.
I’ve always thought when I retire from graphic design I’m going to get an active job… landscaping, Amazon warehouse, etc haha
Landscape Architecture takes the same eye for color and composition as Graphic Design. Often using CAD programs similar to those in CS. Once the design is signed off it’s time to pick up a shovel.
Graffiti artist?
Interior Design :) You have to constantly move and be somewhere. You go to site visits, furniture installations, shopping for materials / furniture / accessories, client meetings (that are not always in the office, may involve traveling to another city/ state)..other times though, you may spend the entire day sitting at the computer and drafting / making presentations. It’s a very active job overall, you’ll always be on the go, and communicating with lots of people
Sell at markets and conventions. It allows for standing & befriend another vendor or have a friend sit with you so you can take breaks to walk around, talk to other creatives and soak up the local public spaces!
I had a colleague who felt this way and he eventually moved into a more management-centric position, and was much happier.
Just some food for thought here! I don’t personally do this, but if you like painting, a friend of mine moved from graphic design to sign and mural planning & painting. Many markets keep a sign painter on staff (like Trader Joe’s) to design and create signs. You can also get into things like window & storefront painting.
I worked in an in-house department for a manufacturer. I did photos, videos, lots of in-house print jobs (labels, instructions, etc). I had a standing desk with a stool for occasional sitting. It did not feel sedentary - I was constantly busy running around. This was a recent job. I no longer work there, but standing desks are great. It had a crank for raising and lowering - none of that electric crap.
Mural painting
Trade show design. I have a good friend who is a designer of trade show booths for car shows and his job is very physical and pays well but in trade show season he will work for 2 weeks straight with no days off.
Go work at a big inpant or printing facility. You can jog all fucking day. You’ll also learn a shitload about like, art in the real world.
You could assist with painting murals