For some reason, people really like the idea of the starving artist. It is spoken about with great enthusiasm both by theater boosters and detractors. Those who love theater often associate poverty with a purity of purpose. True artists sacrifice material comfort for their craft. They refuse to sell out. Theater naysayers point to the financial struggles of working artists as reasons why students should pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The stereotype of the broke aspiring artist is so pervasive that it is commonplace in both television and film. We watch successful actors portraying struggling actors who cannot (or can barely) pay their bills despite their harried labors as waiters, hostesses, and baristas. Celebrity-themed magazines and websites regularly feature articles about the less than glamorous jobs held by now A-listers. Can you name the Oscar winner who cleaned chicken coops or the one who worked at Hooters? Generally speaking, we expect artists to “pay their dues” by working in jobs far afield from their professional ambitions.
Unfortunately, the image of the struggling artist often fails to account for the underlying reason for that person’s financial
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