So many people I have met have shared a similar story with me. One where well meaning parents, teachers, or other authority figures tell them that their interest in the arts is “cute” or “great for a hobby,” but “what about a real job?”
Friday, March 27, 2015
The Myth of the Starving Artist
So many people I have met have shared a similar story with me. One where well meaning parents, teachers, or other authority figures tell them that their interest in the arts is “cute” or “great for a hobby,” but “what about a real job?”
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If we are talking about pure value in jobs, they have a point. Non-arts careers do tend to make more money. If you are looking for stability, financial success and a nice car, definitely be a brain surgeon. But there's a saying that says that you cannot buy happiness. What art careers lack in money, they ultimately gain in job satisfaction and genuine happiness. Depression and mental health issues are at a high, and I believe a lot of that is contributed by the fact that we are forced to pick a career in high school, and many people are influenced to go into a field that they aren't passionate about for the sake of financial security. It is disheartening that the arts are so frequently derided as a career. Everyone likes to hate on the the arts, but everyone likes what they produce. It is a hypocrisy that prevents people with art in their hearts to to go into jobs in which they are miserable. That needs to change.
This article focuses on the idea of the starving artist in a purely physical state ie. financially. I think it is important to remember that many artists would starve emotionally and mentally if they were unable to create. When I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, my high school director sat me down and asked me if I could life without theatre? He said that if I could, then find a different path. if I thought that I would die without the art, then to pick the theatrical path but then and only then. I think this idea is what the author is touching on and it rings true. Now if only we could get the money too. . .
54-102 :: A
This article immediately caught my attention based on its title alone ("Wait, so I'm NOT gonna starve when I graduate??"), but then disappointed me with its faulty analysis.
True, the author has some great points to make about how art is/isn't respected in our society, in our schools, by our parents, etc. despite much evidence to the contrary of art's benefits. But if this would be the focus of his article, why would the author hinge the argument on the idea that "no, artists aren't really unemployed and starving?"
Aside from my quip with the way the article is written, here's what really gets me:
"A survey of over 13000 arts graduates found that 92 percent found work after they graduated and 70% of those employed in their creative interest were “very satisfied” with their job."
92% found work...but what work?? Did all of that 92% find work in their creative field??? This article doesn't say. And sure, of those who found employment in the artistic field they studied, 70% may be satisfied with their work...but 70% of (say, for the sake of argument) 100 arts graduates, out of the 13000 total graduates, really isn't that large a sample size. AND, while happiness and satisfaction in one's work is important, "satisfied" doesn't always correlate with "financial independence" and "not starving."
To take a more meta approach to this article: This is a fantastic example of what happens when one doesn't properly moderate an audience's expectations before engaging with a piece.
The idea of the starving artist is still an idea that stays in the minds of parents today. While their has been some change in being more open minded to the idea of going after the creative passions their still exists the stigma that art won’t produce a living high enough or stable enough to live off of. And with the economy crisis that this generation has lived through we all have some what of an idea of hard times, so it makes sense for the push of a practical career. It is important to note that in the business world their has been a huge positive push for hiring people with more of a creative background because they tend to enter the field with a more open mind to solving problem because they are not looking at it through a sense of rules. Most people who have reached true success tend to be people who are not so confined by the rules around them and are more open to trying new things. Its sad that parents don’t see the true value in arts and are trying to continue to keeping pushing for the American dream; to let their children have a better life then theirs. I just hope that we as a society can reach a day where happiness is the number one priority.
I connect with this article personally, going into college I was asked constantly by all of my immediate family whether or not I was sure I wanted to go into an artistic career. “You’re so good at math and science why not pursue that?” my answer was always the same as this article, “Because I want to be an artist.” After reading this article my parent’s questioning makes more sense, both my parents were fantastic visual artists, but over time they circumvented their initial artistic endeavors and settled. They didn’t find what they wanted in their artistic pursuits so they were protecting me from such potential rejection. The starving artist is a myth, one that I’m going to need to fight as I pursue a career in this field as a designer. I’d much rather be one of the 70% of artists who find themselves very satisfied in their work after college, rather than one of the 70% of American workers actively disengaged in their work. Even if I don’t make it in the end and find happiness, I’ll sleep better knowing I tried. If the artists are starving I’m sure it’s not emotionally because when you’re pursuing your dream you have a lot to swallow. I think the most important thing to remember as an artist is that I’m actively doing this for myself.
As someone who had always loved art, but was always told to pursue something that would bring me more money, it always makes me mad when people tell anyone that. I used to think I wanted to be an engineer, but now that I am in the theatre world, I am so glad I decided to pursue art. I have always loved art, whether theatrical or visual or anything else, but for the longest time I was too worried about the money to actively pursue it. While my future might not have as much money I thought, I will love my work. Now, I can’t imagine myself being anything other than an artist. I wish more grade schools and high schools encouraged their artists to pursue what they love. I find that people who are in technical fields because that is what they were always told to do tend to flop out of their “normal jobs” and are unhappy. I just want more people to be happy.
I do have to agree with Rachel to some degree. There aren't that many statistics in this article, and the one that does exist can be read many different ways. In addition to that, I also came to this article with the intention of reading about how artists do actually get employed and that this would be backed up with facts. But I had a feeling that that was too good to be true. That being said, I do agree with what the article was actually trying to say. I think parents, teachers, principals, and especially counselors need to be more supportive of the dreams that children want to pursue. My high school counselors were not very supportive of the arts. They seemed more geared towards jobs in the STEM field (a field I was considering before I switched to theater). I think a lot of students can be easily discouraged from theater if their role models talk negatively about the arts. I think it should be universally accepted that if someone is passionate about something, it should be encouraged, not shot down.
I understand the myth of the starving artist. Art is most times underappreciated and overlooked. There are a great deal of artists that are in fact starving artists. However, I know and have worked with some largely successful artists that are now getting paid quite a hefty some for them to produce some really beautiful pieces. I also think it depends on the art form that you choose. I grew up in a very political and business style and career oriented family. I am the first one in all of my family to actually pursue a career in the arts. They have always been worried in the amount of money I will get from a career like this. I don’t always get the support from my family that I would have liked to, but as the article pointed out, the only person that you need on your side is yourself.
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