The "Starving Artist" and Why It Is A Myth

Portrait of my younger sister//Graphite Pencil//2012-13 Junior Year of High School

All through life I've had one thing that I've been really good at, and I mean REALLY only one thing I feel that I'm good at. That so happens to be being creative, in the illustration sense at least. As I grew up, I had one spectrum of the people in my life telling me to "do something with that talent" and then another spectrum saying "you'll never go anywhere with that profession, be a nurse." To which I would never have a comeback... until my junior year of high school when I made the decision to go into the arts. 

Now, let me just tell you that this went over better than expected with my immediate family; my peers on the other hand, not so much. Yes, I still had the distant uncle that suggested the nursing program or told me to pick something else, even my high school councilor tried convincing me to pick a different degree, or to not even go to college at all. I'm sure many artists can relate when I tell them that people in my life used the excuse "You'll be a starving artist" to which I call bullshit. 

So when people ask me why I chose to go into graphic design or why I want to be an illustrator, I shoot right back and ask "why do you ask?" to which I am garnered the ultimate and cringe worthy response: "Because you won't make any money off of it" or "Because you are going to be a starving artist." Now, many people tend to do a double take when I come back with the response "Bullshit" and give me an incredulous look, but then I explain it, and I tell them that I and many others like me or going to prove that myth wrong. I explain to them that many artists are not in it for the money, that even for some of us, the money has nothing to do with it. We create content sometimes for ourselves, and sometimes for others or even for the world to see, and if we make a quick buck off of it, great. If not, then so be it. So I guess that's why I'm a creative, not only because I enjoy making content and love what I do, but because I want to prove the myth wrong, to prove that starving artists are a thing of the past. 

Are there those that still do not make a living off of creating content? Absolutely, I'm not saying there aren't any artist out there that don't. But I am saying that if you promote yourself and you get your name out there, do all that you can and keep and make connections, you may just be able to make it your livelihood. 

On another note, I feel as though I should mention that I am not only a creative for this reasoning. I don't just want to prove the myth wrong, oh no. I have many reasons for being in the field I am, this is just one of the many. I am a creative because it makes me feel happy to know that my art may be helping someone else who may be dealing with depression like I am. I am a creative because I want to show my younger siblings and my family that there is more out there than becoming a doctor, nurse, vet, or going into the military. I am a creative because I wake up every morning and know that I am doing the one thing that I was meant to do in my life. Finally, I am a creative because of the people who encouraged me, who taught me everything I know, who provided me with not only my skills but my pride in my work, and because of those that shot me down and made me work harder to do better. 

I'm a creative, and nothing is going to change that.