Are All Artists Poor?
Are all ARTISTS poor? or is your mindset holding you back?
The myth of the starving artist.
You’ve certainly heard the phrase. You can probably picture the archetype too: a cigarette-sucking, emaciated figure in a beret, who sacrifices everything for the sake of their art.
The subtext of this story is that real artists don’t care about money.
Or maybe, that they make better work because they are poor and unknown. This story is not only disempowering to artists, but it’s also historically inaccurate.
Most of the painters you know about from history were financially successful in their lifetimes.
They may not have been extraordinarily wealthy, but almost all of the artists who are household names were able to support themselves with their art.
Picasso, Dali, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Georgia O’Keefe, Monet, Da Vinci, and Rembrandt. All of these painters ran successful art studios and were able to make money from their art. Many of them, such as Monet and Picasso, supported families with their practice.
Of course, there were some exceptions
Van Gogh hardly sold any of his paintings and was supported by his family until his death.
However, if you start researching artists throughout history, you’ll discover that most of the ones who are known, experienced a moderate or great level of financial success in their lifetime.
What does this mean?
Well, it means that many artists were successful enough that they didn’t need to work a day job. They could fully commit to their craft and became great by making lots and lots of art.
History is full of 100s of artists who had full, abundant careers. It’s also full of 100s of artists, who made a comfortable living as designers, illustrators, animators, craftsmen, and art teachers.
Yet the myth of the starving artist perpetuates, despite the lack of known artists who have ever been literally starving.
Sure- being an artist is hard.
Lots of people give up.
However, to completely ignore the abundance of successful creatives throughout history is insane. We need to tell a more complete story of our profession. We need to tell a story that includes all the successes, and abundance that artists have found at every point in time.
Believing that the myth of the starving artist is the only reality– keeps us down. It limits our awareness of what is possible, and it outright denies the incredible careers that so many of our artistic mentors enjoyed.
This myth perpetuates today, and is a huge reason many talented creatives are reluctant to pursue a career in the arts. It also influences parents, who steer their artistic children away from their passions, towards something more “stable.”
If the 2020 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that no job is “stable” anymore.
You might have more security as a self-employed artist because you have full control over your business. “Pivoting” was a lot easier for the freelancers I know, than for folks who were accustomed to being someone else’s employee.
One of the first steps to pursuing a career as a self-employed artist is to believe it is possible.
Look around you and find examples of creatives who are thriving.
If you don’t know anyone personally, then look into the past at the lives of your artistic mentors.
Artists can succeed.
Many artists are living abundant, successful lives all over the world It’s possible for you to be one of these artists.
Don’t just think these things- physically ingrain this belief into your body through somatic and nervous system work.
Have no idea what I’m talking about? Let me break it down.
What is somatic work?
You can know something logically,- but your subconscious mind can still reject it based on years of conflicting patterning. For example, a fear of dogs from childhood can overpower your logical understanding that most dogs are harmless. The same is true for beliefs about your power and potential.
Society has pummeled us with the starving artist myth for so long, that it can be deeply embedded in our bodies.
When you say a mantra like “I can be a successful artist,”your body might subconsciously reject that idea. This prevents you from fully embodying that reality.
To overcome this- you need to consciously internalize the new beliefs into your body.
Breathwork, tapping, meditation, and visualizations are all examples of how to do this.
Listening to a guided meditation every day before sleep can be super helpful for reprogramming your mindset. There are many free options on the internet.
You can also visualize yourself living your dream life every day while closing your eyes and breathing deeply. It takes time to re-write your mind, but it’s possible.
If you are trying to become a successful artist, but your internal belief system is getting in the way, then commit to a somatic practice for one month and notice how you feel afterward.
If you’d like some free support with this- then I invite you to check out this video on re-programming your mind for wealth.
In it, I will teach you how to use the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to create an abundance mindset. Enjoy! You got this.