Frankly, this narrative is untrue. Since the beginning of time, certainly modern times, artists have largely struggled to survive off their artwork. Most don't

Frankly, this narrative is untrue. Since the beginning of time, certainly modern times, artists have largely struggled to survive off their artwork. Most don't survive. There is no time in modern history where artists, of any kind, on average made a living from their art. Even our most famous artists very often die poor. There has always been a gross abundance of art. It's not a bad thing - but it does mean making a living off it is _hard_. Really _hard_. It's not good enough simply to be talented - there's a lot of luck involved too. For every Taylor Swift, you'll find dozens of wannabe's with nearly as great, or sometimes as great of songwriting abilities and voice talent. Some even play instruments at the same time! Somehow, Taylor Swift was "picked" and propped up by record labels et al, and now is a household name. How many artists can you name from the 19th century? Probably a few of the most successful ones. Do you think they were the only ones writing music, or painting? Definitely not.