Are you suggesting the "starving artists" don't have a more lucrative alternative? Most anyone with decent technical skill can make money by selling commission

Are you suggesting the "starving artists" don't have a more lucrative alternative? Most anyone with decent technical skill can make money by selling commissions on DeviantArt or similar. It takes effort to make a living that way, but it's an extremely available option. Far more than for software developers, who work on long term projects. Most any artist can make some quick bucks in a day or so. It's far harder for me as a software developer to prove my level of skill and find somebody willing to pay me for work.