The Starving Artist Myth: How Outdated Ideas of Careers in Culture Are Robbing a Generation of Success

Creative sector jobs are driving our economy and offer a viable career path for today’s youth.

Careers in the creative sector offer flexibility and security. Why then are more young people not seeking them out? Because they believe the myth of the starving artist, which conjures up images of penniless writers and artistic bohemians. The myth leads families and some educators to discourage young people from choosing a path they would love in favour of more secure fields. Years later, they could come to regret that choice.

Mark J. Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Art and Design at Sheridan College, one of the top post-secondary schools for creative arts and animation in Canada, shows that the persistent belief in the starving artist myth is not just costing young people the opportunity to explore satisfying careers, it is also costing our economy in terms of lost opportunity. Through their education, artists, musicians, writers, media makers, designers, actors, and others have come to understand how to reach their audiences and customers, and are perfectly poised to contribute to the global creative market.

In The Starving Artist Myth, Jones erases any remaining doubt of the opportunities in the creative economy by getting at the underbelly of the stereotype and answering the what, the why, and the how of achieving career goals.

Mark J. Jones is the Dean for the Faculty of Animation, Art and Design at Sheridan College and the previous chair of the School of Creative Art and Animation at Seneca College. He holds an M.A. in Culture and Technology from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a B.A. in Theatre from York University. He lives in Toronto.