Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age

by Jeff Goins

Walt Disney said, “I don’t make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures.” This is what most of us want: not to get rich off our creations but to have enough time and freedom to create what we want. We want to have the means to focus on what matters to us.

There’s always a way for the person who is tenacious enough to find one. You just have to search for one and diligently treat your art as more than a frill, as a duty. You must give away your gift to the world—neither settling for what is expected of you nor starving for your art, but always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Yes, you must make money to make art. But don’t give income too much importance. Just give it its proper place. We need money to keep the lights on and buy supplies, but it’s not everything. As novelist Steven Pressfield wrote, “Money exists, in my world, to buy me another season.” Every season you create instead of scramble to find work is a win, and with time, those seasons add up. The more money you have, the more time you have; and the more time you have, the more art you can make.

The age of the Starving Artist is over. The era of the Thriving Artist is upon us. It’s time to let go of our assumptions about artists and embrace the New Renaissance. It’s time to believe creative work is worth its reward. It’s time to thrive.