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.
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.
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- Pages
- 312
- Published in
- Toronto, CA
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Halftitle 3
- Title 5
- Copyright 6
- Dedication 7
- Contents 9
- Author’s Note 11
- Introduction 13
- Part One: Why the Starving Artist Myth Needs to Go on Permanent Holiday 25
- 1 An Economic Moment 27
- 2 Penniless Artists: Origins of the Starving Artist Myth 49
- 3 It’s an Industry, Get Over It 65
- 4 The Big Tent Industries: Film, Television, Games, and Internet 85
- 5 Design a New World 103
- 6 Political Tug-o’-War: Arts Funding in Creative Career Strategies 115
- Part Two: Preparing for a Life in Culture 125
- 7 What Is a Career? 127
- 8 It Takes More Than Passion 147
- 9 Doin’ It for Yourself: Business, Branding, Platforms, and Taxes 167
- 10 Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Creative Industries 183
- 11 Post-Secondary Education: Leap First, Look Later 203
- Part Three: The Creative Career Guide 225
- Part Four: Bridging the Divide 257
- 12 Navigating the Starving Artist Myth 259
- 13 Do Something 273
- Acknowledgements 281
- Notes 283
- Index 299
- About the Author 309
- Back Cover 310
