The notion of the “starving artist” is prevalent in classic and contemporary media and perceptions of artistry. Artists who have multihyphenate identities across their creative disciplines and professions, often intersect with the “starving artist” image as they cultivate their careers. These circumstances may lead to an unhealthy outlook about what are acceptable conditions for an artist to live and thrive, and sometimes results in reflection on what constitutes an actual artist. This Overview of Documented Knowledge explores the history of the notion of “starving artist” as well as issues of elitism and perceptions of serious artistry which intersect with each other. Through a review and analysis of existing knowledge from the cultural sector, the author argues that financial and educational barriers keeping many out of artistic practice contributes to an industry atmosphere that encourages multihyphenate work in order to stay afloat. This multihyphenate work, however, is often seen as less valid or less artistic than the work of those with disproportionate access to the resources offered by the elite; when, in reality, it is usually a strength of their creative practice. The question posed is one of why multihyphenate artistry is more and more studied – and why so many are choosing it.
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Maggs, D. (2023). The Starving Artist: Overview of Documented Knowledge. Creative Generation. DOI