The Struggling Artist Trope

The stereotypical idea of an artist is that of a creative genius whose talents are unknown due to the ignorance of society. She struggles for her survival and to make ends meet, but is unbothered by this as she is so lost in her talent. Eventually, her skills are recognised (often posthumously) and she shoots up to fame. She leaves behind a legacy of a life filled with turmoil and pain but overcome with the help of beautiful art. That life is the total opposite of the idea of "success" that most people envision. But when artists are considered, most would say that they've made it; this is an artist's life.

This romanticisation of struggle is a problem. An infamous example is that of Van Gogh's. His struggle with depression is often portrayed as something to be glorified. but what should be understood is that Van Gogh did not create art because he was depressed, he created it despite it. Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, and several others faced a lot of adversity before and during their success. They still managed to influence, inspire, and awe with their work. This should be celebrated, but the struggle should not. Another issue with this is that it does not give art the value it deserves. Expecting an artist to make art just for the sake of it, without any pay or recognition does not give the creative process the respect it does. Artists, whether they be painters, writers, dancers - need to be recognised. And what about all the artists whose work is based on their struggles? They managed to turn something painful into something beautiful. And that takes a lot of strength. But for the average consumer of art, it isn't our place to expect suffering and impoverishment from people and romanticise it as an ideal.

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