While so many of us might dream of building our lives around our creative passions, often the financial reality of being an artist can be a major hurdle. In film and television this isn’t always seen as a bad thing, however – often, struggling is in fact seen as proof of an artist’s true commitment to their craft. And indeed suffering has been so intertwined with the idea of creativity that it’s often seen as a necessary part of the journey. But why is the idea of suffering for your art such a major part of pop culture? And how does it affect our views of artists and their work in the real world? Let’s take a closer look…

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