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Artists are among the most successful people you will meet
By Pat Boyd, Executive Director, South Dakotans for the
Arts
Everyone knows the stereotype: the starving artist, struggling for existence in a cold-water apartment in the cheap part of town, spending her last few dollars on paints instead of food, hoping for that big break. Equally well-known is the theater equivalent: starving actor, waiting on tables while he waits for his first small Broadway role. These images are so ingrained in our collective consciousness that some of us actively discourage young people from pursuing a career in the arts, advising them instead to prepare for a “safer, more stable” profession.
But a career in the arts can be enriching to more than just the soul. Across this nation, hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of individuals are making their careers in the arts and doing very well, thank you. It is true that the number of artists whose names are household words are relatively few, regardless of whether they are painters, dancers, actors, potters, designers or writers. But for every celebrity movie star winning her first Academy Award, there are thousands of successful actors doing films, theater and commercial productions. For every hot new novelist breaking into the Publishers Weekly best-seller list, there are thousands of well-paid professional writers in journalism, magazine writing, scriptwriting and more.
Professional designers help create or package every item we buy, and millions of products we see daily. These professionals have chased a career in the arts through as much as a decade of academic work and professional preparation to achieve their dreams of creative, financially and artistically rewarding careers. Every aspect of our modern life, from popular websites to beautifully decorated homes to entertainment options which dazzle the imagination are shaped, molded, colored and made real by artists—artists who are growing up in South Dakota today.
Let’s encourage our young people to chase their own artistic dreams, secure that their futures can be successful in every way. Artists really are among the most successful people in our country today—no matter how you measure success!
For more about the arts in South Dakota, visit www.sdarts.org, a joint website of South Dakotans for the Arts and the South Dakota Arts Council.
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