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Creative sector jobs are driving our economy and offer a viable career path for today's youth.
Careers and business opportunities in creative industries offer flexibility, variety, and security. Why then do people hesitate to go into them? A belief in the myth of the starving artist, which conjures images of penniless writers and artistic bohemians, is to blame. The myth leads many away from choosing a path they would love in favour of more traditional fields. Years later, they may come to regret that choice.
Mark J. Jones shows that the persistent stereotype of the starving artist is not just costing youth and working-aged people the opportunity to explore satisfying careers, it could also cost Canada’s economy in lost opportunities. Through education and entrepreneurial strategy, artists, musicians, writers, media makers, designers, actors, and others can come to understand how to reach audiences and customers in a global market.
In The Starving Artist Myth, Jones erases any remaining doubt about the opportunities in the creative economy by getting at the origin of the starving artist stereotype, demonstrating the economic resiliency of the sector, and delving into the strategies for achieving career success.
Mark Jones has written a classic. Accessible and erudite, laden with facts about the economic impact generated by 'creative clusters' and peppered with insights from diverse creators, this book shatters, once and for all, the myth of the starving artist.
Mark J. Jones is the dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts, and Design at Sheridan College, one of the top post-secondary institutes for media, art, and design in the world, and is past chair of the School of Creative Arts and Animation at Seneca Polytechnic. He lives in Toronto.
Author’s Note
Introduction
Part One: Why the Starving Artist Myth Needs to Go on Permanent Holiday
- 1 An Economic Moment
- 2 Penniless Artists: Origins of the Starving Artist Myth
- 3 It’s an Industry, Get Over It
- 4 The Big Tent Industries: Film, Television, Games, and Internet
- 5 Design a New World
- 6 Political Tug-o’-War: Arts Funding in Creative Career Strategies
Part Two: Preparing for a Life in Culture
- 7 What Is a Career?
- 8 It Takes More Than Passion
- 9 Doin’ It for Yourself: Business, Branding, Platforms, and Taxes
- 10 Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Creative Industries
- 11 Post-Secondary Education: Leap First, Look Later
Part Three: The Creative Career Guide
Part Four: Bridging the Divide
- 12 Navigating the Starving Artist Myth
- 13 Do Something
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index
About the Author