Myths About Making Money in Creative Careers
The "starving artist" exists in every field—but the problem isn't your profession, it's the market model you're operating in. Some people earn from one project what platform freelancers make in a year.
Myth #1: "You can't make real money in my field"
Every profession has its own "starving artist." The designer creating beautiful work for pennies. The developer writing code for pizza money. The product manager juggling three projects for junior-level pay. The content creator with a million views and an empty bank account.
This gives rise to the myth: "you can't make real money in my field—the market's oversaturated."
This myth feeds off the reality of platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Toptal, or local gig sites. Rates there really are crushed by competition, and jobs go to the lowest bidder like some reverse auction. But the problem isn't your profession—it's the specific market model you're operating in.
