Perhaps that is because they focused too much on so-called "real" work and never developed their art enough to make a living. Perhaps they need so much money because they went to a university to learn what is free at any library.
Some of the most celebrated artists in history barely made enough to pay for their rent and were utterly unappreciated in their time.[1]
More recent examples abound in the music industry, in which you can be wildly successful, yet make less than what amounts to minimum wage.[2]
The importance of art to understanding human condition cannot be understated. Yet, for whatever reason, societies by and large does not reward the people who produce it financially. There's certainly a lot wrong with our education system, but blaming it for the starving artist syndrome is unfair.
