I work in the visual arts in the US and the triple-whammy of student loan debt (MFA's are basically a prerequisite for almost any job in the field), high real estate/rental prices, and lack of healthcare make it extremely difficult for anyone who lacks outside funding (partner in stable job, family money, etc.) to set up a studio and make a viable living at their art. If we at least had universal healthcare it might just be doable.. As it is now, most artists that I know are without insurance or on Medicaid.
Yeah, it’s a horrible situation. Some illustrators I know live in terror of earning too much that they no longer qualify for Medicaid (which they rely on for various health conditions). It also pushes people in the arts into the gray economy where they’re more likely to get taken advantage of or build a stable, growing career.
