I wouldn't say I was immensely talented but, I have enough to have (only just) survived in a creative industry for 20+ years... Brace yourself for a great big whingey rant...
Partly, the reason for my wanting to CTB in my case is because it isn't easy at all! Freelance work- which tends to be the majority format for the most creative roles is incredibly precarious. Very little job security. No sick pay. No pension. No remorse to just drop a project and you if it's not financially viable. Sometimes when you've already done the work! Long hours. Tight deadlines. Increasing materials costs.
Plus- if you're freelance, you're effectively running your own business. You have to find your own work, liase with clients, negotiate your budget, stick to your budget (if you want to make a profit.) Deal with incomplete or incorrect briefs. Order materials, keep up with invoicing, meetings. Meet all your deadlines. Juggle jobs so that you have enough but aren't overwhelmed.
Try to keep good standards but also realise that sometimes, poor budgets and tight timescales will mean you simply can't achieve your best work, unless you work through the night so- do that. Work through the night. Work evenings. Work weekeds. Work a 7 day week for months on end because you know your saving the butt of someone much higher up in the company who's paid to make decisions but- they didn't and, it's now down to you to fix the mess!
Know that it's 4am in the morning on a Saturday. You're still working and they're about to spend a nice relaxing day with their family... Should you complain? Should you demand more money? Know that if you do that, they might just drop you for another freelancer fresh out of college who'll do it for free or, half the price.
Oh- and expect to be asked to do things for free or, half the price because- hey- you love what you do and it will be good experience for you... Nevermind that you paid just as much if not more to study at university as their Accountant. Did they ask them to do their taxes for free?!! Of course not. This is the Arts. You expect to be exploited.
Work with carcinogenic chemicals with no extraction.
Decide that you can't hack it freelance anymore. Find a Head of Department role in a creative job. Win win- right? You get a full time job with a contract and you still get to be creative- right? Wrong. Not only will you be trying to maintain your creative role, now you'll be expected to do shit loads of admin and management tasks. End up taking that work home to do evenings and weekends because you're so desperate to keep being creative. So, you're working all the time basically. Or- chuck in the towel. Go into teaching and be miserable because you miss creating things. Plus, you have to lie to all the students and tell them the jobs are out there waiting for them. (I have miserable Teacher friends.)
That's just a portion of the job stress! Also bear in mind that not all that many creative people (at least, not the ones I've come across) are entirely happy with their work. On top of all the contraints a job brings: Unless you're incredibly talented, someone isn't going to pay you to just draw or create what you want! The majority of financed art is commercial I would think. It has an end goal. Briefs are specific and worse- budgeted. So, there's that.
But then, there's also your own limitations to worry about. Jealousy of people who are better than you. Frustration that you can't seem to improve much in certain areas. A burning desire to be so much better than you are. Honestly, I'd say being creative is just as much a curse as being a gift!
Anyhow- sorry for that big long rant but, hopefully that gives a few reasons we might not be happy, fulfilled or even financially solvent! The worst still is when you work out you can't afford to do it at all! And, everyone will think they're being helpful in telling you to keep doing it as a hobby alongside your full time wage slave job...
Plus, you'll get the distinct impression that people either think you're stupid and worthless so, you ended up doing art. They'll think you're work is shit (and a part of you always worries it is,) or, they'll just think you're some privelaged snowflake that ought to get a 'real' job. Ignoring that you went to university and paid shit loads to learn this crap- just like everyone else. Or, they'll say: 'Oh, how wonderful! I'd LOVE to be artistic! What a wonderful job that must be!' Which really isn't welcoming after a week of next to no sleep.
But the worst of it is- it still is a good job compared to what you might well end up doing when you fail all together! That really is the end of my epic vent! It's still better than other jobs (in my opinion) but, it's certainly not rainbows day after day!
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