Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Art is, and has always been, relevant to our society. From the buildings we’re in to the music we hear on a daily basis, we live and breathe so many art forms without even realizing it, especially in a city as artistic as Fort Collins. However, it’s not often that we truly appreciate the people who make these experiences possible.

Fueled by the likes of Hollywood and advertisements, parts of society tend to have a subconscious idea that artists have easy and wealthy lives. People think that once someone with talent decides to become a writer or musician, for example, they make a living for themselves quickly.

Ironically, the way those professions are portrayed, often in films, is simply inaccurate. Their portrayal continues to feed into the social stigma people have of artists, which in turn may be part of why good artists don’t get the recognition they deserve.

Anyone with the resources but perhaps not the talent can call themselves artists.

This mindset that some have, even if they know that the stereotype may not be the norm, sets an unrealistic standard for anyone that wants to pursue the arts as their passion or career. People consistently glorify the very few artists who “made it” with hard work.

When people go into the arts with an idea that they can become successful quickly and easily, they have been misinformed by the romanticization of artistic professions and those who were lucky enough to do well in a tough market.

One of the more well-known cases of this is “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who was a waitress and single mother living on welfare when she started the series, eventually making billions on the franchise.

Meanwhile, according to Worldometers, over one million new titles have been published worldwide in 2019 so far. Furthermore, extensive research by many has shown that the traditional and self-publishing market gets worse by the day.

In the case of authors, “indie” or self-publishing is significantly more common today. Avid readers of indie books, however, have to go through a large pile of people they deem poor writers who don’t even edit their hastily written work.

When people go into the arts with an idea that they can become successful quickly and easily, they have been misinformed by the romanticization of artistic professions and those who were lucky enough to do well in a tough market. The news flash that this is untrue is difficult to face, especially if one is truly passionate about what they do. It’s so difficult for some to realize that they may give up despite their talent.

Because of its value on the surface and how art is integrated into our daily lives, when asked if they see art as valuable, any person is likely to say yes. Yet it’s all the more difficult to sift through a broken market and recognize those who have true contributions with cultural worth and the talent to make something of what they’re passionate about.

It’s important that we attempt to make the art we already have more valuable but also to make sure artists are free to do what they love without having to worry about making a proper living.

Renee Ziel can be reached at letters@collegian.com or online at @reneezwrites.