Software developers typically don’t work on their own ideas, concepts. They are engaged to work on someone else’s (a person that has money) ideas. This is a significant difference to people in the “arts”. From my perspective, artists make things that get their personal messages out, not someone elses.

The tech industries understand that there are commissioned artists that produce pieces for payment — these are the folks that are most like themselves.

The concept of the “starving software developer” exists just as much as “starving artist”. You’ve probably heard of “ramen for months” and “sleeping on the couch”. It’s just that, in this day and age, the developer is making “art” that will hopefully make him (or more rarely, her) a billionaire.

I think the more traditional artist is more aware of reality and doesn’t fall for this myth. There’s little glorification of the starving artist made good. In the general population, there’s an idea that says artists can get famous, not rich.