The arts as a profession really is one of those things where you should only get into it if you are so driven that you have no choice, IMO. More likely than not, you'll be scraping by in poverty for the rest of your life, seeking validation from funding gatekeepers, compromising your work in the process in order to secure funding to do it in the first place.

If you can bear the thought of doing some other work, then getting a decent paycheck and having art as more of a hobby or side venture may be much more fulfilling. (And frankly, most people I know in the arts do all kinds of side jobs to pay the bills, anyway.)

I agree that people should be happy. My daughter living in an area where she can't walk at home in the evening is not happy. Not being able to heat your home because you can't afford a decent place with good windows is not happy. Having the other people decide what you can or cannot do because you are not solvent is not happy.

She can happily take over as managing partner of my firm if she wants and cash out or use that expensive school education to get a top job and learn to FIRE early; she has options.