The article explores the unconventional and often illicit side jobs that famous artists historically took to support their creative pursuits. It details examples like Jean Genet's specialized book theft, Jean-Luc Godard's pilfering of books and cash, Chantal Akerman's ticket-skimming at a porn theater, and Kathy Acker's simulated sex show performances, highlighting how financial necessity drove them to inventive, sometimes desperate, measures.
This historical look matters because it reframes the modern concept of the 'side-hustle' within a longer, more colorful artistic tradition. It underscores the persistent economic gap between artistic ambition and survival, contrasting today's pressure to monetize hobbies with the past's more wishful, exuberant, and occasionally unhinged schemes artists used to buy time and freedom for their primary creative work.