The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.

Vonnegut wrote this in an essay offering advice about creative practice, emphasizing that making art is valuable even when it does not provide financial security. He frames art-making as something ordinary people should do for personal growth and resilience rather than for profit.

The quote argues that art’s primary purpose is not economic. Instead, artistic activity helps people cope with life, develop emotionally and spiritually, and find meaning through creating something, regardless of skill level.

The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake.