The term “starving artist” is commonly used amongst artists and others who "struggle” until their big breakthrough, and unfortunately some artist never really get out of the “starving artist” phase. Such ideas have been ingrained into people around the world, and being an artist is not valued on the same level as a doctor or a lawyer. Hayden Dewar, a talented and passionate Melbourne based visual artist had these kind of ideas and assumptions about pursuing a career in the arts. Dewar spent years working in retail and doing commission work on the side, believing that having a career in the arts was not going to be worth it. The advantage that Dewar has now is that he is able to live out his passion and talent.

“I wasn’t really proactive in pursuing it as a career, and I didn’t realize it was possible to make a living from it,” he commented on Melbourne Polytechnic’s student website, where he pursued a Bachelors in Illustration. After spending five years working on a mural for Dimmeys’, one of Australia’s largest and historical retail stores, 150th anniversary Dewar finally realized where his heart lies.