There are also a lot of parallels with musicians, who as you say often go into teaching or alternate careers after years of struggle.

In any creative field, there's so much luck involved! The pandemic and the rise of AI are only two of the latest examples of how luck comes into play in those: Who could have predicted either? And yet they've had have a profound effect on the work of writers, artists, and musicians. Thanks so much for mentioning a factor that gets too attention.