[hattmall]

I don't think the lifestyle is related to the art but the person. I have friends with similar lifestyles and stories even down to the avoiding homelessness by pet sitting, and being shitty at it. Yet art or any sort of creative endeavor isn't part of the equation. Then I have some friends deeply devoted to their art that wouldn't ever consider approaching homelessness. The most successful artist I know is a landscaper and he could certainly live a successful by any standard life on purely his art but it's just not in his nature to live in that way.

All people, artistic or not, have a certain tolerance for ignoring social standards. Some of the best artists are known to have a very high tolerance. But there's millions more people with similarly chaotic existences that don't care about art and creative activities at all.