The Country That Pays Artists to Be Creative When we're very young, we often dream of getting jobs that will make us happy. Later, we might dream of getting a job that makes us good money. For some people, getting that money means forgetting about dreams of being a painter, circus performer, dancer or musician. These are jobs that may make people happy, but might not make them enough money to live. But Ireland has been trying to help people like this hold onto their dreams. In 2022, the Irish government began a program that gave 2,000 creative artists in the country a basic income. That meant 2,000 people got about $380 per week. The idea was to support these artists so they could spend their time on their art without worrying about money. Part of the reason why the government first started the program was to help artists who had not been able to perform during the coronavirus pandemic. But the government has now announced that the program will continue — and it hopes to be able to offer this support to even more artists. Those who have been getting the support since 2022 have said that they have been able to spend more time on their creative work. They also worry less about money and say their well-being has improved. David Whelan is one of the artists who has been getting this support. Calling it "very beneficial," he told us it has allowed him to focus on the work he wants to make and not the work he has to make. The program has cost more than $100 million since 2022. But the government says it has made some of that money back, because it has helped increase engagement in the arts. The government also says creative arts are valuable in ways that cannot be measured in money.