You mention "medical bills," but in addition to emotional awareness on the part of artists, there's the financial reality that we live with constantly. A roof and food and enough time to create are key and hard won, hard to come by. Years and years of living on the edge has a price tag. There are the few who "make it", but then there are thousands who live marginally and create. It's tough. People seem largely unaware of the local musicians we all live with who don't make it big, but live as music-makers, and make just enough to survive. There are high suicide numbers in this group, too.