But one of the special-sauce weapons of the West/US is all these people attempting to make a go of it at creative arts which benefits our economy in the long run compared to super-rigid societies that don't encourage experimentation.

Throw enough darts at the board, and a bunch will turn out winners for the benefit of all. A bunch will turn out losers though (anecdote provided by OP).

It's probably a losing wager for individuals, but it benefits the economy as a whole.

For every 100 kids (insert your own preferred ratio) for whom film was just a phase, we generate a rockstar who changes the world for all of us.

The amazing thing is that there are always more individuals that have the audacity to keep trying.