Passion is a big part of it but a passion that ignores being shut down constantly but not giving up isn't a thing that develops late in life for many. What kind of a person decides to devote all their free time to something like art when they have adult responsibilities?

This kind actually. He's one of my favorite writers. He also flat out says he had no talent when he started and I believe him due to the unusual route he took to being an acclaimed but obscure author.

I agree with him and the author of the article even though it's contradictory. No one is born anything but to even seriously try to be anything as improbably difficult as a working artist, author or musician, you usually have to get the naive idea that you can succeed or the entrenched love of something like that very early.

Arts in academia are bizarre. Don't go to art school, don't major in creative writing. Go live and gather material along the way that will actually give you something to say. Move to a city and survive even if you don't know anyone. Volunteer at a mental hospital.

Don't ramble on the internet like this as it's very counterproductive.