There Is No 'Get Rich Quick Scheme' for Artists

Performer Okwui Okpokwasili has a hard time calling herself an "artist" sometimes, but she's managed to make a living as one in New York City for a few years.

Born in the Bronx to Nigerian immigrants, Okpokwasili started writing herself into plays as a kid — a reaction when she saw the lack people on television who looked like her or the black and brown people she knew.

"I started writing plays when I was seven," she said. "I'm sure they were excellent."

Okpokwasili said it's getting harder to make it in New York City as an artist, especially without a trust-fund or a patron, but the city isn't dead for the arts.

"People always find a way," she said.

Okpokwasili's story is part of a collaboration between BRIC TV and WNYC. The video was produced by BRIC TV.

Her new work, "Poor People's TV Room," is currently at New York Live Arts through Saturday, April 29, 2017.