Would you encourage your child toward an artistic or creative career?

When Jerry Lee Lewis was 9 years old, it became apparent that he was interested in music. He loved to sing and wanted to learn to play the piano. His parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano. He took 3 lessons and he then comtinued to learn the piano auto didact. Of course today he is known as a rock and roll singer, country singer and world class pianist.

I guess his parents did the right thing in encouraging him. They were very unusual parents. I can remember from my own childhood how my mother would go off like an atom bomb at the mere mention of my possible pursuit of an artistic career. That is the normal parental reaction. Parents don't want their child to pursue something with failure (at least for most people) built right into it from the start.

So what would you do if your child had an interest in an artistic career? Would you do what most parents do and loudly intensely discourage it? Or would you get the kid a piano or guitar or paint set?
Is there any good reason to encourage a child toward an artistic career?