Just wondering, since I have little else to do, I'll ask if anyone else has noticed something that I find interesting . I have had encounters with around 200 providers and I have found what I feel is a disproportionate number of very artistic individuals doing sex work. I now have 3 paintings in my office (all excellent work) done by 3 different ladies. I recently had a very hot provider proudly send me a copy of a short story which was published in a top literary journal. I have two friends that were previous providers that now often tag along to do their photography when I do site work in fairly remote desert, mountainous or other scenic locations. Half a dozen dancers, classical and modern, (some stripped too but their goal was success in legitimate dance). Another is a 1st. Class gourmet chef.
And there are 2 wonderful Dallas ladies that are singer/songwriters that are really excellent. It's a thrill to be sitting in bed buck naked with a likewise beautiful lady as she gives you an impromptu concert between rounds,
So anyone else notice this phenomena? Would be interested to hear about other experiences.

Did you actually think that a provider's only interests and talents were in the bedroom? This may come as a surprise to you, but for many ladies, such as myself, the hobby is not a full time job, but an avenue to have the ability to fund their passions, pay for law school, start their own business, run a nonprofit, etc. Working as a sw allows many ladies to have the funding to fulfill goals and passions that would never be possible otherwise.

Of course I am aware that SW is a occupation and that it is not a defining element of any individual. No more than my being an actuary makes me boring or having OCD tendencies; although there are those that would argue this detail.  My point was what I (happily) observed as far greater than average artistic capabilities within then SW community.  I was just wondering if others had shared the observation.
Be well

I would agree with your assessment. And, I think there's a few factors that encourage this.

1) Artistic folk tend to be more socially and sexually liberal.  

2) I might even posit the idea that artists are already comfortable with the idea that one can sell very personal, vulnerable things without actually "selling" oneself or diminishing personal relationships. For example, Maggie McNeil comments that a chef can pour his heart into delighting his patrons with his meals, and still appreciate the intimacy of cooking for his partner at home. So, in addition to being more liberal, one might argue that artists are more likely to be able to put providing into the right mental framework, and be better equipped to compartmentalize.

3) Unless you have a contract to produce on schedule, artistic work is extremely flexible. In that way, providing and artistic work is one of the golden match ups. Especially if providing is your primary source of income, then you can flex your artistic pursuits around the rushes and lulls of the work.

4) Calling yourself an "artist" has no barrier to entry. Sure, some artists might have art degrees, a stack of paintings or published work, but none of that is a requirement to say "Sure, I provide, but really I'm an artist." Some of the artist providers I've met over the years legitimately do dedicate their energies toward one artistic pursuit or another. They carve out dedicated time in their day and actually have real stuff to show for it. Others have an "artistic soul"-they might take a tap dancing course, and they love to hit the art galleries, but I wouldn't call them creators. Most of this latter group likes the idea of being artistic, but is put off by the fact that creating is a whole lot more wailing and gnashing of teeth than riding glittery unicorns across the rainbow. (Which is really fine with me. No one has to be an artist, at least in my book, and/or if you're doing it for the provider branding, that's totally cool too.) Anyway, the point of #4 is simply it's a lot harder to declare yourself, say, a lawyer (which requires years of schooling and licensing) than it is an artist.

5) In my experience, mental health issues are more common in the providing population than they are in the general population. And, mental health issues seem to be more common in the artistic population than in the general population. Given that, it's not surprising you have a higher overlap.

6) Depending on what area of SW one goes into, she may find it beneficial to develop certain artsy behaviors. For example, when I returned, I knew I wanted to do all of my own photography. My best friend's girlfriend is a burlesque performer. This started her down the path of costume design that evolved into pro-design for other dancers, and she's now also getting very deep into video production due to Covid. So, pick your pursuit there. There's no lack of talented writers in the industry, either, and while I can't say whether providing inspired them to pick up the pen, I'm sure years of applying it here has improved it.