As laypeople, we have the tendency to put brilliant artists on a pedestal, forgetting that they too are human just like us. However, more often than not they face the same sorts of adversities as the rest of us would, and sometimes making it big just comes down to sheer luck.

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was certainly of no exception, as this fascinating Twitter thread written by classical pianist doodlyroses will explain. It may be long, but trust us when we say that it’s completely worth the read.