The term 'Bohemian' became a staple of arts and literature in mid-19th century Paris. It was originally a derogatory term used by the French to describe Romani people, whom they mistakenly believed had come from Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic). Writers like Henri Murger, in his book 'Scenes of Bohemian Life' (which inspired the opera 'La Bohème'), repurposed the word to describe the lifestyle of young, impoverished artists, poets, and musicians who rejected conventional bourgeois values. To be Bohemian meant living for art, often in cold garrets, prioritizing creative freedom over financial security. This literary archetype of the 'starving artist' became a romanticized ideal that still influences the way we perceive artistic communities in cities like New York, Berlin, and London.