It has come up a few times lately … how to define a professional. So, are you a professional? I’ve seen questionnaires for writers that apparently feel the sign of a professional is how much you sacrifice for your art. I’m quite sure sacrifice has nothing to do with whether or not you are a professional.
There is only one question you need to answer. Do you get paid for doing it, whatever ‘it’ is? If you don’t get paid, you are not a professional. If you do get paid, you are. This doesn’t address the issue of whether or not you are talented or especially skilled. You may be a brilliant amateur and someone else may be a lackluster professional, but that’s not the question.
Professional is a job classification and addresses your status with the IRS. When I was working as a writer, it never crossed my mind to wonder if I was a professional. I had a job. Writing. I had deadlines. I got paid. The odds are if you are wondering whether or not you are a professional? You aren’t.
Professional doesn’t mean talented and amateur is not a comment on quality of your work. I flirted with professional photography, only to discover it wasn’t fun. To make my living as a photographer, I had to do what clients wanted and that was … well … work.
Then, this past May, along came Marissa Mayer from Yahoo to explain why they were eliminating Flickr Pro.
Wow. When did access to tools become equivalent to professionalism? Completely ignoring the actual definition of professional, she manages to ignore any other sensible guideline and define professional as “owning the tools.” Using this reasoning, everyone who owns woodworking tools is a professional carpenter. Owning a few rolls of electrical tape and a couple of gauges could make you an electrician. Is a plumber anyone who owns wrenches?
Is everyone who owns a computer and a printer, who has a blog or posts on Facebook a professional writer? If I buy some paints and an easel, I’m a painter, right? Everyone who has a digital camera can also make movies, so are we all professional filmmakers?
If ignorance is bliss, Marissa Mayer is very happy.
The single thing that divides a professional from an amateur — excluding any legal requirements such as training, licensing and so on — is a paycheck. If you get paid to write, you’re a professional writer. If you sell your photographs or services as a photographer, you are a professional photographer. How much of your income needs to come from writing or photography? At least some. None is too little.
If you have never sold anything you’ve written, you are an aspiring writer, an amateur, a hopeful. You don’t get professional status until you get the check. This is true for photographers, painters, and all other artists. It’s true for every profession, artistic or otherwise.
If you don’t believe me, look it up. That’s the line in the sand. If you don’t earn money doing it — whatever “it” is — you are not a professional. It isn’t about your talent, enthusiasm or dedication to your art. It is a statement about your status. Maybe you will become a professional in the future. Perhaps you were a professional in the past.
I’m retired. I used to earn my living writing. This makes me a former professional writer. My husband was a reporter. He is now a former reporter. We collect social security and pensions, so we are no longer professionals. I was never a professional photographer even though I sold a few pictures and did a few gigs for which I got paid. I am and was a dedicated, serious amateur photographer. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
I think we should stop worrying about it. In most things, amateurs have more fun anyhow.
- True professionals don’t fear amateurs (sethgodin.typepad.com)
- Even the Best Photography Enthusiasts Have Their Limits (blogs.photopreneur.com)
Share this:
Categories: #Blogging, #Photography, #Writing, Arts, Books, Literature, Publishing
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I bumped into a stranger this weekend who was shooting a scene right next to me. He told me he was an “advanced amateur” photographer. He brought up that he had just finished shooting a wedding. I gave him a “Wow” for that one. I let him go on, not doubting his word or sincerity. It’s really no skin off my nose one way or another. I showed him my new Fuji as he showed me his Nikon D3100 with the kit 18-35mm aboard. He was hand holding a sunrise shot while I had my camera on a tripod, using my timer for the first time. When I asked him what ISO he was using in the almost dark conditions he declared he had no idea what all those photographic terms like ISO, and aperture meant. I didn’t ask any more question as it was obvious he was a professional.
LikeLike
I have found this is painfully common among people. They think they are professionals. They own expensive equipment. They know NOTHING. That they are barely any kind of a photographer (amateur or otherwise) is bad — so much good equipment wasted when someone else (like me) could make much better use of it — but other people actually HIRE them. How pathetic is that?
LikeLike
I continue to be asked to take on a commission, like photographing the animals at a wildlife preserve or shooting weddings. I continue to turn them down as I’m retired and hate dealing with people when it comes to money. What I need is a manager who would arrange such jobs and I just turn up to shoot them.
LikeLike
I know JUST what you mean!
On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 12:16 PM, SERENDIPITY
LikeLike