When Are You Ready to Call Yourself a Professional Artist? (2024)

February 2, 2011

I’d break it down to something pretty simple: you regularly get paid for creating art.
A professional basketball player isn’t someone who plays well, always makes the shot, markets themselves well, etc. It’s not even someone who has an agent, is on basketball cards and so on. Those might be good indicators that someone is a professional basketball player, but what really counts is that they get paid to play basketball regularly (i.e. not just in some random contest they won).
I’d say that the same is true of artists. You don’t have to have all of the trappings of a business. You don’t really have to have professionalism. You just have to have people paying you for the work you create.
I agree that the things you talk about are good and usually necessary to be successful, but they are not definitional.

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February 2, 2011

From someone who juggles a full time job along with an art career this can be rather difficult. But regardless i believe that if a person has the passion to see it through then it will happen. I think it’s important to understand that professionals are not all on the same level. Each of us has room to grow and develop so there are certainly areas as noted above in which I need drastic improvement.
However once identified, we understand the importance of them and work hard to fill the gaps as needed and aspire to be all that we can. I think professionalism is really centered around attitude and determination. Like you said, artist need to be serious, and if they don’t take their career seriously no matter what level it is at, no one else ever will.

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February 2, 2011

Thanks Lori for this awesome post…being a self taught artist, I often felt that having a degree/certification in the specific field is a must to be called as a professional ….however over the years I have realized it is not mandatory , since continuing education is necessary even for a certified artist….. So all the things you and Will have mentioned are what counts…I also agree with Vanessa attitude is a must…

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February 16, 2011

I guess the thing I instantly reacted negatively to, in this article, is the notion that you must be wealthy enough to get your art out there.
“•You have the money to exhibit and market your work. You present your work professionally and meticulously. You have professional marketing materials, and a first class web site.”
Frankly that indicates wealth. And there is no greater burden to so many of us from the middle and lower classes of our respective countries than being told the only way to make money is to have money in the first place.
I call myself an Artist, not a professional artist, even though I make some money at it, because the term “Professional Artist” just goes against my grain, and in reading this I can see why. Exclusivity, as opposed to excellence, is just plain infuriating in an arena where it’s enough of a struggle to get seen. The Art should be the most important thing anyway. Our culture’s overemphasis on money and some abstract notion of “success” is detrimental to pursuing art as a career OR as an artist, because the fact is and always will be, so many great and genuine artists slip through the cracks and are never recognized. I’m all for tips on how to succeed, or at least do better, but “Be Rich” is not useful.

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February 16, 2011

To me a professional artist is someone who is earning 100% of their living by creating / selling art and they are fully committed to it.
Just like one of your previous commenters – a professional athlete is not someone who dabbles in sports in their spare time. If that were the case, I could consider myself a professional surfer!
However, the word “professional” does not mean “better” or “good” or “great”. It’s just a designation that you would give someone who earns their living doing something professionally.
Some of the most talented artists I know are not professional artists – they create part time while they work an unrelated job full time.

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February 27, 2011

Great post Lori…as the post says, “…someone who is earning 100% of their living by creating art” Well, that’s not me, but I feel more like a professional then ever before…so maybe I am! 🙂
David

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February 10, 2013

Ok I am on the road to bw a professional just need an inventory and some business cards a and adedicated studio. Ian

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April 18, 2013

Certainly there is no magic wand to wave through the air and, ‘voila!’ one becomes a professional artist. I see it more as an evolution rather than a revolution. Somewhere between ‘artist’ and ‘professional artist’ are a number of steps (or layers). Your list of indicators is one of the best that I have seen as a measure of ‘where am I in my metamorphosis?’ toward professional artist. It is possible to be a successful artist without becoming a professional artist…being successful, much like being ‘professional’, still involves maturity and (often) time and probably several steps.
Thanks for a though-provoking post!

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October 31, 2013

Lori, Love you page!
I noticed one huge omission, maybe I just missed it here? Be it artist, or any other endeavor. One must make your living at your skill to be called a professional.
Until your art pays all your bills, your not a professional. Working full time as an artist and someone else supporting you, just don’t cut it.
Star hungry!
Maxx
(real professional artist)

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November 23, 2013

I designed ART, ARTISANS crafted!
For my career of 35 years, I pursued the dream of being a truly creative problem solver with the result being: ART! I chose not to be stuck to, nor labeled by any style or media. I made my full-time living, supporting a family of eight by offering my creative talents as a problem solver to architects and designers. The result was a portfolio of over 400 commissioned art works. The only pieces available for sale have been interpretations/recreations of previous commissions. I never understood “putting my ‘soul'” out there to see if someone wanted to “buy it” as was the emphasis in art school and the market place. Most artist “known” for their “style”, “media” are ultimately sick of replicating, re-interpreting but it becomes necessary because the marketing efforts of galleries/museums and individuals require an identifiable/marketable approach to a product. Michelangelo could in no way have produced by himself all the works that have his name attached. He is thought to have had over 500 artisans between his two studios. Artisans have honed their skills as producers of products. I think the word “ARTIST” is bigger than “ARTISAN” and truly professional means you are willing to give your creative skills your all, regardless of the field of endeavor. TWITTER: @CharlesEvolves

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December 7, 2013

Hello Lori 
I just saw your blog and I will try post my thoughts. Apologize for not being native English speaker, but I’ll really try my best! So, I am not a professional artist, because I don’t make my livings as an Artist. Let me make it clear – I sometimes earn money as an Artist, but not enough to be a “Professional”. That’s why I am an Art teacher. I spent exactly 9 years of my life to educate myself as well drawing/painting/sculpting craftsman. I attended 4,5 years Technical school, where I had twice a week 8 hours observational drawing, and twice a week 10 hours of working in studio. True, that happen in ex-communist Bulgaria (which is in East Europe) and our education wasn’t about being “artists”, but being good in techniques and interpretational skills in any meaning. And when I say “good”, I mean “good”, because there wasn’t other chance. I copied twice Rubens paintings (for example), just because it was part of my education to learn main techniques of painting. In real size and without using grid… Then I attended University for 4,5 years where I also had kind of the same schedule + studding “silly” things such as Art History (3 years ) and Psychology and Philosophy of Art (for 3 years as well). That gave me the chance to find myself educated enough, so to be an Art teacher in one of the best schools in Belgium (what I do now). I was also shortlisted and displayed in some contests such as “Derwent Art Prize” (which happen in The Mall Gallery – London few months ago), and also was once nominated for Andromeda award as an illustrator (an American writer asked me to do some illustrations over his first Sci-fi book). I also have several private shows scheduled for next year, and one of them is at place which for first time allows East European to display works there (for example). What I mean is that I still am not a “professional” artist according to all those people who never tried to “educate” them in Arts but claim Art is mainly about one think it could be. I see what our beloved Wikipedia says about what do we call “professional” and it appears that the only thing Wiki mentions is that someone may count him/herself “professional” if he/she had professional education. Wondering, for example, why a butcher can’t call himself a professional plastic surgeon in case it’s not about education, but about the way we believe we see us “right”?! Would you trust a butcher to fix some small things on your face, in case both butcher and surgeon actually use the same type of tools? I won’t, but who knows. I also am wondering if people like Van Gogh could be called “professionals” ? I mean he sold out only one work (actually not he, but his brother did that) during his life? Maybe not really a “professional “ artist if he never had official receptions, huge studio and amount of collectors around him to spent tones of money for his artworks? Nobody posted some cutting-edges interview with him, and didn’t have even a perfect white-teeth smile? … In the end I’ll share what I really think is “professional Artist”. I think that is someone who: first – have professional education in Art as a basis, and then never stops to educate him/herself into Art. Second: one, who understands main things in the Art History and has the idea of how Art reflects the real life. Third: One who never stop try develop both skills and concepts, so to make them relevantly recognizable for viewers all over the world. Four: one, who realizes how wide and deep is the universe of Art, so to not think he/she is the only reason this universe to exist…. Those are the 4 things I find the basis of “professional” attitude to the Art matter. And all they are based on my own experience up to now.
Best regards,
Borislav

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Juliet Denen

September 3, 2015

Thanks Lori. A professional is one who works with determination, passion and can teach some one properly.

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October 21, 2015

It’s a good read to get one thinking .. and so some of the thoughts I have .. deal with understanding the word, “Professional”. The person who is Professing something is speaking or telling .. proclaiming! There is nothing about the word “Professional” that leads me to think the word indicates getting “Paid, Funded, etc.”
If we have a tornado and someone comes to town and knocks on my door and says they will replace my roof. Are they a PRO or a CON? If they take my money and run .. they may have gotten paid .. but given me an inferior quality or no product. Do my words match the quality of my work? That is probably the greatest point that needs to be made. A “Pro-fessional” would stand in contrast to a “Con-fessional” .. (rip-off artist)!!

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Reeve

July 20, 2016

Okay, this may seem a bit unbelievable but, I’m 13 and I’m already a professional artist, like, I read this about 5 times to figure out if I was dreaming or not but I met all of the ‘requirements’ to be a professional… I’m blown away right now. Thanks for creating this article so I could easily figure out if I was already a professional. 😀 I’m super happy I reached my goal!

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