[Discussion] Pro or Amateur… Which one are you?

Framed: “There has always been the internal battle amongst artists in the industry of when we can officially call ourselves a “professional”. Stepping foot into a camera store or Costco and buying that DSLR with a kit lens and inserting a watermark on your image doesn’t necessarily mean that you are now a professional. Or does it? Are we a professional photographer when we start charging a certain amount for my service? Are we an amateur when a professional photographer thinks our work is below par?

The argument never stops.

To provide insight into this, we thought we’d get the most appropriate inspiration from a recent book we picked up from a friend called The War of Art. Steven Pressfield helps artists “break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles” through his most forthright language and inspiration. If you are struggling by fear or what Pressfield calls “resistance”, this book might be for you. Check out this chapter:”

Professionals and Amateurs:
“Aspiring artists defeated by Resistance share one trait. They all think like amateurs. They have not yet turned pro.

The moment an artist turns pro is as epochal as the birth of his first child. With one stroke, everything changes. I can state absolutely that the term of my life can be divided into two parts: before turning pro, and after.

To be clear: When I say professional, I don’t mean doctors and lawyers, those of “the professions.” I mean the Professional as an ideal. The professional in contrast to the amateur. Consider the differences.

The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps. To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the pro, it’s his vocation. The amateur plays part-time, the professional full-time. The amateur is a weekend warrior. The professional is there seven days a week.

The word amateur comes from the Latin root meaning “to love”. The conventional interpretation is that the amateur pursues his calling out of love, while the pro does it for money. Not the way I see it. In my view, the amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his “real” vocation.

The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it. He commits full-time.

That’s what I mean when I say turning pro.

Resistance hates it when we turn pro.”

“So the question is…are you a Pro or an Amateur? Quite frankly, that’s up to you to decide.”
 
via [FRAMED]
 
From Kenn:
Where do you guys draw the line? Who do you consider a pro and who an amateur and why? Leave your comments below. And thanks to Framed for the post.

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