Here’s the thing about building a career as an artist – people will only take you as seriously as you do. It doesn’t matter if you’re working a day job or have only sold a couple of paintings online – if you treat art as your job, you are a professional artist. If you don’t – you’re an amateur.

And let me be clear, there’s nothing wrong with being an amateur. In fact, the root of the word amateur is love. You’re doing something you love. That doesn’t make you less talented than those who work for profit.

In this article, I’ll explore some of the key differences that separate professional artists from amateurs. If you want to be pro, there are some hard truths here. So if you find that you’re relating more to the ‘amateur’ traits, don’t feel disheartened. You can change your approach anytime you choose.

There’s no better time than right now to start developing your career as a  professional artist.