Professional you say??

So I have been arguing with myself again. I know why I do it, but it annoys me when I can't come to a conclusion. So it just keeps going. Lately I have been wondering exactly what makes a person a 'professional'. Now I don't mean in a business setting but more in a service type setting. You have professional plumbers, hairdressers, artists, drivers, and the list goes on. But what exactly defines someone as a 'professional'? Is it the act of being paid for your service? Is it the rate at which you are hired for jobs? Could it be that you simply proclaim yourself a professional? Or does one need tons of paperwork behind their name?

You see, I have a professional henna and body art business. And I have made the move into tattooing as well. Now I have discovered tons of animosity between artists. There is a huge rift in the tattoo community. Now I am all for people being taught properly, and making sure that they hold themselves to the highest standard possible, but I also realize that there are tons of lazy people who won't or can't be bothered to do things the right way. From what I have gleaned, if you didn't do your learnin' in a shop, then you are considered shit. You are called a scratcher and scorned by artists who probably started out in a similar spot.

I do think that there are benefits from learning from experienced artists. I have an experienced artist who is teaching me, but alas, he does not have a shop currently. So I have had to learn how to make a sterile shop environment.

But does the fact that my teacher is not currently in a shop enough to keep my from attaining the label of professional in the art of tattooing? Or should it be based on the quality of ones work? Do you want a person who is good at what they do, and loves what they do, or do you want someone who is only in for a paycheck?

I am a professional henna artist. People pay me to provide a service. I am also a professional face painter and airbrush artist. People pay me for those services as well.

So does the fact that ones' skills are in demand make one a professional? Or do you just need business cards?

Now I know that people are going to say that no matter how good you are, if you didn't spend 6 months sweeping floors and making coffee runs, then you don't know shit about the industry. If you didn't crawl your  way up from scrubbing down counter tops, and schlepping crap, then there is no way that you can be as good as someone that did...

So I figure that since I have people who pay me for my services, I am licensed and what not, that I count as a 'professional' body artist.

I think I am gonna run with that.