Qualities of a "Pro"

Meditations on Pressfield’s qualities of professionals

As I mentioned in previous articles, I am still not sure if I really want to become professional (in the usual sense of “make a living” with the art one creates). Re-reading Steven Pressfield’s “The war of art” and “Turning pro” I met again with Steven’s list of qualities that define professionals. I believe I have some of the qualities in that list:

• I am commited over the long haul. I am patient.

• I do not overidentify with my job

• I have a sense of humour about my job

• I make my work out of love (though at the same time I accept money, since my work has value)

• I do not hesitate to ask for help (and I have been lucky to meet many masters that helped me a lot in moving forward on my personal artistic path)

• I help others

• I do not take failure (nor success) personally

• I recognise my limitations

• I do not wait for inspiration

Considering these qualities, maybe I am turning professional (even though currently I am not making enough money to live solely from the earnings of my artistic work).

Steven also mentions that “a professional is recognised by other professionals”. This was a point that I already noticed in the past, but never looked at in the context of considering whether to turn pro or not. Perhaps this fact could be what could make becoming pro worthy for me.

What qualities of a pro do you think you have? Are there any other quality that you have and that you believe a professional should have? Let me know in the comments below