Okay, first of all, I'm no expert at this thing called life. I'm still just mucking about trying to figure it all out, enjoying the ride of this journey, learning, growing, expanding as I go. This pertains to my career path, as I am still, in the strictest of definitions, an amateur. I haven't gotten paid, as in a living, sustainable income that allows me to say, "Fuck off to all the surviving jobs" (not that I have anything against them, hey, fine art teachers, you rock!) and my rising in the ranks production company has more rising debt than available cash flow.
But, from watching and interacting with those that have traveled further in this world of self-employment and entertainment industry as well as from a myriad of books and other resources (I'm a podcast listening queen), I have gathered some understanding about what it truly means to be professional.
Professionalism, from what I gather, does not mean you have the most posh theatre space, drive the fancy cars, have the biggest, best home, or even that you are starring on Broadway six nights a week. Those things are nice to have and truly can be a form of satisfaction, but the fact of the matter is, they are fleeting.
What truly matters is your inner-most belief structure that allows you a moral compass, a guide, in how you treat yourself, believe in your abilities, and the way in fact you treat those around you. In my opinion, if you have the fanciest place but do not treat others with any modicum of respect, whether visible to all or no, you have no degree of professionalism.
Yes, those of my friends that have acquired some success and truly deserve the label of "professional" are those that carry with them a sense of gratitude and heartfelt extend warmth, encouragement, and respect for all they meet no matter at what level they play the game.
Thus, professionalism is an inner guide, more about respect and how you treat others than any form of external reality.
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