So, this is a 100% question, not an attack, so please keep that in mind;
What actual profession beside professors, have things published? I mean, yes, book writers, but I wouldn't call that a profession, anymore than I would call a Lotto winner or a movie star, or artist a professions, as in, it's 95% luck, and not something you would ever encourage anyone to get into.
Book authors are certainly professionals.
There are also authors of things like technical papers. One of our children authored three papers in college that were published. Those papers along with good grades and plenty of working experience helped them get accepted into many veterinarian schools (still deciding on which one).
Plenty of professional artists. Take, for example, advertising art. They get paid to do it. People and organizations pay to have artwork created as well. My mom was a professional artist and art teacher. My father, who was primarily an architect, drew plenty of artistic renderings of his works in watercolor before the age of computer graphics. He was also a paid artist for people that wanted specific scenes, murals, exhibits, etc... My mom would do that as well.
At my job at the newspaper, for several years, I managed the Ad Services Department, where we had several talented artists creating ads. Where do you think all that stuff comes from? Professional artists. And I was the one that taught them all how to use computers to create that art. That is, I learned the electronic tools, then taught them. They then came up with the ideas and used the tools to illustrate/create them. It was all hand done before that. Eventually, colleges started teaching electronic graphic arts.
My oldest sibling is a published poet.
Second sibling was a theatrical stage designer and owned a costume shop for several decades. Designed all their own scenery and built their own sets, and designed all the lighting as well. Had a degree in stagecraft. Designed all of their own costumes drawn by hand first in several views and iterations.
Third sibling taught art for 30 years in public schools, and has a business restoring art, paintings, statuary, sculptures, etc.. Also makes and sells original jewelry and art.
Fourth is an art professor, among other things, as well as the author of several books on art history and creating art. They are world renown in their field.
So, yes, artist is a REAL profession. It's learned. You have to practice and perfect your techniques.
