I am Not a Professional
Two Skies, Denton TX [Mural: “Band on the Run” by Dan Black]
I have had some success with my photography lately. By which I mean I've sold some stuff.
At first, I was tickled to think I'm a professional photographer now! But on further reflection, I'm not, and I don't think I ever want to be. Selling a few things isn't the same as running a business.
A professional anything (photographer, masseuse, carpenter, whatever) is first a business person, and second an artist. You rarely learn that from a teacher. You learn it from another professional, usually as their assistant. I learned photography from books, classes, and a lot of walking around. That alone should have tipped me off.
I am also embarrassed by commerce. I mostly give my work to friends for free, in a disposable format (annual calendars). I will have a photobook made soon, say in the next couple of years, but I squirm to think what it would need to sell for to be profitable, i.e., businesslike. I'll probably give a few copies to friends, list it on my portfolio site, and never, ever promote it.
This luxury comes courtesy of my business career. I wish I'd understood that earlier in life, but you can't know what you don't know. Right after college, I worked in book publishing because I loved literature. Mistake. That's like working in an abattoir because you like steaks.
Whatever you love, keep it a love. Your paycheck should come from something you can tolerate, done with people you enjoy. If you've got that, congratulations. You've won at life.
Amateur comes from the Latin amator: lover. So go be an amateur of whatever genuinely excites you. Save your passion for that. And never, for the love of God, say you are "passionate" about change management on LinkedIn, or call yourself a "thought leader." That's the puffery of hollow people.