First and foremost, to be a professional means that a person makes their income from a specific activity or skill. It also typically means that they are pretty damn good at their craft compared to a person with little to no experience. To be a pro requires constant dedication, grit and stubborn determination to hone their skill or craft to a level beyond what the average person can fathom. It means that they have been through the fire, that they have failed over and over again, year after year, until they finally master the ability to do whatever it is that they do, competently and reliably. It also means in essence that they are no longer an amateur, since they are getting paid to do it. So what does it mean to be a professional amateur then? How can we both be professional and amateur at the same time? It would seem that these are conflicting and contradictory ideas, but we think there is a different way to look at it.

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