Are there any actual professionals here?

Musicalmum said everything I would have. "Making a full living" is hardly a good criteria when referring to the arts. The number of full-time paying jobs available in any field of the arts is extremely small in Australia; the arts is entirely made up of seasonal and casual work and not something you can easily make a living from. Which is why so many of our artists live, work or travel to other countries. (Personally, I see 'professional' as being more of an attitude. If you take it professionally, pursue it professionally, but haven't managed to land a job yet, are you not a professional? Likewise, if you consider it a hobby, work at it as a hobby, but have been paid in some roles, does that make you 'more' professional?) Your source for handmade shadow puppets at Puppets in Melbourne