You expect certain things from a professional.
That they show up on time. That they have a specific expertise, but they continue to hone their abilities. That they care about their work, and they care about who they’re doing the work for.
Doctors are professionals. Engineers are professionals.
They show up, do the work, and produce results.
As creators, we forget what it means to be a professional.
The amount of effort required to publish your work has decreased, but that doesn’t mean that the effort required to produce it has.
If you want to be a professional, you have to act like one: show up, do the work, and produce.
From The War of Art: “Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. "I write only when inspiration strikes," he replied. "Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.””
