I like that statement that "the more time people spend
          convincing themselves that they are in a profession, the
          less likely it is that they actually are (or words to that
          effect.)." I have a friend who is married to a member of the
          AAPREA. What's that? The American Association of
          *Professional* Real Estate Appraisers. My friend confided in
          me that it makes her nuts when her husband introduces
          himself as a "professional real estate appraiser." She
          wonders "would anybody do that as an amateur?"
 
          Its kind of interesting how focused we are on
          professionalism, in a historical context. It wasnt a century
          ago that the British ethos of amateurism prevailed in
          scientific practice and museum practice. I know it may seem
          like fuzzy nostalgia, but that pretense of humility is much
          more appealing to me than the kind of hard-edged pretense of
          expertise.
 
          I know that I, with a terminal degree in Arts
          Administration, and a bunch of experience have always shied
          away from identifying myself as an "arts administrator," let
          alone a "professional arts adminstrator."
 
          Eric Siegel
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