When?

I am often asked, "When did you become an artist?" (photographer, painter, etc.) It is a difficult thing to pinpoint. Maybe it was when I saw my grandfathers mural of birds, Audubon style, painted on his living room wall. Or, maybe it was when I purchased my first box camera after saving my nickels and dimes in a toy bank. Or maybe it was when I, with my family,  started printing pictures using the bathroom for a darkroom. Maybe it was when I studied art in junior high school or drafting in high school or painting in college. Maybe it was when I worked as a draftsman (pre-politically correct "drafter") at an engineering company. Maybe it was... , I don't know but, I have been doing art maybe 56 years, maybe. At any rate, I sold my first piece of art in about 2005. I guess that makes me a professional artist for about 6 years now. Well, that is, unless you count those years of house painting, mechanical drawing, woodworking, paint mixing salesperson, etc. I have to wonder, "What makes an artist an artist?"