This is a matter I, too, have thought about recently. I have my own philosophy on the allegedly radical choice to 'be a writer' professionally, and at the moment I lean toward the opinion that if you are, in fact, a professional writer, you ought to approach it as such. Tips aren't a part of this profession.

HOWEVER - isn't there always one of these? - I do have one caveat. As another commenter pointed out, for those who identify purely as artists, busking, tipping, and other forms of patronage are completely acceptable and have a long, lauded history behind them.

Can you be a professional artist? Absolutely. But the P comes before the A for a reason. If you are running a business, solely or not, run a business. If you are seeking patronage as an artist, do so. I think success for most creators depends on being able to differentiate these things.

The reason is simple and you explained it well - if you are pursuing writing as a CAREER, you will not be taken seriously if you play into the victimizing "starving artist" stereotype. You will find yourself being disrespected more often, you'll be taken less seriously, and ultimately you're likely to fail because of both internal and external mindsets. Such measures simply do not translate well as far as practical business sense, especially in the realm of branding.

If you are an artist who could take or leave the title of "professional" anything, your concern isn't about client perceptions or business norms. You are making art purely to make art. So you've got a bit more leeway when it comes to achieving your goals, financially or otherwise.

I'd be the last to say you cannot be both a professional artist AND an artist, but you do have to differentiate those brands/areas of your life in order to succeed at either, the vast majority of the time.

I'm certainly interested in hearing other commenter's thoughts on this and I would welcome differing perspectives. Thanks again to the author for making me think!