Nobody hands out an official “artist” badge. Introduce yourself as one before the paycheck says so.

There is no register and no examination, which means the only thing standing between you and the word is your own permission. Waiting for income to authorise it puts the definition in the hands of a market that is slow and frequently wrong. The activity is what makes the description true, not the invoice.

Say it plainly the next time someone asks, without the qualifier you usually attach. Notice how much of the hesitation was about whether you had earned the word rather than whether it was accurate.