Definitions

The other day I was casually conversing with a stranger. After we’d been talking for a while, she asked if I was a writer. I smiled and said yes. Maybe I was comfortable saying that because she didn't know me or maybe I’ve finally become comfortable with the idea itself. I’ve been apprehensive simply because I’ve never been paid for it, so it’s always seemed misleading, but now that I think about it, do we define ourselves by what we are paid to do or by what we enjoy doing? More importantly, why define ourselves at all?