Occupation..?

I like to tell people I'm an artist, but in reality I dont know what I am.
Quite apart from the fact I dont know if what I make is "art" in the contemporary and exhibitable sense, there is the employment aspect.
Employing oneself in an activity doesn't necessarily make one an expert in it, even if its 8 hours a day. Being paid for doing so counts for a bit more vailidity, but then one can feel trapped. Being an officially self-employed artist may mean you have more contacts and business, but setting oneself up as a limited company and getting a loan and insurance and all that that entails makes for a pretty big gamble.
Getting some sort of part-time job seems to be the option for many artists I know. Unfortunatley this does not leave a lot of time for networking, let alone making work, and they never get further than a few small local shows or a bit part in a group show somewhere better known - if they are lucky.
I'm at the point now where I have to make this big decision. The MA is all but over, I'm out of my comfort zone, and despite all the discussions and seminars on careers I'm still no clearer about my future plans than I was 2 years ago!