If people do not consider being an artist a legitimate activity, and therefore do not take you seriously, they will not respect you, will not respect your work and will therefore not enable you to succeed. Instead they will undermine what you do and work against you. If you cannot change the mind of such people get away from them as fast as you can. Don't push the issue, just let them be. Seek people who understand what being an artist is about, people who respect you, take you seriously and are willing to help you.
It is also important that you do not feel guilty about being an artist, about your creative freedom, or about doing what you like instead of getting a "real" job. Being an artist is just as difficult as any other occupation, if not more difficult. There is nothing about it that makes one more privileged, or more fortunate, than if one had chosen another occupation. When someone tries to make you feel guilty it is nearly always because they are not happy doing what they are doing and hence jealous that you are doing what you like. This is a reflection of their choices, not of yours. There is no reason to feel guilty about having made the right choices for yourself. If anything, tell them to make different choices, to change their lives so they stop resenting what you do and start doing what they like, so they let you live your life without feeling the need to make you feel guilty about it.
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