Occupation: Artist?

Someone asked me this morning, how do I live without having a full-time job. Till this day, I am not quite sure how to answer that question. All I could answered was "enough".
First and foremost, in any sorts of application form (in Singapore), if you fill in your occupation as an artist, people will think that you are from the TV station. But then, when they look at you, they will start to have doubts, I don't really look like Ix Shen or Keegan Kang.
What is it really about? A profession as an 'artist', you don't make works to sell, or paint beautiful landscapes to be placed in a living room so that they matches the colour of the room.
I have been doing this for the past 5 years, there are many others too...its a tiring process to explain to people, especially cab drivers. They will ask you, what do you do?
I will answer, oh, I'm a graphic designer...or...oh I'm a furniture designer...or I can get really creative,...oh, I work in the circus...as a clown counting chicken feathers...
My profession is kinda like a survival tactics of being alive, I am a dreamer and I am not sure how long I will keep on dreaming, I had friend who once said Artists are all idealistic dreamers...aren't we all are?

I am still breathing...or I am just plain lucky...