The proof is in the Pudding

In the past few years I've been going through some things that have caused my photography to come to pretty much a stand still. Plagued by a major lack of confidence and sudden question to my identity as a photographer, I find that I am questioning questioning what kind of photographer need to be to be considered an actual photographer.
Do I have to do what everyone else is doing, portraits, table top, landscapes or nature, and, if so, how doe I have to shoot them? Do I have to use studio lights or, can I use natural light? What if I am not that expert in the use of knowing where to put my lights or how to use my flashes outdoors? Do I still count? What if I can't speak the lingo very well, anymore, or haven't picked up my camera in months, even years?
Do I still count?

Cerebrally, I know that seeking outside validation is the surest road to ruin. The confidence I need should come from within and not from without. But, my heart, it knows of no such road. It only knows to feel.
In the end, I guess it all boils down to me wondering if I'm good enough to hang with the big boys, if I still count as a photographer if I don't do, act or sound like everybody else.
The truth is, I hope so...
I need to find my own path in this, a part of photograph that grabs me and never lets me go, something that speaks to me like nothing else.
For now, the search continues...