Establishing credibility

I am generally interested in many fields including politics, philosophy, information technology, physics, music and sports - especially the coaching aspect.  What I like most about peer-reviewing is the ability it gives someone like myself to voice and validate the veracity and commonality of their views and ideas on a topic/field/area of interest etc.. without the requirement of a certified academic foundation as long as the opinions/assessment made are relevant, educative or reflecting of the state of the art in related disciplines without necessarily being field advancing. One can only study and get diplomas/certifications in so many fields however, there is often a need to establish credibility when contemplating the prospect of giving advice or consulting in a field of interest; I find peer-reviewed publications a good outlet for people in the previously described situation to make a strong case of demonstrating their credentials.