Master Class | Amateur Isn't a Bad Word

In the creative industry, so many of us struggle with Imposter Syndrome, where we feel like we’re just faking everything and we really have no clue what we’re doing.

Like being an “amateur” is the worst thing someone could say to us.

There is this idea that we can either be an amateur or a professional, but those two titles have zero overlap. We either get to be one or the other.

Once we’ve hit the “professional stage”, there are things that are no longer permitted…it’s like being an “adult.” Once you’ve grown up, there are just certain actions, behaviors or thoughts that aren’t acceptable or as acceptable as they were when we were younger. Some of those are reasonable, like saying out partying all night, but some of those we should try and hang on to more tightly, like curiosity and wonder.

I feel like so many artists apply this to their work and their identity as well. When we hit this stage where we consider ourselves a “professional,” we aren’t allowed to be fearless, to explore, to take risks.

Yes, technically, amateur means that you’re unpaid while professional say that you’re paid for the work you’re doing, but we’re going to blur the line between those two a bit more. There are some things about being an amateur that we should hold on to and guard more than we do. Amateurs don’t have to let money dictate their actions or decisions.

This allows them to take risks, experiment, and they have little to lose in the process. They share more, exploring ideas publicly and sharing those results. They’re willing to try anything.

Let’s all spend a little bit more time in the mindset of an amateur and worry less about fear and less about what others will think. Explore more, grown more, and never think you’re as knowledgeable as you ever will be. Don’t allow the fear of what others will think to stunt your own potential. There is always more out there, so let’s think a little more like an amateur.