As an alternative view to yesterday’s popular post, there’s nothing wrong with being an amateur.
I’m an amateur soccer player, an amateur cook, an amateur skier, designer, racecar driver, and flyfisherman. And I’m happy to be an amateur at all of those things. Actually I LOVE being an amateur at all of those things – it allows me to dabble, make a ton of mistakes, goof around, drop the ball, not care when something else might be distracting me etc.
Being an amateur at those things means I can be comfortable. It’s safe. There is no fear of success or failure. In each case actually becoming a professional overnight at ANY of those things above SOUNDS fun to me, but I know enough that the process of going pro at my hobbies above does NOT sound fun. The workload is too great, the road too steep. The path sounds too damn hard and the rewards don’t outweigh the effort enough to dedicate my life to it.
Being an amateur is the opposite of going pro. Going pro is….…uncomfortable, challenging, and requires laser focus. That’s not to say it’s not incredibly rewarding, but you catch my drift. Going “amateur” is cush.
Now if you’re out there wondering if you have what it takes to be a pro photographer, dancer, chef, whatever and this thought of keeping it amateur sounds the least bit tempting – stick to being an amateur. Someone who has what takes to be a pro and wants to do it would likely never be tempted by such a proposal.
Which one are you? Be the judge for yourself.
Or maybe some of us can go semi-pro?!?! Which is how I would describe myself. I’m like a farm club baseball team with no aspirations to go up to the bigs.
I appreciated reading this because for many years, becoming a “professional” was the golden carrot that I chased to no avail. I stopped enjoying just going out to shoot and my interest in photography faded for a few years. But as the song goes, “it takes separation to bring appreciation” and I found my way back to where I always belonged. I shoot because I love the process and nothing more. Besides, I hate labels and the whole idea of shooting for anything other than the love of the craft.
I don’t want to give up my pension.Don’t want to be old and broke. I have seen too much of that so want to ensure I don’t end up in dire situation.
I’m a professional amateur.
I’m a professional web designer and Dad (yup, a professional Dad), It’s my job and I do it for a multimillion pound company but I love being an amateur photographer, amateur film maker, amateur blogger, amateur racing driver, amateur cook and soon to be an amateur snowboarder.
Being amature is fun, but then again so is being professional and that pays.