In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur by Karen WalrondMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve said it before and I say it again, there are less than 5 authors that I will preorder a book from and Karen is one of them. I haven’t been dissapointed yet. This book was the one that I was most excited for because in the last couple of years, I’ve been pretty bored and wanting to try new hobbies. I love how she writes her books which includes not just her talking about her experience or knowledge on any subject matter, she includes conversations she has with other people on the same subject. She talks about the 7 attributes of intentional amateurism and dives even further with each one: curiosity, mindfulness, self-compassion, play, stretch zone, connection, and wonder & awe. I love that she talks about dabbling in past hobbies as well as discovering new ones. I’ve been cross stitching for almost 3 decades now and I don’t plan to stop but I’m eager to branch out into other crafts involving needle & thread.
“Given that leisure is our birthright and that the practice of leisure activities in a ritualistic way can be a spiritual practice, intentional amateurism has the potential to be a powerful form of self-care. And the beauty of this is that any activity we choose as a potential avocation—whether it involves returning to a past passion or dabbling in something new—could be a perfect candidate for this restful, restorative practice. Dusting off those roller skates, or grabbing the violin from the attic, or reaching for those oil paints after a long hiatus, especially when your moves don’t come as easily as they used to: These things are hard.”
I used a lot of sticky tabs for this book but here’s a couple of quotes from the book I loved:
“As for me, I’ll never have the virtuosity of say, Billy Joel. But I’ve learned that it takes grit to return to something I used to do well. It requires showing myself compassion by releasing the idea of perfection I’d held in my youth and embracing the evolution of my current capabilities.”
“When we talk about ‘perfectionism’ or constantly attempting to be right, we’re concerned about what other people think of our performance….. Your goal isn’t about the end result so much as it is an inquiry into your activity and your reaction to it. It’s about disconnecting yourself from the quality of your results as defined by other people. And to an extent, it’s also about disconnecting yourself from your own expectations of yourself.” – Jeff Harry
I’ve decided to compile a list of new, current, and old hobbies that I want to dabble in a little more.
New Hobbies: Book Binding | Thread Painting | Macre-Weaving (Macrame Weaving) | Diorama/Book Nook building | Ukulele | Kalimba | Oboe | Mandala Rock Paintings | Gypsum Art
Current Hobbies: Cross stitching | Reading | Embroidery | LEGO | Macrame | Running/Walking | Music | Diamond Painting | Epoxy/Resin Art | Beading | Candle Making
Old Hobbies: Bowling | Archery | Flute | Piccolo | Alto Saxophone | Yoga | Tennis | Pickleball | Roller Skating | Kite Flying | Poetry/Writing | Sewing | Traveling | Baking
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