Because of what it means today in culture, the word, ‘Amateur’ can seem like a pejorative term to a lot of us, especially when we are starting out – in any creative endeavour.  When someone calls something amateurish, they are generally referring to the quality of that particular work-  lacking technical finesse and so forth. Amateurs are seen as inept at what they do and it’s presumed professionals are just better, right? Obviously, we only want experienced surgeons operating on us but this word is not a good fit for those working in the arts or anything creative for that matter. 

Here is Maya Deren, the prolific avant-garde filmmaker’s opinion about Amateurism. 

The major obstacle for amateur filmmakers is their own sense of inferiority vis-a-vis professional productions. The very classification “amateur” has an apologetic ring. But that very word–from the Latin “amateur”–“lover” means one who does something for the love of the thing rather than for economic reasons or necessity. And this is the meaning from which the amateur filmmaker should take his clue. Instead of envying the script and dialogue writers, the trained actors, the elaborate staff and sets, the enormous production budgets of the professional film, the amateur should make use of the one great advantage which all professionals envy him, namely, freedom–both artistic and physical.

It’s spot on because she speaks about artistic freedom to express something you are enthusiastic about. In fact, one can argue that this limitation should be freeing and should define one’s aesthetic. In this clip, filmmaker Barry Jenkins speaks about mistakes and imperfections kept intact with the final work which he claims to be his favourite piece of work. The interviewer says, “You can totally feel the filmmaker that made Moonlight in this short.” To which Jenkins responds, “ Because I am an amateur, bruh. Because I am an amateur. Because I am an amateur.” He says it thrice, almost like an assertion. 

Jim Jarmusch still considers himself an amateur filmmaker. The interviewer asks, “So what did punk rock mean to you when it was starting? He says, “ It meant a kind of real liberation of expression. It embraced amateurism in a way that I still am inspired by. It was not about trying to get, you know, stadium gigs or even commercial radio play or even record deals for that matter. It was about saying something ’cause you meant it, and expressing something that you felt. And that was primary for that – whatever the scene, whatever punk rock means, it was very, very important to me, very formative. And I still consider myself to be an amateur filmmaker. And I say that because in the Latin origin of the word amateur is the word love, and it’s love of a form, whereas professional implies something you do for money or for work.”

We have to embrace the spirit of amateurism in our creative living- That’s what Punk Rock is, right?  To be bold and to look like a fool in the open. “I saw the Sex Pistols,” said musician Bernard Summer. “They were terrible. I wanted to get up and be terrible with them.” 

Amateurism is also more importantly about a way of approach to one’s work. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt said, “Once the amateur’s naïve approach and humble willingness to learn fades away, the creative spirit of good photography dies with it. Every professional should remain always in his heart an amateur.” We must strive to be a learner forever simply for the joy of learning alone.

The arts is not a zero sum game even if the culture tries to tell you that it is. There is nothing to be won. If it is made out to be something quantifiable, let it be more about measuring the artist’s love than about the craft of it all because that is something that can be achieved with just money.   

Make terrible, embarrassing art but pour your heart into it because it’s gonna show. Share it with the world because that love and energy is contagious.