You say ‘amateur’ as if it was a dirty word. ‘Amateur’ comes from the Latin word ‘amare’, which means to love. To do things for the love of it.
—-Mozart in the Jungle TV Series
I used to fantasize about being a fiber artist. I spun wool on a spinning wheel and wove on a small loom. I thought I would make lovely yarn and weave it or knit it into wonderful scarves and sweaters that would demand high prices. Then I got older. I never really had time to do any of the fancy things I planned. I have decided I really do not want to.
On being an amateur
I still like to knit. I am proud to say I am a knitting amateur. I do not knit for money, I knit for love. I have made several things for friends and the children of friends (baby blankets for 2 generations now!) At the moment, I have run out of people to knit for. I knit for Project Linus (https://www.projectlinus.org/), Knit the Rainbow (https://www.knittherainbow.org/), Christmas at Sea (https://seamenschurch.org/programs-services/christmas-at-sea/), and the Snuggles project (https://snugglesproject.org/). I get satisfaction from it, knowing the things I make are appreciated and that is payment enough.
Doing something for love, not just money
Inside of every professional is an amateur. Someone who does what they do for love as well as money. Many years ago, I read about a person who was making the same doll over and over to learn how to do it better. Even professional artists work at improving with each work. They paint, they sculpt, they weave over and over, exploring new concepts, trying to improve on what they did before. They hope to sell their work, but also, they do it out of a burning desire to get better at their art. The productivity we see in the 8 of Pentacles is not just craftsmanship, it is love. We practice because of the desire to do better.
With anything we do, taking pride in doing something for love is the beginning of excellence. Will you go on to “go Pro?” and do what you do for money? Maybe not, but you will have fun.
Looking for a fun idea for your next party or event? Consider Psychic Entertainment by Barbara G Meyer. If you are looking for a new idea for a ladies’ night out? Consider a Tarot class for you and your friends. Either in person or on Zoom.
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