Amateur Mindset
Embracing the beginner's mind and incremental improvement over perfectionism.
The Amateur Mindset is about embracing the beginner’s perspective and valuing contribution over perfection.
Key Principles
- Amateurs know that contributing something is better than nothing
- You can move from mediocre to good in increments
- “That’s all any of us are: amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.” โ Charlie Chaplin
- “In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.” โ Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Monk
Related Concepts
- [[Amateur]] โ the enthusiast who pursues work in the spirit of love
- [[Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset]] โ learning and development
- [[Scenius]] โ contributing to creative communities
- [[Digital Garden]] โ sharing work in progress
Source: [[Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon]]
7 notes link here
- Amateur The enthusiast who pursues her work in the spirit of love.
- Creativity is a Way of Operating - John Cleese Creativity is not a talent, it is a way of operating.
- Dunning-Kruger Effect Cognitive bias where people with low ability overestimate their competence, โฆ
- Lone Genius Myth The false narrative that great work emerges from isolated individuals with โฆ
- Mortality Awareness Using awareness of death to clarify priorities and make meaningful choices.
- Process is Messy You have to make stuff. Share something small every day.
- Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon 10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered - a guide to showing your โฆ