being an amateur and loving it

There is a freedom in being an amateur.  People allow you to make mistakes, as you're just learning.  So, I'm a writer, but I also love painting and photography and am not ashamed at my feeble attempts to create beauty or preserve a memory.

I recently put a book of my travel photos together, for example, and I love that every photo was taken with a little idiot-proof point-and-shoot digital camera.  It seems like everyone has a fancy camera these days, and you can disagree with me if you like, but I don't think a fancy camera guarantees a better picture.  You still have to frame a photo well, capture something interesting, etc.  

Of course, I'm just an amateur photographer-- what do I know?  :-)

So, how does this relate to writing and the creative process in general?  Two points:

1.  Don't let technology get in the way of your craft.  And don't expect technology to do the craft for you.  
I'm a technology dinosaur.  I like handwritten letters, my cell phone doesn't have a camera, internet access or anything other than numbers and a screen to let me know who I'm calling, and we don't have a TV at home (but that's a-whole-nother discussion).  Photoshop is amazing, but a good photo should be able to be awesome without it.  Just as I don't like plastic surgery for people, I don't like it for photos, either.  Maybe the old masters were better because they didn't have devices like spellcheck to make sure they were on top of their craft-- they alone had to churn out the images or stories in their minds and bring them to reality.  I think it's a good exercise to create technology-free art.  Low-tech --> imperfect --> human --> real.  And I like real.

2.  Just do it.  
Yes, Nike paid a lot of money to use that little phrase, but I like the spontaneity of it.  Don't have a fancy camera?  Then make your documentary with whatever you've got.  Don't have paint and perfectly pulled canvases?  Do pencil sketches on regular paper.  You can always create-- and you don't need classes or materials to get started.

Creative people tend to enjoy many creative arts, and I firmly believe each of your creative projects enriches your other creative work.  So, paint or write or dance or make music-- and enjoy the process, imperfections and all-- and know that you'll just have exercised your creativity a bit, making you a better all-around artist than you were yesterday.   And eventually, you may have to leave the amateur label behind, but you'll have so much practice behind you, you can then claim you were self-taught. :-)

point and shoot by jennifer kan martinez | Make Your Own Book