Kleon notes that the French word ‘amateur’ means ‘lover.’ He quotes Clay Shirky:

On the spectrum of creative work, the difference between the amateur and the good is vast. Mediocrity, however is still on the spectrum; you can move from mediocre to good in increments. The real gap is between doing nothing and doing something (pp. 15-16)

-Austin Kleon, Show Your Work, pp. 15-16

An amateur is a lover. That’s not a knock. More professionals need to be amateurs. Love something.

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