In Defense of Dabbling - by Karen Walrond (Hardcover)

About the Book

From Karen Walrond, author of The Lightmaker's Manifesto and Radiant Rebellion, comes a joyful jaunt into doing the things you love even if you're not any good at them. Learn the Seven Attributes of Intentional Amateurism: curiosity, mindfulness, self-compassion, play, zone-stretching, connection, and awe. Resist grind culture and learn to dabble.

Book Synopsis

Resist grind culture and discover the joy of dabbling.

From Karen Walrond, author of The Lightmaker's Manifesto and Radiant Rebellion, comes a delightful jaunt into how to be a total amateur--by doing the things you love even if you're not any good at them.

In today's grind culture, hobbies become side hustles. Work creeps into leisure time. Perfectionism reigns. We look up to experts, and we look down on amateurs. And when someone asks us what we like to do, we realize we have absolutely no idea.

But amateur just means "one who loves." So what if being a total amateur is actually a good thing? What if we've been so focused on achieving that we have forgotten how to be interesting?

In her new book, Karen Walrond strikes out to discover the things she loves that demand no excellence--just desire. As she cultivates practices and rituals, without any expectation of success or accolades, she shows us how to do the same. And she helps us learn Seven Attributes of Intentional Amateurism: curiosity, mindfulness, self-compassion, play, zone-stretching, connection, and awe.

Follow Walrond as she dabbles in throwing pottery, swimming laps, playing piano, learning to surf, and photographing the Milky Way (spoiler: it doesn't all go well). Listen in on her conversations with other amateurs--and experts too--about how intentional amateurism enhances mental and social health. And to get you started on your own intentional amateurism practice, she also serves up a list of more than two hundred ideas for things to dabble in--ways to discover your own path to being a total amateur.

Walrond reminds us that it's in the living that we create a life, so failure isn't a concern; in fact, it's kind of the point. If we get better at a hobby or a craft, that's simply a byproduct, never the goal. Transcendence awaits: What joy might we find if we simply started doing the things we love?

Review Quotes

"A joyful exploration of play that helped reignite my own creative passions. Like having a long, healing lunch with your best friend." --Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"I think Karen Walrond might be a little bit of a good witch. It's the only thing that can explain how she always seems to write the exact right book I need at the exact right moment I need it! This book is a love letter to all of us amateurs who have our own 'abridged list of amateur pursuits' of 'things I tried and didn't try--but still might.' This book is for the dabblers, the fuzzy stargazers, and the intentional amateurs with a great many loves." --Marcie Alvis Walker, author of Everybody Come Alive

"Karen Walrond's In Defense of Dabbling is a welcome permission slip to feed our curiosity, to play with and explore whatever it is we're drawn to--not for our side hustle, not to become a professional, but for our humanity. Walrond is the perfect leader for what is sure to be a movement of celebrating all things amateur. Her humility, vulnerability, and earned confidence have motivated me to pick up my favorite long-dormant textile design app!" --Gabrielle Blair, New York Times bestselling author, designer, and mother of six

"The wise and delightful Karen Walrond once again guides us straight to the hidden joys and unexpected truths of life. For all of us hoping to make the very best of our time on this earth, she's an essential voice." --Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling author

"A life-expanding ode to the joy of being an amateur in a world that's bent on mastery, In Defense of Dabbling reminds us to say yes to moments, activities, and pursuits for no other reason than the feelings they give us. A powerful reset, bundled with an invitation to take yourself, and the world, a little more lightly." --Jonathan Fields, award-winning author of Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work That Makes You Come Alive

"As someone who has always known that midlife isn't a crisis but a chrysalis, I deeply believe that aging is the same as growing--and that growing is all about continual learning and adventure. In Defense of Dabbling provides a blueprint for us to grow: Its 'Seven Attributes of Intentional Amateurism' provide guideposts along our way. This book reminds us of the power we all hold to make our lives bigger, brighter, and more expansive than ever." --Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling author

"Karen Walrond's voice is unmistakably wise, humane, and joyous. What if our path out of the spiraling psychological crises of our time was as simple as picking up a hobby or two? It's a counterintuitively profound prescription: we need more love, more freedom, more curiosity in our lives. So let's choose it. Not to feed social media or hustle some extra income, but because it's what our soul most needs: room to roam." --Sean Fitzpatrick, psychotherapist, executive director of The Jung Center, and author of The Ethical Imagination

"Karen Walrond brings us back to the simple joy of doing things just because we want to--no pressure to get it exactly right. She invites us to follow our curiosity, play a little more, and remember what it's like to explore for the fun of it." --Meredith Walker, co-founder of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls