In Defense of Dabbling

In Defense of Dabblingicon

The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur

by Karen Walrond

Publisher
Broadleaf Books
Publication
Sep 23, 2025
Format
Hardback
Illustrated
No
Price
27.99
Dimensions
5.75 x 8.75 in
ISBN
9781506487656
Pages
211
Age
Adult 18+
Category
Self-HelpBiographies & Memoirs

Rights Sold

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Description

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.

Awards & Endorsements

The Atlantic
"Dalliances demand neither talent nor discipline, Walrond argues―we need only enjoy what we're doing. [In Defense of Dabbling] is a ringing endorsement for being just okay at stuff."

Author(s)

Karen Walrond

Karen Walrond

Karen Walrond is a lawyer, leadership coach and activist. Her work has helped thousands of people around the world find purpose and meaning in their careers and lives. She has spoken around the United States and abroad to individuals and organizations on the topics of thriving through leadership development, the magic of creativity, the value of cultural and racial diversity and inclusion and the power of creativity. Her award-winning blog, Chookooloonks, is a lifestyle, inspiration and photography destination that enjoys over 10,000 pageviews per month, and is all about living with intention. Her highly rated podcast, The Make Light Show, has been described as a show that inspires listeners to become more of who they are and who they want to be. Her book, The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit, is an Amazon bestseller. She is also the contributing author to two additional books: Disquiet Time and Expressive Photography.

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