dilettante

[johncomic]

I find myself thinking about this word a lot lately. Recently saw it defined as someone who indulges in something [most often an artform] without commitment. And I realize there are underlying connotations of Bad® here. Where did those connotations come from? Which gatekeepers determine how much commitment qualifies you as a true Artiste® as opposed to a dilettante?

I once heard David Bowie described as a dilettante, because of the stylistic variety of his work. He'd work with a sound for an album or two, then move on to a new one. He investigated things that interested him for as long as they interested him. He made the art he felt like making. Why is this a bad thing?

Along similar lines, I've been thinking about how amateur and professional have come to be used as terms to describe the quality of work. But, strictly speaking, neither word has anything to do with that. The amateur works for the love of the work; the professional works to earn a living. Full stop. There are amateurs whose work is astonishingly accomplished and wonderful, and professionals who manage to make a career doing work that is not particularly good.

I feel like it's time to reclaim these words. The value judgments we've attached to them are not inherent to the terms themselves: they are arbitrary additions which can be done without. I am a dilettante, and quite content to be one.

Comments

[razielim]

...You know, it took me until this post and a quick follow-up google to figure out that "dilettante" and "debutante" are two different words. So, thank you... so much. But also, this is a lovely write-up! Good thoughts here 👏🏼

[razielim]

(Also, don't know that I've seen your Moss icon before. Hell yeah!)

[johncomic]

glad to be of assistance!

[house_wren]

Oh! Yes. Thank you for writing about this. I also would like to reclaim these words.
One of my pet peeves is how people - both artists and non-artists - devalue creative activity if it isn't in service of making money.
Your post reminds me that I should reread some Jacque Barzun books. In one of them I think he discusses the value of amateur artistic pursuits.

[johncomic]

Welcome aboard!