TODAY ONLY! Donate $250+ to get first access to winter class registration before member registration begins tomorrow. Learn more » 

The Professional Amateur [Shira Erlichman]

Time: 12:00am - 12:00am PT
Capacity: seat
Member Price: $81.00
General Price: $90.00

In insecure moments we can remember that amateur comes from the French word meaning “lover of.” To be uncertain is to love is to begin.

Shunryu Suzuki, author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice says, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” As art-makers our ego and insecurities can often close the door preemptively on our own artistic investigations. We have to actively cultivate the Professional Amateur within—the one who is brave, willing to not know, be unrefined, explore possibilities, and essentially, to trust. With the understanding that creativity itself is a skill that can be honed, we’ll engage in a variety of exercises, aiming for a radical return to a more innocent mode of perception. Shira will share tactics from their own creativity praxis, which spans decades and multiple mediums including writing, songwriting, painting, and illustration.

Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.

Class sessions may be recorded if a session falls on a holiday, or if a student has access needs. Class recordings are not guaranteed.

We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.

Classes may be cancelled if less than 5 students are enrolled within 10 days before the class start date. If for any reason Hugo House needs to cancel a class, students can choose between a full credit or full refund.

Make a Donation

Donations made throughout the year help fund our programs and operations.