But what if true renewal begins not with mastery, but with love?

Contemplative Beginnings is a two-month invitation to start the year with softness, to resist the churn of resolution culture and return to the art of being human. The word amateur comes from amator, “one who loves.” What if we lived like that—as people whose motivation is love, not performance? What if small beginnings rooted in love, care, curiosity, and compassion begins to remake the world one wonky painting, one early morning sunrise, or one new recipe at a time?

Inspired by Karen Walrond’s new book In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur, we will explore curiosity, mindfulness, self-compassion, play, stretch zones, connection, and wonder as practices of liberation. Each online gathering offers a rhythm of gentle teaching, contemplative conversation, and a “dabbling lab” for creative play. Between sessions, you will receive reflection prompts and invitations to keep experimenting in daily life, supported by an online community journal where we witness one another’s small beginnings. Let’s start the new year by cultivating a community of practice that encourages a spirituality of play, communal care, and joy that resists despair.