The Amateur – Full Story
Eli was known as the amateur.
Not because he wasn't talented — he was actually good at almost everything he tried — but because he never believed he was ready to take the next step.
He loved drawing, but told everyone, "I'm not an artist."
He loved solving puzzles, but said, "I'm not smart enough."
And he loved filming short videos, but insisted, "I'm just an amateur."
One day, his class went on a trip to an old science museum. While everyone explored, Eli wandered into a quiet room full of inventions. There was a dusty sign on the wall:
"Every master was once an amateur."
Eli stared at it.
Something about those words felt like they were aimed directly at him.
Nearby sat an elderly guide polishing an old telescope.
"You like that sign?" she asked.
Eli shrugged. "Yeah… I guess. But it's not really true for me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why not?"
"Because I'm not good enough to ever be a master."
The guide laughed softly.
"Do you think the first person who used this telescope knew what they were doing? They probably broke it ten times. But each time, they learned something new."
She handed the telescope to Eli.
"Try it."
Eli hesitated, then looked through it. The lens shook in his hands.
He steadied it.
Focused.
And suddenly — the blurry shapes became clear.
The guide smiled.
"See? Amateurs don't fail. They begin."
When Eli returned to school the next day, someone asked him to help draw a poster.
He didn't say, "I'm not an artist."
Instead, he said, "Sure… I'll try."
For the first time, The Amateur wasn't scared of being an amateur at all.
A week later, Eli sat in his room staring at his sketchbook.
The poster he made for school actually turned out good.
Better than he expected.
His phone buzzed.
It was Maya from his class:
"Hey Eli, we're making a short video for the school event. Wanna help us film?"
Eli froze.
He liked filming small clips at home, but doing it for school felt too serious.
He typed:
"Idk… I'm not really a filmmaker."
Then he remembered the sign:
Every master was once an amateur.
He deleted the message.
"Okay. I'll try."
The next day, Eli stood in the school courtyard holding a camera.
"Uh… what do you want me to film?" he asked.
Maya pointed at the stage.
"We need a scene of someone running up to deliver a message. Make it look dramatic."
Dramatic?
Eli wasn't sure he could do that.
But he lifted the camera…
framed the shot…
waited…
When the actor ran, something clicked.
He moved with the camera, caught the light perfectly, adjusted the angle smoothly.
For the first time, it didn't feel like pretending.
It felt right.
When they watched the clip, everyone stared at him.
"Eli… that looks professional," Maya said.
He blushed.
"It's nothing. I'm still just an amateur."
"Maybe," she replied,
"but you're an amateur who's getting better every day."
That night, Eli couldn't sleep.
Not from worry —
but because he was excited.
For the first time in his life…
being The Amateur felt like the perfect place to start.