# There is value in being a beginner a lesson I learned from the Entisol [_Listen to an audio version of this essay read by the author here._](https://anchor.fm/soil/episodes/There-is-value-in-being-a-beginner-e11p5v0) ![](https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*4qvgufTELUnIGtx1D5FGEQ.png) *One line soil profile drawing of an Entisol with lamellae. Original artwork by the author.* Yesterday, I was running along a stretch of beautiful California coastline. The trail weaves along a bluff that is the youngest in a series of coastal terraces that formed through the combined processes of uplift and erosion. I am lucky to call these landscapes my training grounds. Despite the ocean views, the first two miles of my run didn’t feel great. My calves were sore. I was generally tired from completing a high mileage week. My mind was all over the place, worrying about what was to come. This was partly my brain worrying about the challenge of the scheduled run for that day (I was set to run hill intervals at faster paces towards the end of the run). But mostly, it was my attitude. My tired, and unintentionally negative attitude. So, as I have done so many times in the past, I started giving myself a mental pep talk. I asked myself how I was feeling and why I might be feeling this way. I reminded myself of how much progress I had made with my training over the last 4 months. Then, I reminded myself that even though I have been running more consistently over the last few years, and am training for a long-distance adventure… I am still a beginner, a novice, a relatively inexperienced runner. This isn’t something I have been doing my whole life. I am no expert. I make mistakes. I have sluggish runs because I should have eaten more that day. I certainly don’t stretch enough. And sometimes, I run way too fast. I am always learning how to become a stronger runner. Something in my mind shifted as soon as I permitted myself to be a beginner. I felt lighter and ran easier. Being a beginner is incredibly freeing because there is no requirement to conform to how things “should” be. I had never done this workout before, I didn’t know what to expect, and therefore it was okay if I didn’t do it perfectly. Completing the task was all I was looking for. Truly creative people are perpetual beginners. Creativity is all about trying new things, playing around, and experimenting with the “what ifs”. The playfulness of the creative process stiffens as soon as we get stuck in the expectations of being an expert. There is value in being a beginner. And if there’s one type of soil that doesn’t get enough credit for being a beginner, it’s the Entisol. Entisols are a type of soil classified in the US Soil Taxonomy system. They are considered the least developed of all the soil types (there are 12 total), meaning that they lack the distinct features that make all the other soil types unique. This usually happens because Entisols are young and have not been exposed to the processes of soil formation for long enough to create any defining features. I have asked many students and colleagues what their favorite soil type is and never, not once, has anyone responded with “Entisols”. Instead, we are drawn towards the more developed soils, the wise soils with lots of “experience” existing out there in the world. The experts of soil formation. I don’t think we give the Entisol enough credit. We put them in the category of “undeveloped” and leave them without much else. Why is that? Entisols are the most extensive of all the soil types. They occupy about 18% of the global ice-free land area and exist in a huge diversity of habitats. From steep rocky slopes to newly deposited floodplains, to desert landscapes, Entisols are everywhere and new Entisols are constantly coming to be. One of the first soils I got to know is an Entisol. It’s a psamment near the coast of central California. Soil scientists termed this soil a psamment because of its sandy texture, derived from the greek _“psammos”_ for sand. So, yes, this soil is essentially a pile of sand with little evidence of soil profile development. But this particular psamment had another special feature: lamellae. Lamellae are thin bands of clay that accumulate in otherwise sandy soils. They form when clay suspended in water moves down through the soil profile. As the water slows and even stops, the clay drops out of suspension and accumulates in a band. At least, that’s what we think happens. There are a few other hypotheses for how lamellae form, but I’ll leave that to the pedologists to hash out. Lamellae are a special soil feature because once you see them, you can’t unsee them. They have the power to turn a simple sandy Entisol into a charismatic soil that all my students are eager to take a photo with. I have been that student, I am still that student, and I have many photos of lamellae. When folks ask me what my favorite soil feature is, I often say lamellae, but somehow I never say Entisols. Maybe it’s time I change that. Why do we have an aversion to the Entisol in the same way we have an aversion to being a beginner ourselves? Everyone is a beginner at something. We should be celebrating this fact. Learning new skills requires stepping into the role of a beginner, yet many of us often shy away from wading into spaces where we will need to do this. Yet this space is where we grow, learn, and expand into new versions of ourselves. Let’s take stock of all the areas in which I am a beginner. I am a beginner when it comes to: - creating artwork - writing books - birding - ultrarunning - raising chickens - podcasting (or should I say audio-essay-ing?) - being a professor The list goes on. I am even a beginner at being a soil scientist, my most ingrained identity, the thing that I have been doing longer than anything else. In my professional circles, I am considered an early career scientist, an assistant professor, and an emerging scholar. The more I learn about soil, the more I realize I still don’t know. Learning is humbling in that way. Learning helps us stay beginners. I strive to be more like the Entisol. Humble, curious, and always learning. A perpetual beginner. I also think it is also important to celebrate the Entisol in others by encouraging people to try new things, learn for the sake of learning, and continue to follow their curiosity. There is value in being a beginner. The Entisol always knew this, and I am just beginning to learn. >This essay was originally published on Medium in May 2021. I migrated my favorite Medium essays onto my website to keep all my essays about soil in one place. Thanks for reading! You can also [listen to this essay](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/there-is-value-in-being-a-beginner/id1565190277?i=1000523432922).