The question around talent comes up a lot in the classes I teach. It stems from insecurity with students about having any talent or not. Because if they are going to put in the hard work and dedicate many hours to learn to draw, they want to be sure the energy is not wasted. I myself have been mistaken by the notion of talent as well. What exactly is talent?
Talent is not taught, it's a natural ability to see or do something in a certain way. But skill is something that we have become good at and love doing but have been taught. It's taken hours, days, weeks, months, years to master. It's something that you get better at over time and that you desire to do and master.
Some people with talent assume that the skill comes automatically and therefore they can become complacent. After you master a certain skill the question can come up, “What is next?” For drawing and painting the desire can arise to get recognition for all your hard work which demands a talent for marketing.
To all my students I would say that talent is highly overrated, “Just do the work and give it your best energy. If you like what you are doing, the positive energy shines through. If frustration takes the upper hand, go do something else.”
My autobiography is called True Colors, Independently published on January 11, 2024 in English,135 pages. ISBN-13: 979-8875809200.
