On Talent

A few times lately, I’ve been told how talented I am.  It is meant-and I’ve taken it-as a compliment.

It does, however, indicate that it is because of some innate ‘talent’ that I can paint a decent painting-sometimes.

Here’s what bothers me about that.

If you can’t paint a decent painting, does that mean you don’t have a talent for painting? 

I think many people truly believe that their first bad attempts mean they don’t. So they give up. 

You should have seen my first paintings.  On second thought, no, you really shouldn’t have!

I like what Stephen King has to say about it.

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

I don’t really think I’m all that gifted with a talent for painting.  I believe that if I were, after all the years of painting I would be really top-notch-and I am not.  I am merely adequate and sometimes not even that.  Occasionally, all things come together and I create a pretty darn good painting, but that happens only rarely.

What I do think is that I’ve been determined…perhaps even stubborn.  I’ve been dedicated to learning all that I can learn about it before my time is up.  I’ve been committed to my desire!

My whole reason for writing this is to encourage anyone who has a desire to paint… or sculpt…or sing...or bake….or write….or raise chickens…to give themselves the opportunity to push through the bad beginnings, the mistakes and the failures.

Don’t assume that you have no talent.  Please.  You are robbing yourself-and maybe the world-if you do that!

However, also don’t assume that if you do have ‘talent’, it is enough to make you good at what you do.  There is no substitute for the hours of practice and hard work necessary to achieve a degree of expertise….or even adequacy.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Calvin Coolidge

If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke. (Brendan Francis Behan)

We're all filled with naturally recurring patterns that make us unique – they're called talents. And our charge is to bloody well use them. (Marcus Buckingham)

Don't be vain because you happen to have talent. You are not responsible for that; it was not of your doing. What you do with your talent is what matters. (Pablo Casals)

 

Now.....go  paint… or sculpt…or sing...or bake….or write….or raise chickens…or take photos....or make balloon animals....or quilts.....or a garden...Go wherever 'desire' leads you!