Natural Talent
Natural talent works well as a scapegoat and defense for one to protect themselves from the real world. To say someone is naturally talented is to say that no matter what efforts you exert, they will forever prove themselves better. Which is to say that they didn’t earn what they have. What utter idiocy. It’s a matter of being curious, answering questions which invoke inspiration and joyous hard work. That is where true natural talent lies.
I am not naturally talented. Nor are you. I’d say you’re better than that.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m in no doubt that you’re a talented, intelligent and creative person. What I do doubt, however, is the idea of such skills being given at birth. I doubt that our ability to draw like this or write like that is something that we don’t work for, but is something that just comes into us out of nothingness. I say you earned the skills you have. Hence you being better than that.
Curiosity
What I know though, is that you were given that which has been the driving force behind everything creative we, as a species, has ever done that is worth mention – curiosity.
All of those whose careers revolve around
creative thought are continuously curious
We’ve all curious about something. For some, to ask the question ‘why?‘ is to give ourselves happiness
We are born curious, this is what’s natural. Some of us are taught to stop asking questions because it’s annoying, others might not find the answers they want so give up. Either way, questions and probing becomes something of a lost art for some.
They are more curious and
are the ones who have an interest in a field
Those that may appear to be naturally talented are more likely to be those who are more inquisitive. They are more curious and are the ones who have an interest in a field that allows them to constantly ask questions. They haven’t forgotton how important they are.
To say a skill rather than curiousity comes naturally is to diminish the work those deemed naturally talented have done—and it demeans the work and effort you’ve put into your own craft, your own questions. It is saying that no matter how hard you work, they will always best you.
So what? Doesn’t mean they’re talented.
If we’re all curious and apply our questions to a field of which we are passionate, the questions and thought isn’t really work—it’s fun and exciting and gets our hearts pumping and minds ticking. It gets us high and drunk on questions and knowledge.
Which naturally results in our free time being spent on asking our questions for leisure.
The illustrator enjoys spending their free time working out how best to bring his subject to life, drawing the same lines over and over. The designer will design for clients that don’t exist. The photographer will never leave home without a camera. It’s constant practice. It’s hard work. But it isn’t work like most others would think of, not for them. For them, it’s joyous.
They probably ask more questions of themselves
The constant asking, and more importantly, the constant attempt to answer these questions, means they are practicing their craft, even if they don’t realise it or are doing so intentionally.When you sit down with a creative who is so good at what they do in spite of whatever predefined criteria you hold in your thoughts, remember they aren’t naturally talented – they probably ask more questions of themselves.
Which, luckily, is easily solved, isn’t it? It isn’t hard to ask questions.
Environment
Here’s the kicker, as there is always a kicker – through environment, practice, their diet, an article they’ve read, song they’ve heard or thought they’ve had, they might be better at answering questions than you. This is where the naturalness of it comes in. Sometimes what appears to be a natural talent is something they’ve picked up from their environment. They’ve put themselves in the right places and fed themselves the right information.
There’s also the fact that some brains are just going to be better wired to solve certain problems – it’s why some of us prefer artistry over math. It’s just easier for us to solve certain kinds of abstract questions. There is nothing we can change about that. But just because you work through problems systematically, doesn’t mean you can’t solve those rooted in the abstract. It just means you’ll approach them from a systematic point of view, giving you a unique answer, based on how your mind ticks. It’s a matter of learning how best you work and developing those skills.
You need to work for the solution and hone your skills
The truth is, in spite of our ability to solve a certain kind of problem more easily than we can solve others, it does not mean that any less work needs to be done. If you’re solving something that you’re naturally curious about, then chances are your brain is wired to solve that kind of problem, but you need to work for the solution and hone your skills to allow you to answer such questions swiftly and effectively.
So do what you can to build up your environment, that which you absorb and think about and see, to help you become better at answering and pulling apart what it is that you find interest in.
Education
There must always be moments of education. There must always be a point at which our brains absorb some knowledge about the problems we want to answer from our environment. For most, this is what inspiration is.
To give our selves these moments of education, we must be opened to them. We must learn what we can from everything we put our minds and attention to. And we must actively want to learn, through deliberate actions like research and thought and other wilfull efforts. Read everything you can get your hands on to do with your topic, listen to every interview and watch every documentary on even that which is only remotely related to your field and you will be constantly having these lessons.
It’s good practice to constantly ask questions
And what you learn will come to you at the most interesting of moments. While you search the recess’ of your memory in the hopes of finding an answer to the question which lays before you, you will begin to make connections between that interview and that documentary. Which both may go on to mix with a beautiful illustration you saw and dance to the tune of a song that left an impression upon you.
With this inspiration, this knowledge, it becomes important to rehearse. It’s good practice to constantly ask questions (which may come in the form of discussion with others, generating fake clients and jobs or producing work for yourself). Because of all of that research done, and your natural curiosity, the questions will be yours, not those of others.
Your Questions
If you want to be better than someone at solving their curiosities, then forget it. If you try to be, their talents will forever seem to come naturally. They produce the work they do, answer the questions they have, because of who they are, what they’re surrounded by and what they take in. Just like you do, just like we all do. So don’t look at the work of others and say to yourself “I want to be that, that is where I should be”.
Of course their answers will seem natural, the questions are from what makes them who they are. Their answers to their questions will fit them perfectly because it all comes form the same place. Why would you expect to be able to answer their questions as well as they can? It helps little to compare yourself to another and their achievements and skills. Don’t compare yourself to others.
If you want to be better than what you currently are, answer your own questions. Answer that which makes you curious, not what makes someone else ponder for a moment.
Once you’re answering your own questions, figuring out the problems that get you excited, you’ll need to practice. Over and over and over and over. Work hard and tirelessly – if it is for something you are naturally curious about, then you will never grow weak and never quench your thirst.
The answers will be a reflection of you
And because the questions are of something you hold a little love for, they, as well as the answers, will be a reflection of you. And you will answer them with practiced skill. So perhaps they will come naturally, so to speak.
Loving the design, loving the articles – particularly this one, and the why one. Invigorating.
You know, this is weird. I was having a very similar conversation with a friend today, about how some people just seem to be naturally talented. It went along the lines of, my observation that during my artistic education, the most ‘naturally talented’ people always seemed the laziest, never invigorated by the subject. They could draw like hell but didn’t seem to care. Whereas I was never brilliantly amazing, I was good, but just good, yet I love Illustration and everything to do with it, I’m constantly pushing myself and asking myself questions like this and generally on the hunt for good stuff.
This article has kind of put that into perspective a bit and actually made me feel quite positive. :)
Very interesting articles, thank you for publishing them
Great article Alex!
Thanks Dave, glad you enjoyed the site and articles :)
Hey Rachel,
I think what happens, especially throughout highschool, is that if you’re good at something you’re not often pushed to be better.. you’re good enough to pass, good enough to stay out of the teachers hair, so you’re left alone to coast through what’s placed before you..
not many teachers around who would see a talent and want to nurture it..
so it’s an attitude that is kept through more education (‘im good enough, why bother?’), which might very well get them through..
but then 10 years down the track, they might have forgotten how to learn and how to push themselves so they produce the same work over and over and over, not adapting, learning or enhancing their skills.. maybe.. what do you think, Rachel?
Thanks bron! Glad you liked it :)
Beautiful article! I totally agree. The only quality that’s natural or intrinsic is interest in a particular field. Talent is interest + passion + hard work.
Love all your articles and the site design.
Alex, I think I would possibly agree with you there. Although, in my class at Uni, we’ve had some good tutors who have really pushed me hard. In fact, I think the ones who perhaps needed a bit more encouragement were left a bit by the wayside sometimes. I suppose it’s up to the individual teachers.
I think it all comes down to if you want to continue to learn and push yourself, you just naturally do it. Sometimes you need external help, but it ultimately has to come from within you.
Great post Alex. I wrote a blog on a similar topic a while back. I think it’s a matter of interpreting the phrase “natural talent.” To me, it does exist, in the form of an aptitude for something. But that alone doesn’t get you anywhere without hard work.
Hi Soumya, thanks for the kind words! And just as you said – interesting + passion + hard work = talent.. couldn’t say it more concisely than that!
Hey Rachel,
Your comment made me realise something about the good and bad teachers we all encounter. One of the best teachers I’ve ever had wasn’t actually a very good teacher. In fact, at the time, I’m not sure I liked him or learned very much at all.. but he had these moments.. where he would say something that would just knock me flat.. a comment or question would come from him that would connect with me for some reason.. not anyone else sometimes, but for me, it was marvelous..
I guess it’s luck of the draw — some teachers are going to feel like they’re there to challenge you when they aren’t doing so intentionally and others will intentionally challenge you and lose your trust/respect/whatever.
Thanks Jin, I read the article you emailed me and it got me thinking. I think that there are people who are naturally wired to be good at things (I alluded to this in the article when i said some people are systematical thinkers, some are abstract), but I think their perceived natural talents come down to experiencing and education. You mentioned people like Einstein and Mozart – both had minds for their chosen paths, and obviously passion, but they had to have moments where they learned and expanded.
I guess what I’m saying is that if you took Einstein and raised him today like any other kid, he’d be smart, but he probably wouldn’t be Einstein.. he was challenged by the right people at the right time, read the right thing at the right time and asked the right kinds of questions of himself and the universe.. where as now, he might just be a pretty smart guy who enjoys sudoku and physics documentaries on the weekend, you know?
having said that, I think we’re on the same path, it’s about having an aptitude for something, discovering what that something is and working mighty hard for it.
For those interested, Jin’s great article can be found at http://www.8164.org/talent-vs-hard-work/
But what about us as children? Why is it that some can draw so well and others not so? Some can tie their shoe laces in grade one, some take till grade six before they can. Personally, I believe it comes down to intelligence and curiosity, as well as what you said, (the right) education however in saying that I still believe in natural talent.
This topic also came up at the agIdeas design conference. I forgot who was talking about it (actually I think it was John Marsden) but he had a good little (true) story…
There was a father and his son at the football. The boy was trying to ask his father a question and uttered “um” in the middle of the sentence. The father stopped him mid sentence and said “um is not a word son”.
So the boy tried again. He said “um” half way through the sentence again. The father said “um is not a word son”.
The boy tried to ask his father the question one more time but this time the first word the boy said was “um”. His father said in a rather angry tone “um” is not a word.
The father and son didn’t talk again the whole game.
I will leave the point up to your own interpretation. :)
Great comment sir, thanks :)
I think in relation to us being children and learning those kind of things, it has a lot to do with environment. we don’t come out of the womb knowing how to tie a shoe lace or know how to draw.. both are about practice and patience, which many of us don’t have as children.. hence it taking longer for some to learn..
and I’d say a lot of our ‘natural’ intelligence is really a product of our environment.. ie. a child who grows up with parents who always read, encourage puzzles and exploration and play, as well as being more involved and patient, is likely to be smarter than the child whose parents don’t really care.. that’s a very simplistic way of putting it, but I’m sure those factors have a lot to do with how we perform when we’re younger..
i made mention of in the article that i feel some of us have brains better wired from the get-go, hence some being ‘better’ at drawing than others as children.. but 15 years later, if the child who is better wired hasn’t practiced, he’ll still draw like a four year-old, where as the person who practiced all that time will draw with a higher skill
maybe im missing the point, but to me it sounds like the father in your story was more likely to have the child who couldn’t draw.. or was afraid to try.. even though he was meaning well by his son.. mmm, good one :)
What do you think?
First thought was that you have to fix up your comment field… have to write the full details every time I need to leave a comment. Not very productive :P
Anyway… certainly one doesn’t come out of the womb knowing these things and yes education and the environment are contributing factors.
The father / son point was close to what you have suggested, that of the father meaning well but instead it made the child “scared” of being wrong thus limiting creativity and the end result.
Another great example of this negative “environment” would be in our education system as a whole. Are you familiar with the talk by Sir Ken Robinson – “do schools kill creativity?”… Ken
makes a case that we should create an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. This can relate back to the father and son story… although we mean good, we should not be blind to the fact that what we are doing is potentially removing our “natural talent” or potential.
Yuuurp, I’m very much looking forward to moving to wordpress (So close!!) so such silly things aren’t happening around retinart.. there’s a lot of things that bug me about this CMS, the handling of comments is a big one and I dont want to go hunting for a new plugin when it’s such a pain to implement when im about to upgrade.. but, i digress..
Our education systems are just ways for us to get a basic understanding of how to make our way through a university course, TAFE course or bet by in the real world.. I think you’d be very lucky to find yourself in a situation where you’re creativity is nurtured, developed and you can actually grow at the behest of your teachers..
which, as you said, is the same as the story.. we get afraid to be creative because we don’t have it nurtured and to go off the beaten track is to be wrong.. and i dont even mean creative in the sense of knowing how to draw or write music or anything like that.. every one has the potential to be creative in any work they do (I see thinking creatively as thinking out side of the box and discovering new things), but we are conditioned that 2+2=4.. or 5, depending on how orwellian you want to get