Talent – a natural aptitude or skill (Oxford American Dictionary)
I get tons of people coming to me asking for advice on how to get into the field of art. I use to get confused when self proclaimed artists would approach me for advice but when asked to see their work they only had old school assignments from years ago. If they really were artists, I thought, then where was the art? Anyone can be an artist if they love to draw. This person must not love to draw, so why was he asking me for advice on how to become an artist?
I finally realized these artists who don’t do art are approaching me because they think I have a natural talent and they think they might just have a natural talent too. Perhaps someone told them in the past that they are “a natural”. They think art is just super fun and easy for us gifted ones born with the talent to draw. Artists have the good life. It’s all about who you know. You sit back and draw a little here and there. It just flows from you like a river of gold. You can whip up something on a napkin to pay for your meal. Art is easy work. Art is fun.
Ever since I was a little guy scribbling with my crayons I’ve had people look at my art and say, “You sure are talented. It must be nice to be born with it!” I’d shyly say thanks and continue with my masterpiece while they move on after mere seconds.
Aside from my late teens, art has been my only source of income. I’m in my mid 30′s now and I’ve had a blessed career as an artist and it wasn’t until my mid twenties that I started thinking about what talent really was. Contrary to the dictionary definition, this is my opinion…
Talent is created and grows when you are overly passionate about a specific subject.
So committed that you spend large sums of free time studying a subject beyond what anyone else could stand. So interested that you try to decode what others are doing who excel in the craft. So obsessed that you will spend hours alone trying to meticulously perfect a nuance that only you will notice. Then, when the moment of focus is over, you have gained a small fraction of knowledge that only you were passionate enough to spend the time to understand.
Now, are you an artist?
A musician?
A chef?
A businessman? (Yes, even businessmen have the talent of being good at business)
Writer? Jogger? Halo champion? Fly fisherman? Snowboarder? Surfer?
Now days, whenever someone comes to me for professional advice in the field of art, I always start with this question…
What do you love to do?
This is a hard question for many people to answer. It’s not really hard but people make it hard when they replace what they love with what they think they should love. For instance, a friend asked me what programs he should learn next to help his career. My response was, “Only learn the programs that will help you achieve your personal goals. Don’t learn a random program just because you think it will help your career even though you have no interest in that program. But if a program will aid something you’re passionate about then it’s worth learning. Nothing launches your career better then a personal project that you LOVE. Remember, a client will most likely ask you for something you’ve already proven to do well.” So, in other words…
If you love animation, start animating your film.
If you love to draw comics, start drawing your comic.
If you love to make stuffed animals, make the best stuffed animals you can.
This may seem like lame advice. Most people want me to just hook them up with someone who will offer them a job. Some people just want to be told which school will guarantee their success. Reality check. Schools don’t make you talented. What you are passionately interested in creates the talent.
If you LOVE music, you will pay closer attention to it than the majority and in turn you will become more talented at music then the majority.
If you LOVE comic art, you will study your favorite comic artists and you will become more talented at drawing comics then the majority.
If you LOVE animation, you will closely examine master animators to see what makes them tick and in turn you will become more talented at animation then the majority.
If you LOVE amazing food, you will start to study what makes something taste good and in turn…
Get the picture?
None of this stuff is something you are born with. I don’t believe anyone is born with talent. I will say it again. Nobody is born with talent. Sure, I might have shown early aptitude as an artist even in preschool. You know why? BECAUSE I FREAKIN LOVED ART AND I DROOLED OVER IT WHEN I SAW SOMETHING THAT I LIKED I WOULD STARE AT IT FOREVER UNTIL I UNDERSTOOD IT A BIT MORE THEN THE AVERAGE PRE-SCHOOLER OKAY!
I still can’t draw feet very good. You know why?
