Talent is Bulls***!
I said it. Loud and proud. Talent is bulls***. Now, before you start saying anything, take a deep breath, and read on. Being in the performance arts industry professionally for 22 years and really a creative my whole life I have learned a very valuable lesson. There is absolutely nothing in this world we are inherently proficient at. We are not born with a certain set of skills that we are destined to have define us for the rest of our lives. What a depressing and limited thought. Are some people physiologically ideal for certain physical tasks? Absolutely, however this is only physiological such as a body shape that allows for more aerodynamic advantage in swimming or vocal chords that when vibrated by air they make a pleasing sound. Does this mean they are "talented"? No. It just means they have a physiological (slight) advantage. Though of course this can be debunked quite easily if we look at athletes like Jesse Owens that beat all physical odds to dominate their sport. I digress. What talent really is is passion, dedication, hard work, dreams, and goals. Every single creative and artist I have come across in my life that others think are "talented" are so grossly immersed into their art when no-one is watching that it dominates their life. They spend innumerable hours studying, practicing, crying, doubting, and failing. No-one is privy to seeing this. The only thing we are seeing is the end result of all of this. When we say someone is talented we are dismissing all of this dedication to mastery. We write it off as something someone just inherently does with no thought. Even the definition of talent is a write off:
talent |ˈtalənt|
noun1
natural aptitude or skill
If we really want to compliment someone recognize all the work that you didn't see behind closed doors and in the confines of their mind. Tell them that their hard work and dedication is showing and you are impressed with their progress. Don't dismiss this passion with a "you're so talented". Also, if we think people are talented we limit ourselves. We stop ourselves from doing something we would love to do because we don't believe we have this perceived gift bestowed upon us. You can do anything! You can be anything! If you want it, really truly want it then you too can be "talented" you just have to put in the work life everyone else that is "talented".
