Does talent exist?

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I know many people have different opinions about this. And here's what i think of it and why. I'll just answer the journal question up front, I think talent does not exist. And here's why:

Let's start with he question, what is talent? It's this magical thing that makes some people learn faster and develop faster than others in different fields. Let's take art for example, there are 2 different artists, both start at the same time to learn a concept and one learns faster than the other. But few people have stopped to ask themselves why that is? Is it talent, or is it something else?

Let me tell you a story about a guy who started an experiment to see if talent exists. He posted an add where he stated he's looking for a wife that will agree to marry him and let him test their children in this experiment. And they made 3 girls. The guy taught them all how to lay chess from a very early age, and lo and behold all of them became grandmasters in chess. This story is real, the guy is Laszlo Polgar and his 3 worl class chess playing daughters are  Susan Polgar  Sofia Polgar  Judith Polgar   Judith is said to be the strongest female chess player in history. The title grandmaster is given to the best of the best chess players in the world, and they all earned that title.  

Now, how did this happen? Do you think it's a coincidence they all became grandmasters, and they were born prodigies? What a coincidence that would be. 

Then why do some people become better faster and others don't.

There are more reasons for this.

1.)  Deliberate practice. What is that you might ask? Deliberate practice is designed to specifically improve performance. So let me make an example for you to understand better. There are 2 artists, they both draw stick figures. They both want to be able to draw super complex CG artwork. And one of them the next day draws yet another stick figure. And the next day, the same. The other one stops drawing stick figures and starts trying to draw  a super aweesome CG drawing trying as hard as he can to mimic how a CG drawing looks like. He will have a very poor imitation of a CG drawing at first. But the next day, that poor imitation will look better, and the next day better. In a year, he will be able to draw what he'ss ben practicing every day to draw. While the other one, will become an expert in stick figures. This is not a joke on artists who draw stick figures. I myself drew stick figures when i first started art. But have you noticed that even though everyone says they want to improve, if you go to most galleries you'll see they draw the same thing over and over? They wish to some day draw like <insert favorite artist> but they never actually try to do it. They don't deliberatelly go and say, well what does this artist do in these drawings anyway that they're so great? Don't think, maybe in a few years, i'll be able to start trying to maybe draw like this. Start now, take your favorite artist, analize what the elements are in their usual drawing, and draw one of your own. Even if you drew stick figures all this time,l dare you to draw all of a sudden, a dynamic pose, full background, details, with multiple characters ETC. It doesn't matter that it won't look like how you imagine it, in fact, it most likely WILL look like shit. Expect that before you even start. But try to make it look as un-shitty as possible. The point is to not get into a comfortable place where you draw the same thing over and over again. 

Don't get me wrong, you can become an amazing artist even if you take it the slow without pushing yourself. In fact very few artists push themselves to the extreme, because they started drawing really early in life and put in the hours way before everyone else.


2.) Put in the hours! Another guy said that to master any skill, it requires 10.000 hours of work. He made a study on music university students. And interviewed them. Music also is said to be this elusive talent only thing. Well he discovered that the best players were the ones who studied more every day. And among the best of the best students who studied many hours AND the same number of hours every day, he discovered that the better student (who played better and had better grades) was the one who had studdied more hours per day in his past. So if there are 2 artists who both work their asses off, at the same time, the one who drew more in the past, will be better at it. But both the ones who work a lot every day, will be better than the ones who study less. So it's not about talent who gives the best guy and extra edge, it's that in the past, he put in more hours. 

Think of the implications.

If you never drew a line in your life, you are 10.000 hours or so away from becoming a master in art.

But chances are you did draw in the past. So look on the bright side, you're closer than that. Now all you need to do is put in those hours. :) Make a calculation for yourself. Maybe in the past, you only got to draw for 2.000 hours (even that is a lot), well now you need to put in 8.000 more hours, say you are willing to give art 2 hours of your day that's 14 hours per week, that's 730 hours per year. So if you keep this up every day (every single day) you'll be a master in 10 years. But then there are days you're sick, there are hollydays, Christmass, let's add another year there to make ti realistic. You'll be a master in 11 years :D
Yes, it's a lot, i know it's not easy. But everyone would be a master if it would be easier :) 

Want faster results? Don't skip days,  and put in more hours per day. 
I made  this poll  where i asked what are everyone's first drawing they ever made, and guess what, no one drew Mona Lisa. What a surprise. 

What is your number? In how many years can you become a master? What age will you be when that will happen? Envision it :D Dude, it will be 2020  when i'll become a master! make your own calculation and see if that will motivate you more not to give up on art. Or to stop thinking you're unlucky because you weren't born with this elusive thing called 'talent'. :iconbonklers:



By the way, check out my art book  HERE pre-orders are limited until September 20th! 


*disclaimer, i am not saying I am a master, not yet, but i do put in 8 hours daily so i think i'm getting there :)

© 2014 - 2024 Yuuza
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Sonicookie's avatar
Personally, I believe that certain people are born with a natural inclination to be good at certain things. Whether it's genetics or some form of souls, I don't really care (although I believe they it's both). However, skill matters moke. you can still teach someone something that they aren't naturally good at. If you'd like to call this talent, that's fine with me.