Time and time again, I always wonder, DOES TALENT EXIST.
There are so many situations where I’m forced to believe it doesn’t, but others where I’m forced to believe IT DOES. Or at least, some form of difference between us that makes some of us not suited for certain things.
Let’s be absolutely black and white with it first, then we can start to flesh out the differences.
You can’t draw a whole lot without being able to see. Not to say there aren’t blind artists, or people who draw while feeling the paint. Totally a thing. But try doing that digitally. Once you move your camera, your orientation is all kinds of fucked up. There is no tactile feedback for where you are at on a screen, or where the camera is pointing on your canvas.
Sure you can make traditional art, you can probably make some pretty unique aesthetics – But you probably can’t be much of Disney animator if you’re blind. That’s just how it goes.
Let’s switch to position – Say you were born 10 thousand years ago. Art was around, for sure, but you had to be in a certain position to be able to have the leisure to do that. 10 thousand years ago, people were still hunting and gathering, so you might just HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. Fast forward 10,000 years, and the same concept applies. Doing what you want isn’t ALWAYS possible. You might just be straight up born in a situation where you cannot. The fact that we have education so easily accessible is astounding these days – but think of all the people who don’t have access to the internet? What chance do they have to becoming a successful artist? PRETTY SLIM compared to yours.
So to a large extent, you are born with or without OPPORTUNITY. Assuming you’re in the position to actually be able to decide on your own, well, now we get back to the “born with talent” sorta conversation.
So let me ask ya something. Are you inherently good at video games? Or are you inherently bad at them? Do you know anyone who’s just GOOD/BAD at them? We all have that friend who’s just kicks our ass regardless of how long they’re playing, or the one we can toss around with little effort. So why is that?
It’s not like “oh I was born with the talent of CALL OF DUTY!” Naw, but you’re probably a bit more akin to visual reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
Games are a very interesting thing to use as an example. Certain PVP games (I use PVP games as an example because that tends to be most evident when someone is amazing, and when someone’s really not good) stress different kinds of skills. This is a BIT of a lengthy tangent, but sets the foundation of what I’m talking about.
---
Magic the Gathering is a PVP card game. Like most card games, you have a deck that you customize and shuffle before playing. So each deck will have some sort of unique presence. But in the end, the luck of the draw KIND OF decides the outcome. But the player can do many things to make sure that their draw can still guide them to functioning their deck correctly. Being good at a game like this depends on a few things.
• Your Knowledge of the Game – There’s a metric FUCKTON of magic cards out there, and having a compendium/studying what’s out there lets you know how to make synergetic decks. The more you know about the mechanics of the game, the more you can use them to your advantage when constructing a deck. The more you know about the cards out there/decks out there, the more you know what people will likely choose, and how you can counter them. • The Luck of the Draw – But there are cards that can work around this. Some cards let you draw more cards, others let you search your deck for specific cards. A newbie will run into the situation where they might just get fucked OFTEN by their draw, but an experienced player will have a deck full of cards that support and help at some way or another at all times. • Limited resources – Games like Pokemon or Magic the Gathering were initially gained via Booster decks. Which is a small pack of randomly assorted cards. So you had to buy a TON to get a huge library to be able to put a decent deck together. However, with things like ebay/other card compendiums – there’s individual markets for trading card games, and you’re able to buy the cards you need for your certain deck. Obviously, rarer cards will cost more, but a bad ass deck is a bad ass deck!
But that’s pretty much it. You don’t need reflexes, you don’t need hand eye coordination. The skills you need, is knowledge of the game, the ability to be able to break it and find synergized cards, eventually “luck” isn’t really a part of it if your deck is good enough – and I guess the last thing is money. You do need money to get the cards in the first place.
A game like Battlefield or other FPS’ test an entirely different set of skills.
• Reflexes – at the end of the day, someone with awesome aim will probably win the battle. Headshots tend to be rewarded with 2-5 times the damage than a body shot, and it’s a necessary edge to have. You can train your aim, but it’s pretty clear that some people are just better at it than others. • Map Awareness – The meta of the map can put you at some really good advantages though! If you can’t aim super well, you’ll want to use the map as your main weapon. At the most basic form, camping is the best example of this. Knowing commonly treaded areas and safe areas are crucial. But to other extents, staying next to cover in a gun fight, luring your opponents to a hallway/better place to fight – using grenades/other tools to your advantage. • General meta – Know your position! Know your character. Know your enemy! Certain situations will be stacked against you, it’s up to you to make the best call, who do you take out with you? When should you retreat? • Teamwork – Flanking is SO important in any FPS. If you see your team is applying pressure in one direction, try to flank from another direction. If the enemy team’s damage is split up into multiple directions - that can cut their damage in half, leaving your team to over power and push.
Team composition is also important. A game like Overwatch is a great example of needing to be flexible with your team. Reinhardt is a fantastic tank character, he can summon a shield, and provide cover for your mid-range folks. HOWEVER, if your team doesn’t choose any mid-range folks, then you find yourself defending nobody. You are technically a huge distraction though, and the enemy team will still fire at you, but any good team will know when you’re not a threat, and will switch targets to your squishy assassins that are way off sides and unprotected.
---
A game like Super Smash Bros and other fighting games, (though some of this applies to team games) also test different skills.
• General Meta – Again, know the character/map/enemy. But this can be broken down to the TINIEST DETAIL here. Many fighting games, professionals get into the very frame count of certain moves, or the hitbox thrown out for attacks. This can suggest when a certain move is safe to throw out, or what move is too high risk to be worth it. • Adaptability – The biggest thing about any 1v1 pvp game, is being able to read your opponent, and ADJUST your tactics. In smash bros, some people go charging in – in which case, it’s always best to switch to defense, let them come at you, read what they’re going to do, and make your counter attack!
Does your opponent run and dash attack you a lot? Time it for a perfect guard and a quick grab.
Does your opponent dodge roll left and right a ton? If you find yourself doing the roll-shuffle, a well-placed down-A can send em flying.
Being able to read your opponent, and adjust your tactics is a real fighting concept, in fact MOST of everything a pvp-game is challenging you on is.
---
You probably noticed that a lot of this kind of overlaps. Adapting to your opponent can be a reflex. Meta is just the overall knowledge of the particular game.
One thing that pertains to ALL games (And all things?!?), is being able to Analyze. What’s the point? What’s valuable in the game? How do you win? What’s dangerous? What are your weaknesses? What can you use to your advantage? (Kinda sounds like more problem solving, no?)
Let’s break down the components of a game though, in general it seems like it’s testing two things. REFLEXES and KNOWLEDGE. And often times, both at the same time.
But can anyone learn anything?
And can reflex be trained?
Lets use one of the smash bros examples. You notice your opponent is charging at you with a dash attack PRETTY OFTEN. Is it reflex to shield-grab him? OR, is that knowledge because you KNOW what he’s going to do, you KNOW the timing of that character, and you KNOW how to shield-grab?
Lets use an FPS as an example. Is aiming a reflex? Or do you KNOW where your opponents going to be? Because you KNOW the general path they are taking, and you KNOW their movement speed.
It’s interesting, right? Kinda seems like, if you just change how you think about stuff, you can probably perform a bit better in these games. Because knowledge is a very powerful thing.
Now, I don’t see art as any different. It’s an entirely new language that OF COURSE you’re not born with. But you can read this, right? You’ve mastered the English language, so what’s stopping you from moving onto the next thing?
I’m not here to answer “what is talent, does it exist.” I know there are scientific studies that say things. I know there are hard facts that we just can’t work around at all (say, being born with no arms (though there are artist who paint with their feet)). But - if you’re in the situation where it’s not so obvious, then I’m just suggesting to believe in what's actually going to help you.
Believing in the science, believing in the disabilities, the crutches, the improbabilities, the magical non-real definition words, the “world against you” – none of this helps your case, and its a bad use of mental resources.
If you’re trying to be good at something, don’t find reasons as to why you shouldn’t be. Instead, focus your efforts on changing your perspective. Tackling tasks differently. Carefully observing and learning. Critical thinking. Trying a million times and asking questions.
In the end, I don’t think it matters at all what you’re born with (so long as you have a brain, eyes, hands, and probably opportunity). A true master of anything has VAST knowledge of their subject.
I guess to bring this back to the original question. Are you born with it? If “it” is knowledge, then No, no one is. But we ARE born with the capacity to learn.
The last puzzle to this piece is opportunity and time, but I’ll save that for another article.
-----
This article and the future ones to come is apart of an on-going project called Bursting the Artistic Bubble! Where I go around trying to debunk/clarify pre-established notions, and give some different perspectives on em. Things aren't always black and white, and I find a lot of these concepts can't be summarized in a single sentence. Paraphrasing can cause more harm than good, so I'm doing what I can to illuminate these concepts.
Any thoughts :O? I'm curious to see what other people think about this! I found the game-analysis really enlightening. Particularly the part where I'm breaking down reflex vs knowledge. This can be applied to all things in art too. Creativity? or is it knowledge? Finesse? Or is it knowledge? Aristry? Or is that more knowledge?
I hope this one offered some different perspective for y'all~! I know it's easy to hear things regarding "talent" and just kinda feel down about being unlucky, but I really don't believe that's the case.
come from a family of artists. been around artist all my life. been an active artist for over 10 years now. from what I've seen there are 3 factors, which names I can only estimate. #1 inspiration, #2 training, and #3 epiphany.
you are either born with #1 or not (sorry, too much evidence supports this) and that will ultimately limit what you are capable of, unless you get #3, which doesn't happen all that often (drugs sometimes help). #2 is what confuses people because of the social view point. #2 requires opportunity and resources. #2 can make someone without #1 seem great. lack of #2 can make someone with #1 seem amateur.
come from a family of artists. been around artist all my life. been an active artist for over 10 yea
This is an interesting view point, but it all comes down to what you view as being 'inspiration'. To me, inspiration would be 'having an eye for things', like composition, color choices, anatomy, even just having a wide enough world experience to know what it is you want to portray with your work. It would be the basic drive of an artist, as well as some of the skills needed to accomplish their goal.
But when you think about it that way, those are really just skills that can be learned. Some people might have a knack for coming up with an interesting composition, but that can be learned, either through practice and solo study, or training. You mentioned that someone with training can make someone without inspiration 'seem great', which implies that this is somehow lesser than someone who is 'naturally' an inspired artist. But at what point does training give you the 'skill of inspiration'. If two artists could have potentially achieved the same piece of work, why would it matter if one arrived at said skill level through professional training? When does inspiration arrived at through teaching become equivalent to inspiration you may have just 'had'?
I'm curious to know how you quantify the term 'inspiration'!
This is an interesting view point, but it all comes down to what you view as being 'inspiration'. To
You know, a few minutes after I posted that, I realized “inspiration” was probably the wrong word. “Spirit” maybe is a better term. The unexplained drive to create new and unique things. A natural and consistent flow of inspiration. The ability to instantly analyze everything on an artistic level. Regardless of age or training.
This. This is more what I'm talking about when I refer to "#1" and why I can say with great certainty, that this is something you are either born with or not. That is of course, unless you have an epiphany. An epiphany can change your brain chemistry.
You know, a few minutes after I posted that, I realized “inspiration” was probably the wrong word. “
Ah, yes, I think that is a better word for what you are meaning! But I'm still not sure I'd consider that to be a ' either you have it or you don't' type situation. I believe, at the core of every person out there, that we as humans have a drive to create. All children dabble in artistic things of all sorts. I'd even consider those that go into sports to be creating in their own way, albeit usually in tangent with others as a sort of physical collaboration. Children as a whole (assuming no deficit in basic abilities) are able to break the world down into parts, to imagine things intuitively. With everything being new and unexplored, there's no constraints in their view of the world until the society and culture they grow up in creates them. Creating, at least for the kids I've interacted with, is just what they do- though they may eventually choose instead to use their 'spirit of creation' in another way than the visual arts, say cooking, sewing, coming up with business strategies, architectural design, programming, etc.
I think perhaps in a lot of cases, it may come down to not 'nature vs nurture' and more 'nature in spite of nurture'. In general, most children are shoehorned into classes/activities/cultural constraints they may not necessarily have chosen for themselves otherwise. A child may want to create art, and simply be unable to for various reasons. This impulse to imagine, and thus create, gets quashed from many at a young age. In a way, I feel like some people are basically taught to lose their creative spirit, or that it can only be used in certain situations. I wonder how many more artists of all sorts we would have in the world if everyone were free to do as they wished with no constraints of time, money, culture, etc. It's an interesting thought for sure!
Ah, yes, I think that is a better word for what you are meaning! But I'm still not sure I'd consider
it makes sense that every human should have the potential for creativity. it's whether that potential has been compromised or not is the question I guess. Like people who are born with compromised immune systems verses people who are not. either way though, people are born with disposition, which is why some people seem to have a natural creativity and some don't.
it makes sense that every human should have the potential for creativity. it's whether that potentia
Reflexes do nothing for you in Starcraft ll if you don't have an army / don't have the knowledge on what strategy or units you need to have at a certain time in the game. Knowledge is definitely more important than reflexes are. But then again, You can train your knowledge, but not your reflexes. If you're just reacting too slow to counter an attack, you're lost, though. Sometimes I get challenged by Master's League players and I'm like wtf. I have the right army and strategy to win, but that guy can hit his keys faster than mine, outplay me. Moving so many single units at once to make more damage than one big army. I'd think on art the same. You need a basic knowledge to draw quite decently, you can't just jump in. But then if you are good, there are still people, making small edits everywhere to still get a better picture done. XDD
Reflexes do nothing for you in Starcraft ll if you don't have an army / don't have the knowledge on
Really interesting to think about! Personally, I think skill and hard work are the major contributing factors to ability, but that some people have "talent" in that some people take to practice better than others. In other words, one person might practice an hour at something and wind up hardly any better than before, while another might really have a feel for what's going on and get a lot more out of that hour. Idk, I'm no expert on psychology or learning, but it's super interesting to think about!
Really interesting to think about! Personally, I think skill and hard work are the major contributin
Quite neat. I like how you took "talent" (a vague term, bordering on supernatural) and brought it down to more understandable, tangible things like reflexes and knowledge, and also sight. Someone who thinks they might be lacking in talent might only be lacking in one of the COMPONENTS of "talent". And if they can figure out what that is, they might be able to work at it, or work around it.
Though I think another component of talent is drive. Steven King strikes me as the kind of person who would keep on writing novels until the day he dies whether or not anyone reads them. He has to. He feels compelled to. I'm also reminded of two panels I saw at the Emerald City ComicCon last year. One was by Paul St. Peter, a voice actor who's done Wormmon and Leomon and Xemnas and that fox from Naruto, and a ton of other stuff. He talked about strict rules he follows to take care of his voice. He struck me as a very charming, patient guy with a strong work ethic who views voice acting as a job. The other panelist was Billy West. Billy talked about screaming his head off all day on Ren & Stimpy and never taking any special precautions about his voice at all. He also talked (with stunning nonchalance) about being beaten constantly by his father as a kid, and retreating into cartoons as an escape. Billy struck me as being like Steven King. He'd be staring at himself in the mirror making goofy voices even if no one ever paid him. Because it's not just a job to him. It's an essential component of his personality. Paul St. Peter is a voice actor when he's working; Billy West is a voice actor every second he's alive. So for some people who think they lack talent, maybe what they actually lack is a traumatic incident to make expression a necessity, or the kind of obsessive personality to make art constantly, entirely for yourself; audience irrelevant.
Quite neat. I like how you took "talent" (a vague term, bordering on supernatural) and brought it do
Oh man, I'm not much of a talker. And I'm horrible at explaining. But I do know That Smash Bros. Like any other fighting game is all about predictions. every outcome is determined by wether you judged your opponent right. let's be real here, Every scrub will learn in time that his/her consta dash attacks won't work. so they learn to have to approach a different way or else they won't get anywhere.
Somewhat related...
Amiibos "Try" to learn your playstyle and counter it. however because it adapts to you playstyle, it can be easily tricked by, purposely whiffing an attack or hup cancel (note these are basic examples of tricking an AI) even at level 50 the AI would still be easy to trick. However, that turns your amiibo into trash cause the second it finds an attack that hits more then other. it will then just use that attacks all the time. (The many times I tried to train my Duck Hunt amiibo not spam grab...) it's becomes as bad as a for glory spammer. and, in a way, is worse then it was at later levels...
Oh man, I'm not much of a talker. And I'm horrible at explaining. But I do know That Smash Bros. Lik
Talent, without question, exists. It is the reason for prodigies, those who show the level of aptitude as a child that would be expected of not just an adult, but a well-studied expert. There are prodigies of virtually every conveivable variety, including music, visual arts, and mathematics.
Distinct to true prodigies is a very high level of performance at the very first exposure to a given field. A prodigy musician might be playing full pieces from memory within a week of their first exposure to their first musical instrument. One of the visual arts might paint a beautiful portrait their very first time touching a canvas. This isn't exageration, it is merely an extremely rare type of gift. Almost certainly fewer than 1 in a billion.
The very existence of these individuals proves beyond any reasonable doubt that everyone's talent level is something they're born with. Most people will need to practice for thousands of hours to reach their potential, but the need to practice is no indication that talent and skill are interchangeable. Indeed, talent is as unique to the individual as their face.
Talent, without question, exists. It is the reason for prodigies, those who show the level of aptitu
I think talent does exist, but hard work is also important. Unless you are some kind of savant (which usually has pretty severe side effects), hard work is absolutely required to become exceptional at anything. I think someone who has no talent at all with something can become very, very good at that thing with enough work, but will never be able to reach the absolute top in that area. To reach the very top you need innate talent and hard work. Likewise, talent alone will not make up for a lack of work. If you read about the best people in any field, you will see that they spend crazy amounts of time and effort perfecting their abilities, they didn't just happen over night.
Simply put, don't worry about your innate talent, you can't change that, but you can work towards what you want to achieve.
I think talent does exist, but hard work is also important. Unless you are some kind of savant (whic
I like to think there's no real talent but when youre born, as a kid you exercise your brain in such a way that influences what you're immediately good at in the future. I like to say this because as a kid I always liked drawing... like literally did it every day since the age of, lets see.... 7? around that time. I would draw Stick figures i would imagine as "megaman" with a small megabuster shooting at other stick figures on platforms. and from there I switched to Spongebob and kirby and kept going up. I wouldnt say I'm amazing at art but stuff like 3D spacing and perspective i've always had a good understanding of and I feel like its because my brain developed in such a way, meanwhile everyone I know IRL cant draw "as good" as me but think about it. None of them spent literally all day at classes drawing while the teacher explained important stuff for class. I did that and now I can draw pretty fast, which apparently isnt a thing? Most people I know call me out on that and idk how to explain it exactly... so I dont really believe in talent you're born with but there is different types of intelligence everyone grows. thats why some people are amazing at being able to draw things exactly and some dont. some can make music quickly and make it good, others understtand math and i'm easily confused by it almost instantly. Not to mention there's other limitations like some people who are born with the difficulty of understanding stuff like 3D spacing. (i see this a lot with the people I know)
So, in the end, all I say to people who wanna do what they like is.. just do it! Experience is incredibly important, i mean come on! I started with stick figures and I'm sure many other artists did too!! (or maybe i'm the only weirdo) My art isnt the best but hey eventually with experience i'll get to the place I want! So no, i dont believe in immediate "talent" or so its not exactly that, its more of a brain advantage~ But its also aquired as you're a kid so everyone starts the same.
PS: i hope this isnt hard to understand, i tend to write like shit! xD
This is just my theory: I like to think there's no real talent but when youre born, as a kid you ex
I personally find it as an similar to the idea of talent, but it's not so much talent as much as it is for someone to naturally adapt to something more... Not as in just be amazing at something but to just naturally UNDERSTAND the knowledge you need to do it. I feel this is completely true, you have people who are amazing at math but terrible in english. Its not because they're just talented at it, it's just that they have an easier time understanding the information that is provided to them... Art is the same way, I would never say I'm talented I just understand the information that is given to me. Now Im obviously not saying I'm a great artist, or even near. I'm a student of the arts, I'm always learning. I've only been actively into art maybe 2 years, passively 1. Now there could be people who have been doing art for same amount of time and be much better or maybe not as much, it isn't because "talent". It's just they have a better understanding of the knowledge provided to them.
I personally find it as an similar to the idea of talent, but it's not so much talent as much as it
There ARE natural talents. But I believe that's mostly 'wiring' & resources. I'm a visual mathematician with a pretty high IQ(resources). I've always been able to see thins others don't notice. I'm the line QA at work cuz everything that's wrong naturally jumps out at me.
There is a point where knowledge becomes reflex & instinct. You know something so well that you just do it with no conscious thought. Which is why some seem naturally good at something. They subconsciously pick up on the patterns & clues & just act seemingly without effort. That itself is a gift.
I even completely understood programming when I was 7 & the NES came out, yet I had no knowledge or experience with it until a couple decades later. I'm extremely logical & abstract. Brain chemistry & 'wiring' create natural talents. Some of the rest can be learned.
There ARE natural talents. But I believe that's mostly 'wiring' & resources. I'm a visual mathematic
I've been drawing since I was a kid and that made it much easier for me to learn along the way, making me a fairly developed artist right now, even if I still have a lot to learn.
Two of my friends are trying to START getting into art NOW, as adults, and are struggling a GREAT deal, as if their minds and hands can't cooperate to form the right lines on the page, in the same way as mine can.
I suspect this is because the adult brain isn't as malleable as a child's, it doesn't take to learning as easily.
One thing you may have left out is age. I've been drawing since I was a kid and that made it much e
because as things are now, it's A TON easier for me to pick up new concepts and skills, in literally any medium/thing. I wasn't the brightest kid, and I didn't particularly care a bunch, nor was I a great loser - but as I've grown and matured, I've realized HOW to learn.
I think that's only something you grow into.
Or, the opposite happens and you're super hardened in your ways. Either case, I'd bet you could still break out of that.
Ehhh See I'd disagree! because as things are now, it's A TON easier for me to pick up new concepts
Is there another way to explain this phenomenon, where a friend of mine started as an adult and has been practicing for a long time now? The only conclusions I can draw are either age started, or aptitude. And your journal seems to disagree heavily with aptitude.
It's really disappointing, seeing someone want to be good at something so badly, and still turn out with art that I can't make heads or tails of, even after this much practice and study.
Is there another way to explain this phenomenon, where a friend of mine started as an adult and has
I would sooner blame that on incorrect learning/studying :O!
For example, if that person is drawing a lot of the same thing (content/visual style/mechanics) then they aren't pushing themselves to try/look at other things! It's impossible to learn new things, or master old ones, unless you branch out and study different areas of art.
This is actually another article I've got, I'll post it soon!
I would sooner blame that on incorrect learning/studying :O! For example, if that person is drawin
See I believe in talents, in having a raw amount of natural gift. But I also believe that if you don't have it, it doesn't matter. If we assume equal effort, the person with talent is going to be better at something, but who cares? The person without talent can still become quite skilled at whatever it is they are studying, be it art or sports or w/e.
So I think the 'correct' line is "you're either born with it, or you go get it"
See I believe in talents, in having a raw amount of natural gift. But I also believe that if you don
