I believe that talent is an overused term that can be accidentally (or purposely - but I want to be ‘glass half full’ here) be used to diminish the accomplishments of hard work. The terms overuse in creative fields can make these fields seem inaccessible except to an elite group who is born with talent. Natural aptitude or skill can only get one so far in this world. To quote Kevin Durant, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard”.
When I was younger, I was not a natural artist. In fact, I was once teased as a teenager for not drawing as well as a two-year-old. I took that minor teasing as a personal challenge and began to teach myself to draw. Eventually, I decided this was a passion worth pursuing and began taking classes. I worked hard. I have been practicing near daily for years. I didn't have talent, I chose to spend my time working hard and learning this skill.
From an art educator perspective, I love to encourage a growth mindset. Adults who do not carefully consider the impact of their words make teaching this mindset difficult. Picture this common scenario, an adult walks into my art classroom, states that they are not artistic. They may even make a cute joke about not being able to draw a straight line with a ruler. Before they leave the room, they compliment a student or two on their talent before leaving. On the surface, this looks like a well-meaning adult bringing a fun moment to a classroom and trying to make a students day.
However, it can come off as dismissive to the student being told they are talented. They will be happy for the compliment of course- but it is far better to focus on effort and artistic choices. Worse, for children overhearing this compliment, it may make artistic success seem impossible. When artistic success is treated as talent based, many students will neglect art as something they cannot learn. Why try and learn something when you need to be talented to succeed? Students begin to see creativity as something you either have or not. Historically, fine art used to be treated simply as a trade you could learn with time and a good teacher. Reminding students about the past teaches the lesson that anyone can grow if they put time into their passion.
Everyone loves a compliment, but I hope this blog makes you consider words other than talent when praising your favorite artists (adults and children alike!). Get creative with it! Is it their use of color that makes them stand out? Is it the texture of the piece? Meaningful subject matter? You can even simply say that it must have taken a lot of time and dedication to make the piece (it always does). Make an artist's day - talent is luck of the draw - but with hard work, you can make something with true pride.