I will agree that talent as a word is thrown around way to often. Honestly, I think it’s just an easy/common way of verbalizing someone’s skills.

I could say that your use of septuagenarian is very “unique” and wonder how long you’ve been waiting to use it in a sentence, or I could tell you how “sagacious” you are.

In other words (no pun intended), if I replace the normal word, unique, interesting, talented, impressive, and fancy it up with a not so used word, might that make all the difference?

I agree that skill and talent are two very different things. However I don’t see how that precludes a programmer from being skillful and having talent. Without a doubt, to be able to solve some problems that coders face, they must have an aptitude or disposition–yes, talent, even.

While your friend may not have been tapping at the keyboard in preschool, his analytical, structured point-of-view makes him a talented programmer. A talent doesn’t have to be “what you do”–it might be what makes you good at what you do.

I think sometimes people assume that talent means that an artist doesn’t have to work very hard at his or her craft to accomplish something meaningful. What they don’t realize is that talent is just a starting place. Where an artist takes it is what really counts (and yes, taking talent someplace is hard work).

Good post!

I understand what you’re saying, Devin - when people use the term “talent” as a general compliment to creative professionals, often they’re just saying “I like your work” - but sometimes they’re saying that they believe your work didn’t take effort so much as divine intervention, and that’s what I have a problem with.

Sure, if someone says “you’re so talented,” you probably won’t have a sense of what they really mean unless you ask them to explain themselves, which can be awkward. But creativity is very mysterious to those who don’t employ it primarily in their jobs, and I have had many experiences where it’s been spelled out to me that I’m fortunate not to have to actually work like everyone else does - design just pours out of me. That stings.

This is why I try to never let a client or potential client see me actually working on a design project - not even simple text edits or color changes, if possible. When that happens, they see technical skills at work, and the creative sensibility behind them remains transparent.

Louisa, I like your approach - I do believe everyone has a ton of unused creativity. Maybe acknowledging it helps increase understanding across the board. I did buy Art is Work - let me know if you review it, and I’ll let you know my feedback, too.

Then, once in a while, you meet someone who’s clearly not working very hard but is just a border line genius at what he/she’s doing. I’ve met a couple of those before and it’s a little depressing when you’re in the 10 meter radius… But once you get home, it gets you all motivated to work even harder

I would have to agree with the sentiments both in the article and in the comments. I think there is a balance in every creative person between skills – which I feel are techniques that can be learned, and talent – which is a nebulous “something”, innate to varying degrees, but also something that is cultivated through work and experience.

My experience growing up was similar to the author’s, and that “raw talent” was something I learned to focus many years later. “Talent” is often something seen by other as natural or spontaneous, when in reality it’s the result of years of passion, dedication and focus towards improvement.

Often times if someone has the impression “That piece only took you “X” hours to draw”, I tell them yes, but it took me 30+ years to be able to draw a piece in “X” hours.

Cool!