"You're SO Talented!"

I'll bet you've heard that before.  What exactly does it mean?   I think it's meant as a compliment, an acknowledgment of ability or skill. When it is accompanied by "I wish I had your talent," however, is when it bothers me.  Everyone has talent of one sort or another, whether one chooses to develop it or not is what matters.  Skill and ability come with hard work and dedication.  Period.  "Talent" means nothing without them.

I'm sorry to pain you, dear reader, with these images, but they do make my point.  Nobody looking at this painting would say, "You're so talented!"

When we see work done by someone that we admire, it is the result of their efforts.  What we don't see when we look at that product is where they started, what training they sought and what practice they put into learning to make that product.  If 'E' is for excellence, it is only because it was for 'Effort" first.  Yes, I capitalized effort.  On purpose.

How embarrassing.  However, I can look at this and know I've made real progress.  

If one thinks they wish they had your talent, they are fooling themselves.  If they wanted it, they'd get to work and develop their own gifts.  If we truly want excellence, we will go after it.  If we tell ourselves we wish we had a talent or skill, that's all we will end up with- wishes.  There are people practicing not only in the visual arts but chefs, writers, mathematicians or a whole score of other areas to whom this applied as well. They worked hard to get the skills they have.

Yes, nearly every piece from this time has outlining with black ink.  Please don't ask me why, I cannot tell you because I do not know.  

I want to be a better painter.  If I truly want it, then I have to keep pushing myself to increase my knowledge and skills.  I don't think there will ever be a day when I can say I've arrived and now I can just paint willy nilly and everything I produce from that point on will be perfect.  In fact, I'm sure of it.

This is a good example of if-you-don't-know-how-to-proceed-keep-adding-paint-till-you-weep-in-despair syndrome.  

So... I get off of the computer and get a new sheet of paper out and start my creative day.  With determination. Of course, first I'll have to hunt down some clothes so I'm not working in my jammies all day.  Again.   Happy painting!

Talent, huh?  Hahaha!!