Text: Thank you, but don't call me 'talented'. Image: Illustration of Gen the turtle (left), watching Amina the hedgehog (right) pouring tea from a teapot into a teacup.

Howdy friends. No pond friends today, though I thought I'd describe Amina and Gen together because this is going to be an fine art and discussion post. 🥰

Before I brainstorm, I want to make it very clear that I have appreciated every single compliment and praise that I have ever received about my art. I am acutely enlightened that the support that I receive from everyone in this customs has inspired and motivated me to go along my art, and has been integral to my growth and exposure as a small creative person.

No matter their content, I empathise that compliments and praise come up from a practiced identify and mean no ill intent. Therefore, if yous accept e'er expressed your support for my work, liked my piece of work, retweeted my work, shared my work – thank you. Please, please know that I appreciate y'all, capeesh your support, and am grateful.

On Praising 'Talent' and What 'Talent' Means

"You're so talented!"

"I wish I had your talent!"

Friends, let'south talk about the word 'talented' and how nosotros utilize it to praise an artist's piece of work.

I know when people tell me that I am talented and that they wish they had my talent, I know that information technology comes from a practiced place. I know that this is praise, and that I should capeesh it. The thing is, I exercise appreciate the good intent and I appreciate the back up – but I'chiliad likewise, at the same time, uncomfortable with being chosen 'talented'. And whilst at that place may exist some artists out at that place who don't listen being called talented, I also know that I'chiliad non the only artist who feels this way.

Talent implies an inherent power or a natural affinity for something. Information technology implies that a person is naturally better at something than others because their skill is significantly better than others. Information technology implies that this person is special because they got lucky and can do something better than everyone else. 'Talent' seems to imply that in that location exists two types of people: those who are 'talented' or are 'not talented' – which is so strange, because practise we still truly believe that human ability is and so unproblematic, so rigid, and so predetermined?

What are you telling artists when you tell them that their talent is the reason why their work is so awesome?

In that location are certainly people who are 'talented' – there are people who have a natural skill that exceeds ordinary expectation or ability; there are people who will pick up a pencil for the very start time and will only produce the almost incredible art. But these people are then incredibly rare.

Here is a pill that people find difficulty swallowing: a lot of artists out at that place are not 'talented' nor were they born with this innate ability to draw well. Rather, the artists that yous telephone call 'talented' are hard-working and persistent individuals who have poured hours upon hours to better their craft – and have succeeded in improving.

Maybe you lot didn't mean it that way when you called an creative person 'talented'; y'all didn't hateful that they didn't piece of work hard. And honestly? Most artists get that. We become that you lot're only trying to compliment united states and that you're just trying to exist squeamish. We get it.Merely, I implore you to reverberate on what you lot might also be maxim, intentionally or not, when you call someone 'talented'. I implore you lot to endeavor and empathise why 'talented' tastes bitter from the artist's betoken of view. I implore y'all to critically examine why yous perceive fine art as something that is about talent, something innate and inherent and something that you are born with. I implore you to meet art as something that is a skill, something that can be nurtured, something that can exist improved over time.

Art is a Skill, Like Annihilation Else

And then one twenty-four hour period, yous decided that yous wanted to create amazing art likewise. You picked up a pencil, drew a few things, and perhaps later a few hours of trying, you decided that you lot were not cutting out to be an artist because you did not like what yous drew. Y'all decided that you had 'no talent'.

But what if you had kept trying?

Like playing a musical musical instrument dancing, writing, and the ability to slice vegetables super fast like all the chefs on Masterchef do, fine art is a skill. Cartoon and fine art is something that, given a lot of difficult piece of work and time, you can improve over time. Producing proficient art requires learning and having a skilful grasp of bones fine art skills before you cartoon something bedazzling; basic skills entail learning how to draw good lines, learning how to shade, describe adept line-art, understanding perspective, human beefcake, how lighting works – so, so, then many things. Likewise, you wouldn't wait someone who has never driven a car earlier to hop into a car and pass a driver's test on the first get – to become a competent driver, driving (for those able to do so) requires practice.

Art, like whatsoever skill, requires practise; hours and hours, and days, and weeks, and months, and years of practice. Practicing is non fun either – it is riddled with failure and cocky-doubt and challenges that exam your ability and brand you question yourself on whether you tin can ever improve. Sometimes practice makes you feel like shit. Information technology can feel scary considering the prospect of failing can be paralysing.

There may exist factors that limit your ability to improve – whether it be a disability or access to resources to produce art, and whatsoever of these reasons are valid. Nonetheless, anybody's journey and experience with art will be different. What tends to be the same, however, is thatimproving art tin exist painfully and unbearably boring, and it is incredibly difficult to 'see' growth as it happens. Growth is different for everyone and means different things to everyone. Merely exercise is admittedly and positively correlated with improvement over time.

I idea about the number of hours per week that I spend cartoon. As a hobby artist (which means that I don't practise artist work full-time), I probably spent near xx – 25 hours on cartoon this week. (And, of form, the hours I devote to drawing vary week by week as my responsibilities and commitments to other things in my life alter.) And even though I devote such a significant amount of time to practicing (nearly of which I don't bear witness people – and peradventure I demand to change that and be more transparent with my do pieces?), my progress and improvement is still extremely dull. But when I look back at the pieces that I did simply one year ago? I take improved, without a uncertainty.

Talent isn't the thing that has made me a better artist. Persistence, practice, and hard-work have fabricated me a improve artist.

Here's a challenge for anyone hither who doesn't agree that art is non about 'talent': To those who think they don't have 'talent' – if you really want to get adept at art, devote 10 hours a week to improving your artistic skill. You may start only being able to draw a stick figure, you lot may start with an already decent grasp of how to describe. Either is valid, and it doesn't matter where you start. Merely if you lot don't see whatsoevercomeback later a year of genuine effort, I'll concede that there is no hope for you lot and that you are hopelessly un-talented. (Spoiler: you will improve, you will be fine.)

You see a finished piece; artists see the procedure

I get it. When you look at a piece of completed art, you think, "well holy shit, this piece is so skilful and this creative person is so good, I cannot imagine ever cartoon this, they must be then talented to take achieved this", so your answer to their incredible power to produce something so beautiful must exist 'talent'.

Only the thing is, what you come across is a completed piece. What y'all don't meet is that a lot of artists have devoted a lot of time to and take worked difficult to get to where they are today (and with still so much room for growth!); what you don't see are the many discarded drafts that will never see the light of day; what you don't see are the many failed attempts and the projects on concord because an artist'southward ability doesn't quite lucifer their vision withal; what you lot don't see are the hours spent trying to finish information technology, so that nosotros're happy with it. What I am saying is: the art process is messy as heck, riddled with mistakes and continuous effort to produce something that is perfect and presentable. What we present and share with others is a curated procedure.

Are you starting to understand how dismissive and reductive the compliment 'talented' tin can experience to an artist who has poured their energy and soul into improving their craft and accept pushed past all the challenges and struggles to get meliorate?

Art is messy. Art can exist such a struggle and it tin rip your emotions to shreds. Fine art, for me, is a lot of self-uncertainty but forcing myself to keep trying because if I don't try, I won't improve. Art is consistently trying to unlearn the talent myth and being terrified that my latest slice will be my summit, and that I volition never meliorate. (I might write a postal service on this i twenty-four hour period… perhaps.)

Just look. Below are the first drawings I did later my seven-year hiatus from art, on May 2017. The mermaid on the right was something I drew to the best of my power.

1

2

And below is ane of my most contempo fanart pieces that I did for Descendant of the Crane, on April 2019 – two years subsequently. My 'best' now looks dissimilar.

Hesina in gold and red hanfu, surrounded by cranes taking flight.

(Exercise you need more convincing? I highly recommend going through these incredible before and after pictures that evidence how artists accept improved over the years.)

Drawing makes me and so happy and it'due south something I am so passionate about. And because I love art and I want to grow as an artist, I have invested a lot of time into it, I have worked so extraordinarily hard to abound and get better, and I have grown – a lot. It wasn't talent that got me from May 2017 to April 2019. It was difficult work, time, effort, perseverance, my love for art – things that are then much more complex than 'talent'.

And I'm however growing, and my all-time is going to look fifty-fifty ameliorate in 2021.

Some Compliments That You Tin can Use Instead!

Then cheers for your good wishes, thank you for your compliments, and thank yous for your support. Only please, don't call me 'talented'.

Simply that doesn't mean that artists don't relish compliments. In fact, we do! Artists dearest compliments! And if we're sharing our art for you to enjoy for free*, it'southward likely that we would love to hear your compliments and would appreciate it immensely.

(*And no, reposting art is nota compliment! Artists hate it when yous repost our stuff!  And for those of you are non clear on the subject, here is a great post that covers what 'reposting' is, and here is a FAQ on why reposting is bad and really harmful for artists.)

The next time you're scrolling through social media and you come beyond a slap-up piece of art, you can show your appreciation by using one of the following compliments instead of 'yous're talented!':

  • Yous are such a great artist! [works every fourth dimension!]
  • I really love your art! [this makes artists happy!]
  • Your art is so absurd! [a great compliment!]
  • Great task! [short, simple, and kind!]
  • You have put a lot of work into this slice and it has paid off! [validates our difficult work!]
  • Congratulations! This is an accomplishment! [cue warm fuzzies!!]
  • You are awesome! [this is so nice!!]
  • This art could footstep on me and I'd thank them for it. [fun, chaotic, we'll love it!]

Friends, the last affair I want you to practice is to retrieve back to all the possible times you might have told an artist that they were talented and whether it upset them. Information technology'S FINE. The last thing an artist needs to hear is that you are sad for calling them talented. Information technology's awkward. The artist probably doesn't think anyway.

And if you want to continue using 'talented'? That's your choice and I'm non hither to stop you! But I hope this slice has given yous my perspective, which is ane of many, on why 'talented' can feel a little uncomfortable.

Just — before you call the side by side artist or their side by side piece a work of 'talent', take a moment to think about what yous might exist saying when you call an artist 'talented'. And then, tell them that their art looks neat. It'southward simpler and we'll love it all the aforementioned.