Skill, Talent, and Genius

Talent and genius are words that are used without much thought as to what they mean, and often are used to describe what the speaker is lacking. When one says something is interesting, usually the meaning is "I don't quite understand it." or even more telling "I don't want to say anything bad about it." Interesting, the word, may be used on most any occasion to fill the void left by an awkward pause, unless you are looking at a new born baby. Saying "That is an interesting looking baby." will be greeted with a swift, certain, and unmistakable look from the baby's mother. You will begin to understand that silence is golden, and confirm the proverb "Fools are considered wise when they are silent."

Often times, artists are refered to as talented, and really good artists are refered to as geniuses. These words briefly make people feel good about themselves, and when heard by the artist, a bit of her ego is boosted, but these words do little to help an artist get better (most of the time it hurts the artist), and are considerably boring.

"So, mister smarty pants what should we say?" When talking to a young artist, and you see that she is showing aptitude for drawing, painting, or making music say "You must really concentrate well when you practice. You sure are developing you skill." Gear your words to the process of creating rather than the result. When students are told they are smart, they tend to avoid challenges that might prove otherwise, but when they are told that they studied well, they see the praise being focused on the process, and this in turn helps them meet new challenges.

Skill, not talent or genius, is the vehicle that drives the artist to making better art.