Inspiration Fridays! Are you just born with it?
Are you just born with it?
Self doubt is the killer of creativity.
“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.” – Albert Einstein
How many times have you heard or maybe even spoken the words “I wish I had just a little bit of your talent.”? At the heart of this statement is the belief that the perceived “talent“ is out of reach for the speaker. The words come from a misplaced and limiting belief, the assumption that talent is selective.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I recognize that we are all born with different attributes and gifts, and that’s a great place to start. It can also feel like a good reason to stop if we are willing to believe in our own limitations, but talent goes much deeper than that. Talent is born from hunger and curiosity. And that curiosity is available to all of us. Greatness comes as much from lack and dysfunction as it does from privilege and ease.
Our job is to move the conversation forward, not to finish it.
“What if they’re wrong?”
“How can I take this further?“
“What am I missing?”
“Who do I need to learn from?”
“Why have I stopped?“
“When if not now?“
Every real problem worth solving is paired neatly with what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle. But this is the beauty of our humanity, each of us share in the solution. And that solution is to keep leaning in. Learning, hoping, risking, trying, and trying again. Discovery lives right on the other side of the wall. We just have to find our way through.
A microcosm of this tug-of-war with doubt is on display almost every time I’m face to face with a new painting. There is a spark of mystery, and I jump in excited to find out what it’s about.
And then, sometimes sooner than later, there is the difficulty. The composition that I just can’t seem to solve, the expression that doesn’t feel quite right, the colors that can’t live together on the canvas. And this is where I have to remind myself to stretch and to show up. The solutions are somewhere.
Sometimes, the answers don’t come easily and the sprawling ugliness looking back at me from the easel begins to whisper insults, casting dispersions on my character and ability. And in those moments, who am I to argue? The painting isn’t telling me otherwise. Maybe I’ve lost my touch.
What I have had the privilege to learn is that there is more. It’s coming and it will be beautiful when it arrives. The simple act of continuing forward and staying present is the solution to the mystery.
What we should try to avoid, is saddling ourselves with the heavy and misguided belief that we have failed, that the answers aren’t there for us, or that our time for excellence has passed. We’re just not there yet, but we won’t get there if we allow ourselves to believe that talent simply isn’t for us.
Line your paintings up on the floor or hang them on a wall. Grab a sketchbook or a notepad. Write down three things that you like about each one. Be specific. The paintings don’t have to be any good. You can find something in them that is working. Start there. Start with a group of “there’s“. This is a jumping-off point and a great way to keep moving. The answers won’t show up if we refuse to ask the questions.