The Dichotomy Between Talent and Hard Work

Talent, being defined as a natural aptitude or skill, is mostly used to describe people who are considered to excel effortlessly at a given task. On the other hand, hard work is reserved for those who put in a great deal of effort into their passion. Both characteristics are not often used interchangeably.  

Skills like music and art are often associated with the notion that one is born a bona fide prodigy. In fact, these skills require a great amount of work and time to even acquire a decent understanding. In the case of drawing, for example, many people are hesitant to draw or to consider themselves awful at it simply because of this very stigma. In the same degree, people still view jobs within the arts as a waste of time, especially if one is not born with a natual aptitude for the skill. 

 According to AdmissionSight.com, many specialty schools’ acceptance rates hardly go above 80% while most public 4-year colleges have acceptance rates well above the latter. Despite art colleges being incredibly competitive and careers in art being moderately lucrative, many people brush off those who pursue careers within these fields due to an assumption that many would not have very stable job security.  

As for those who are continually praised for their talent with their respective art, it is more of a slap in the face rather than a compliment. According to ArtNews.com, “Artists ranked moderately higher on stress and anxiety measures.” This increased stress is, in part, due to the strain put on artists who are required to always be illustrating their emotions. Claiming that the hours spent deciding what to create in painstaking and obsessive detail over weeks and months was all due to an effortless ability given at birth seems counterintuitive. 

Society must be more conscientious of the difference between natural talent and acquired aptitude.