Talent: Gift or Learnable Skill? A Remark.

Creativity is rewarding in many ways. Whatever ignites our love and devotion, at some point, we bring it out into the world. At that point, we must deal with others' comments. Some are nice, while others are not.

But inevitably, someone will come along and say, "I couldn't do that. I don't have the talent."
Does talent even exist? Does it mean being born with a gift? Or is it a skill that can be learned?
This is an age-old question that remains unanswered to this day.

No one is born a master. Not even those who make everything look easy.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10,000-hour rule. The rule states that it takes about 10,000 hours of deliberate, systematic practice with goals and feedback to reach a world-class level in any field, whether it be music, sports, chess, or art.

The 10,000-hour rule originated with Swedish psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, who discovered it during his studies at the Berlin University of the Arts. He found that

• World-class violinists had practiced 10,000 hours before turning twenty.
• Those who were very good but not excellent had practiced around 8,000 hours.
• Those who were more average had practiced around 4,000 hours.

Thus, there is evidence suggesting that talent and hard work are related—or more bluntly, that talent can be developed.
In other words, talent is not a gift.

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What I Call Talent

To me, talent is defined by one thing above all else: a love for what you do. Maybe this love is innate, or maybe the love for what you do comes first and that is where the talent lies.
It could be a love for painting, writing, music, thinking, or playing—it doesn't matter. This love makes the difference between finding something easy or difficult, being willing to invest time, energy, and money, and giving up other things we could do instead. It is also what allows us to endure not being good, making mistakes, and making them again until we improve.

Some discover their love of art, music, or writing because they have the opportunity to explore it. Because someone encourages them, notices them, and believes in them. Because something inside them is bubbling up and wants to come out. That's one side of it—love that grows out of abundance.
But a deep connection can also arise from lack. When all else is missing. When there's an inner urge to express oneself, to be understood, and to make sense of things.

My love of art arose from a sense of lack. Art was my salvation. It is my healing. It helps me connect with the world. Now, it gives rise to abundance, which in turn finds expression in art.
Both paths are valuable; they just offer different approaches.

How Talent Can Be Destroyed

Unfortunately, some talents remain undiscovered or are destroyed over time. In Germany, the values of discipline, performance, and reliability have historically dominated. Creativity is considered more of a side issue or a leisure activity. School subjects like art and music are fine for raising your grade point average. But only a dreamer would consider them a concrete career choice, right?

Our educational ideal dates back to Wilhelm von Humboldt, who emphasized personality development, autonomy, and a broad education—at least in theory. However, this was never fully implemented in practice. With industrialization came the growing demand for functional workers. Education became standardized, normalized, and exam-oriented to prepare students for the job market.

Art, music, and creativity had a marginal place in the curriculum—at best as a "supplement," but never as central educational content. Talent only counted if it was "usable," such as technical skill or discipline.
Even today, learning is still viewed as a duty rather than a means of personal growth. Despite educational reforms such as full-day schooling, inclusion, and digitization, the system remains performance-centered, grade-focused, and selective. Creative subjects are considered "soft," something to cut back on when there is a staff shortage. Teachers often lack the time, resources, or training to nurture individual talents, not to mention large class sizes and the challenges of a globalized and polarized world.

Children explore the world with curiosity. They don't ask if they are good or compare themselves to others. That changes when the "seriousness of life" begins—school.
It seems to me that talent is something given to all of us. The real challenge is preserving it into adulthood.

Protect and Nurture Talent

Talent needs space. It requires trust, patience, and encouragement. Don't think or ask, "What's in it for me?" Children naturally have this openness. They paint, sing, build, and invent.

For this to grow, early specialization, a support program, or training for perfection aren't always necessary. What it requires are adults who don't interfere.
Adults who accompany them without slowing them down. Adults who don't judge, but listen. Sometimes, they should just join in.

The same applies to us adults. Many of us were never allowed to discover our talents. It's perhaps no wonder that so many women become creative once their children have grown up and they have time for themselves again. It's never too late to invest 10,000 hours of work into what you love. It's never too late to stop the self-sabotaging thoughts, such as "I don't have the talent for that." What if that's not true? Maybe you've just never tried. Or not for long enough. Or maybe you haven't tried with love.

Between Beginning and Persevering

So, is it a gift or a skill? Both!
The craft and the tools of the trade can be learned if we desire to learn them. Maybe talent isn't what we start with; it's what we listen to when we're true to ourselves.

What do you love so much that you're willing to be bad at it until you can do it well?