The Artist Inside
Technique is how you remove the body's obstructions to the heart's expression.
The myth of "talent".
I have often had people, when I tell them I am an artist, look at me with a sort of awestruck reverence––that is completely misplaced.
Everyone is an artist inside. Some have just worked at it harder than others and it shows. There isn't a single thing that I do that cannot be learned, practiced and achieved to great success by anyone (barring physical limitations). So, if you have ever told yourself that you have no talent, or that you could never be as good as someone else you admire, let's just call a halt to that kind of thinking right now. I can guarantee that, if you still believe that others have some god-given gift that you don't have, you will never be an artist. But, it is the only thing that will stand in your way.
90% of the deterrent that is keeping you from being the artist you wish to be is your consideration that you cannot be. Toss that away and you only have a short distance to your target.
"So, Robin––if there is no such thing as "talent", why does everyone think there is?"
(Yes, I can hear the voices in your head, muhwahaha! … ;o))
There is an ilk of people out there who just don't want to see others grow any bigger than themselves. In fact, they would rather make others feel quite less by perpetuating an idea that fosters the notion that "they can" and "you can't" with statements like "ability is in the DNA!" "it's from the 'supreme being'!" or other limiting concepts. Even the term "gifted" itself connotes that an individual's works are "given" to them and not a result of their own effort––their own labor, sweat and tears!
Now, it is not that there aren't predispositions, but limiters do not have to be absolute. As well, others may believe these ideas about talent because, quite frankly, they can't do it––not right now at least––and so the idea sticks, because it is true right now. And, so, these other folks, who have been told they "can't do" (for seemingly immutable reasons) then spread the idea. It is like a contagion; like a disease. Ideas are the most dangerous things we create.
(*By the way … Critics––the bad ones––often fall into the category of not wanting to see others grow bigger than themselves.)
It is common to hear, in the news or elsewhere, someone going on about an individual who was an "overnight success". But, you all know that isn't true, right? Much of what is taken as talent is really just a conglomeration of education and persistence––and lots and lots of hard work!
The "overnight success" is someone who has been doing the technique of their art over and over again until it becomes second nature to them. Those individuals were only "discovered" after they attained the level of ability, to such a well-practiced degree, that they were finally able to express the ideas they had well enough for people to actually "hear" them. It is a bit like going to a foreign country––once you learn the language, people pay the proper attention to you because you can communicate to them. The tools of art are only components of a language. And art itself is nothing but a communication.
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Love posting to themes? You might enjoy these great themes with excellent curators! Themes and hashtags are not necessarily about getting more attention, but are a valuable indexing method, which help others find relevant posts via clickable links as well as a great way to meet like-minded people. I tend to only promote those themes with active, caring curators.
#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to Gemma Costa and Breakfast Club
10000 PHOTOGRAPHERS / #10000photographersaroundtheworld with thanks to Robert SKREINER
#pixelworld with thanks to Alberto Carreras and PixelWorld
#promotephotography with thanks to Nikola Nikolski Naghmeh Khadembashi Gittan Beheydt Milena Ilieva and Promote Photography
#Macro4All with thanks to Walter Soestbergen Bill Urwin, Chris Levers and Macro4All
#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #macrophotography #hqspmacro #MacroManiacs #MacroPhotography #Makro #flowerphotography #floralphotography #hqspflowers
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Please feel free to ask me,
if you would like any of my images
available for print at robingriggswood.com
If you would like to view my albums here at G+ go to
––> https://plus.google.com/photos/+RobinGriggsWood/albums
Beautiful words and photo
ReplyDeleteI love this little reminder Robin Griggs Wood ! :)
ReplyDeleteStunning! ;-)
ReplyDeleteStunning
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image, and thanks for taking the time to write inspiring words!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Robin Griggs Wood , and beautiful shot as usual
ReplyDeleteyour treatment, Robin Griggs Wood , shifts this image of the florets bursting from their paintbrush-shaped sheath toward the romantic. Even in its sharpness, you have it softly beautiful, web and all.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image, Robin...
ReplyDeletenuostabu....
ReplyDeleteFantastic work!
ReplyDeleteLovely image!
ReplyDeleteLisa Hall -- thank you
ReplyDeleteSteve Savoie -- heheh ... ;o) ... I'm glad, my friend!
ReplyDeleteStefanie Schächtel and trovato stefania -- thank you!
ReplyDeleteMari Luukkonen -- you’re welcome and thank you!
ReplyDeleteKim Smith -- you’re welcome and thank you as well ... :o)
ReplyDeleteRichard Kralicek -- you see, that right there is the falsehood that I'm trying to get people to think beyond. "it depends on genetics", "those blessed ones" –– it seems you've bought into the myth. Think thoroughly on what part of any lack of success you may have had in your life that you excused away with "I have no talent, and that's the only reason I can't do it." Because that is the primary reason people allow themselves to stick in the idea of "talent"; they need an excuse that prevents them from bearing the responsibility for their own success and to ameliorate the pain of pressure and hard work that becoming a success engenders when one takes the full responsibility for it.
ReplyDeleteI did mention in the article above "Now, it is not that there aren't predispositions" because, certainly, there are. Tall people can reach a basketball hoop more easily; people with long fingers have a better chance at spreading their hands to the width of a full chord on the piano keys; children who have certain areas of their brain more developed will also more rapidly see the connections involved between hand, eye, and visual imagination in drawing. What I am trying to dispel is that notion that, lacking predisposition, one can't do what they want.
Shelly Gunderson -- thank you, dear!
ReplyDeleteGemma Costa -- thank you so much, dear!
ReplyDeleteWayne Upchurch -- thank you, kindly ... :o)
ReplyDeleteShawn McClure -- thank you, my friend ... :o)
ReplyDeleteJadvyga Kundeliene -- thank you
ReplyDeleteGiselle Savoie -- thank you, dear!
ReplyDeleteBrad Buckmaster -- thank you, my friend! ... have a great start in your week!
ReplyDeletetai pamatyti reiškia talentą ačių ROBIN GRIGGS WOOD.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice words and the lovely image
ReplyDeleteBeautiful
ReplyDeleteFantastic!!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Love love love!
ReplyDeletebelieve in ones self :) lovely capture full of anticipation Robin Griggs Wood
ReplyDeleteUsha Singh -- you’re welcome and thank you
ReplyDeletequyamuddin ahmad -- thank you
ReplyDeleteChrister Westerlund -- thank you, my friend!!
ReplyDeleteAlan Shapiro -- thank you so much, dear!
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of post that makes G+ a very interesting place. Thank you so much for your words and your work. Robin Griggs Wood
ReplyDeleteRichard Kralicek -- firstly, thank you so much for challenging my viewpoint ... that's awesome, my friend.
ReplyDeleteYes, lack of predisposition does frustrate people. That is why it is often a great relief to people to think in terms of "talent" and that the responsibility for their own success in the areas they most desire to achieve in is "beyond their control" and outside of their ability. It's a relief from the pressure and is why the concepts about talent, ubiquitous in many societies, are so insidious, pervasive and persistent. It makes people feel better to think it's not their "fault". Then they go off on another tangent and another, "knock on another door or try the window" again and again instead of persisting in what they truly want to have. That's the only notion I am trying to disabuse people of––if they want it, they can have; it takes persistence. Sure, one can do other things, but only if they want those other things, but not because they "can't" do what they truly want. Do you see the subtle difference there between what you are describing and what I an describing?
Yes, for sure, everybody can create ... does this mean anything?
It absolutely does. But I mean it for people who don't know it already. It is an insignificant point for those who know it already. For those who don't, it's an "Aha!" moment ... :o)
People shouldn't care too much about this "Is it art what I'm doing?" as long as they love what they're doing." I totally agree with you on that point. Those people who have already arrived at that understanding, don't really need what I've written here ... :o)
Rosie Nixon -- thank you, dear ... :o). Happy Monday to you ... :o)
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done. I really like the purple toned background, the web and the general shapes in the composition.
ReplyDeletePierre Beaubié -- thank you for the kind words ... :o)
ReplyDeleteMatt Wachowski -- thank you very much, my friend ... :o)
ReplyDeleteDelightful!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great word of encouragement, Robin Griggs Wood. And I agree with nearly all of it. I do believe that much of what we laud as "talent" is the culmination of education, persistence, experimentation, dedication, etc, etc. In other words...hard work. You, of all people, know you can teach the uninitiated (who are willing to do the work) to become top-notch photographers...or artists of any other media. The technical skill can be learned and perfected. However, I do believe there is something about the way the mind of a true "artist" functions that goes beyond the mechanics, beyond the accepted rules of the art form. Anyone can learn to think artistically and create art. And really good art, too. Yet, I contend, it is the rare individual that can create artistic magic. I think it's the difference between creation and innovation. ...the difference between mimicry and magic. (By the way, I would categorize myself as a creator, working my way up to innovator...on the chance that it is possible to get there through hard work.)
ReplyDeleteawesome
ReplyDeleteThank you Robin Griggs Wood ! A needed reminder. Time to get back to work and start some reprogramming.
ReplyDeleteGotta get this lovely bud into full bloom :-)
Outstanding capture Robin Griggs Wood
ReplyDeleteRichard Kralicek -- I've really enjoyed having a true "conversation" here with you. And I love that you brought up "craftsmanship" because, as you may have guessed, what I wrote in the post is part of my "Art Basics for Photographers" mentorship that I give here. You might enjoy another idea I pass long in it:
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The definition of an artist
Have you ever looked at an image that you found to be technically perfect and beautiful, but also found yourself a bit bored by it? That is because the work was done by a craftsman –– full of quality and amazing to see, if you've never seen anything like it before, but it loses the quality of art when the same technique is seen over and over again. It can be admired and appreciated for its quality, indeed, but it will not have the same effect or impact on you that true art can.
What is the difference between a craftsman and an artist? The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a very distinct difference.
–– A craftsman knows the tools and technical workings of his craft to such a degree that he is able to replicate works of aesthetic appeal to precision and show us works that are as beautiful as expected each and every time.
–– An artist should have a skill level on par with a craftsman, but an artist -- a true artist -- will use these skills to show us what we have never seen before.
The best artists will show us what we never could have imagined.
This is the stuff that makes your jaw drop, makes you stop in your tracks and makes you say, "Wow!"
I am still aspiring every day to be this … ;o) ... and I hope to keep learning and growing to the end of my days.
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All of that to say, that I completely understand what you mean when folks try to pass off "craft" as "art". It doesn't devalue craft (which can be wonderful at times), but it isn't art until it's an innovation and a unique communication. Even my image here isn't "art"; I know very well. And I mean it fully when I said that, every day, I still aspire to become an artist and create something beyond the tools of my craft.
And, you're right again, no, it doesn't matter so long as we love to produce. I really write these things for those folks who aren't able to get themselves up to that point. You seem to have a handle on it already ... :o)
Joy mum -- thank you, dear ... :o)) .. xo
ReplyDeleteSumit Sen -- thank you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteInspiring words. And a concept that you have succeeded in drumming into my thick skull...
ReplyDeleteand this beauty of an image with a crowd of little faces peeking from behind that curtain from the wings, waiting for their turn on stage! Wonderful.
Robin Griggs Wood
Bill Pevlor -- wonderful comment, and really spot on. Learning technique is a method for overcoming inabilities that can prevent one from conveying one's message clearly, but the message, to be true art, must come from the individual (copy & paste isn't art ... ;oD) You might like the "definition of an artist" that I pass along to my mentees, and put up two comments above in my last reply to Richard. Not because you need it, but because it agrees with your comment here, I feel.
ReplyDeleteDeborah Aldridge -- ultimately, real "art" is something that is finally born at the receiving end anyway ... that's how "trash" gets sold for megabucks ... ;oD. Your friend, the iron worker, is a much-to-be-admired "craftsman". He wouldn't actually be an "artist" until innovation comes out of his work.
ReplyDeleteJohannes Dünzl -- thank you ... :o)
ReplyDelete♥ you Robin Griggs Wood x
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI like, and fully agree with, your "definition of an artist." Well said.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image.
ReplyDeleteEllie Kennard -- heehee ... and thank you, dear! ... xo
ReplyDeleteEmma Mitchell -- ♥ you back, dear! ... :o)
ReplyDeleteJason Jakober -- thank you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteDeborah Aldridge -- I totally see where you are coming from on that. It's hard for me to convey my full concept in a comment, and I didn't say it well. What I try to convey to my students, to get them to a point where they can differentiate between craft and art, is a bit of what I wrote in my last comment to Richard above, "The definition of an artist". It's to give them a clearer idea of the concept, so that they don't fall back on the nebulous idea that "art" is based merely on aesthetic appeal––which is, of course, quite subjective. This is to get them to push a bit harder than the replication that a quality craftsman pursues.
ReplyDeleteValerie Liney -- thank you ... :o)
ReplyDeleteLovely image
ReplyDeleteTalent is available for everyone, except if you were born with, e.g., obvious handicaps that can't be overcome.
ReplyDeleteThis huge amount of talent might have been vanished based on the environment one had, e.g., as child.
YES, it is hard work to get access again if it was lost.
There are two things to avoid, excusing yourself that you have no talent and not working on it to get it back, or not acknowledging people's hard work to have it, by saying -- "it's just talent". If you can't enjoy it from others -- you might not establish the motivation to work on it in the first place.
BTW, I love the image, well done! ;o)
ReplyDeleteThank you Robin Griggs Wood thank you for the encouragement! When people are negative or don't believe in us is so discouraging. I showed a photo i shot to a friend of mine and he had this expression of disbelief, like the photo was too good for being my work. It felt insulting!
ReplyDeleteSuzie Javed -- thank you ... :o)
ReplyDeleteSassi Sassmannshausen -- great comment ... and thank you for the kind words ... :o))*
ReplyDeleteAnd if course, this is very beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteErin A.D. Maybe they lie to themselves? Because I think there is a difference between having the aptitude to better, to learn and then practice and hard work would improve it; but one knows if one is bad! So they lie to themselves, they a stubborn and make fool themselves (by going to American idol)
ReplyDeleteIf I had more time in my hands, I would be able to master photo editing programs, which I have but limited time to practice and work with them. But little by little I've been learning how to do a few things. More time and more practice for me is needed
Erin A.D. -- I did put "barring physical limitations" in my post. The inability to gain the muscle control required to sing well would be a physical limitation. Stopping because someone told you you have no "talent", that's the worst kind of illogic, because skill is a transformable commodity. As well, Simon Cowell is not the best example of people to take advice from. He only judges by what he sees at the moment––it's his job. Many people do the same and see it then as immutable.
ReplyDeleteI'm never easy on my students; I do push them, because attaining ability, no matter what it is, is hard work, period. Being delusional about one's present ability isn't the same thing as persisting towards a target no matter the effort or obstacle. The greatest liability is allowing humiliation, or the fear of its potential––as well as myriad other emotion-based reactions we permit ourselves to indulge in––be a reason to give up.
Whatever minor success I've achieved came about because I don't really consider myself so important that I can't risk the chopping block. My "feelings" or what people think about me I hold secondary to achieving my goals as an artist.
Thanks for the devil's advocate stance –- you got me to test my own certainty ... :o))
Aura Osorio -- heehee, I would have taken that as a compliment ... it's kind of fun to shock your friends and give them a new reality about you. You know, if people were telling you nice things in the past just to be kind to you, you should feel very proud that you created that effect on him from your work now ... ;o). Be willing to be humble and look with honesty about who you were, who you are now, and who you are becoming. We all grow and learn and become something better every day. Those who aren't, are dying a slow death.
ReplyDeleteOh wow... this is absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteExcellent point of view and a great article. I totally agree. And that's a gorgeous photo.
ReplyDeleteLily of the Nile, Great flower and makes a good cut!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes I remember this from the mentorship! And I read through the very interesting discussion between you and Richard. It made me think about how it is with or without having talent if you want to learn an instrument (in my case the violin) I've seen through so many years of teaching how different children are able to learn this instrument and I can say that some are more talented then others. And those less talented have to work harder to get similar results as the others. And the talented ones would rise up high so fast if they would practice at least half the time more. But also unmusical persons can learn to hear better or feel the rhythm better through persistence training. And I love the smile on they're face when I tell them that they are musicians because they play an instrument. I don't know if my writing makes sense.....?
ReplyDeleteAnd I love love love this image! It is a piece of art!
Robin Griggs Wood thank you :)))
ReplyDeleteRobin Griggs Wood you are the most awesome and inspiring person I have ever met. Thank you so much for your endless generosity in sharing your positive energy.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image and words my friend :)
Robin Griggs Wood love this conversation with Richard whom I admire his work as well....talk about putting it out there everybody...so stimulating and surprisingly inspiritual ! If every post was like this...we would all be inspired to come out the dark..and let it go....this was delicious and well spoken...now I have many professor's of creativity to watch and learn.....this was exciting! Just loved it!
ReplyDeleteAlso....loved the webbing on this beauty!
Exquisite
ReplyDeleteLINKIU SĖKMES IR TOLIAU MUS DŽIUGINTI.
ReplyDeleteLike it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! HQSP thinks your work is great and you have been included in the Mai HQSP Winners group for this shot!
ReplyDeleteWell done, please check out the other winning shots on +HQSP Winners and look out for our Winners circle released at the end of each month :)
Regards Michael Sonntag
Thinking artists。
ReplyDeleteIt makes perfect sense, Ursula Klepper, and an excellent illustration of the concepts. Thank you, dear ... :o)
ReplyDeleteTom McGowan -- thank you very much, my friend ... :o))
ReplyDeletemary g Cadigan -- great comment. I don't know if the word you wrote "inspiritual" is a typo for "inspirational" or a word you created, but, either way, I love it ... :o)
HQSP Winners --- thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteWonderful shot! ♡ ♡ ♡
ReplyDeleteRobin Griggs Wood inspiritional ! Of course....;-)
ReplyDeletebeautiful
ReplyDeleteNUOSTABU
ReplyDeleteAstouning!!!!!
ReplyDeleteQuanta bellezza..
ReplyDeleteThis speaks to me today. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHad an hour of yoga practice just amazing to see this post. ahhhh so relaxed now.
ReplyDeleteEs bellísima!!!!!
ReplyDeleteسبحان اللة
ReplyDeleteAm inspired, teach me how to use art to creative talent.
ReplyDeleteDeeply Touched. Thank You
ReplyDeleteExcellent
ReplyDeleteYou are my role model in photography
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