On Natural Ability in the Arts

When it comes to drawing, realism is a problem for me.
My mother and sister are brilliant representational artists. My sister can take a photo and duplicate it by hand beautifully. For a while, she did it professionally. She was that good.

But I’m an artistic dyslexic. I’ll draw my coffee mug at a different angle than what’s in front of me. Or something will be on the left when it ought to be on the right.

I can’t help it. I’d much rather draw what’s in my head instead of what’s in front of me. They say that representational drawing is a basic art skill. I suppose it is. Maybe my artistic dyslexia is a form of rebellion.


How many kids are brainwashed into thinking that they don’t belong in the arts because they don’t have “natural talent” in it?

Kids who doodled during school got the art teacher’s attention. They were labeled artistic. The rest of us were tolerated during art class. Teachers are deferential to those who have natural ability.

There’s a fallacy about art: You’re either a natural or an accountant. Because I couldn’t draw representationally, I never had the courage to pursue the visual arts in a serious manner… Despite how much I loved creating pottery and paintings.

As an eleven year old, I used to compose music on my trombone. I’d spend hours practicing my instrument because I loved music. But one of my music teachers discouraged me from learning guitar, trumpet or drums so I never got beyond trombone.

Don’t even get me started about singing…

It takes courage to go into the arts, especially if there’s no validation for it. Sometimes I think the only reason I became a writer is because I was encouraged by a special person in my life. It wasn’t solely because I loved writing. I loved music and painting as well.

There’s no point regretting the past, but it is time to embrace opportunities. Art can be practiced until it becomes natural. It just makes me sad to think how many other kids had similar experiences.

Comments

[James]

I had an art teacher in grade school who said she didn't believe in talent. She thought everyone starts off at square one and improves with each (say) drawing. When you stop, you stay at that level. In other words, if you stop drawing when you're seven and try to draw something in your 20s, you're going to draw like a seven-year-old. It took me years to realize that what she had said had merit to it.

(Then again, she did always give me detention, so I often refused to listen to her. But that's neither here nor there.)

[Laura]

I think you're right about that. Each time I go back to my painting and drawing, I'm a little better at it. Though I've taken no classes.

There is a natural progression. I'm sad about the time wasted.

[Cormac]

I own a banjo. I have several reasons for owning a banjo. Ostensibly, I bought the banjo to accompany myself during my stand-up acts, but really, I just like banjos--don't tell anyone. Anyway, I own a banjo, so I thought I should learn to play. I bought a 4-pack of lessons from a local teacher and started in with fire in my heart and a twang in my step.

TEACHER: Play this.
(plays this)
ME: OK
(plays that)
TEACHER: No. Play this.
(plays this)
ME: OK
(plays that)

CUT TO TEACHER giving ME back my money for all 4 lessons.

TEACHER: I just can't take your money. You just don't have an ear.

Ow. Even in my mid-30s, that smarts. I can only imagine how hard something like that would be on an adolescent.

On the flip side, I bought my mother an art class last Mother's Day. She hadn't sketched since motherhood dashed her hopes of moving to the Village and becoming a beatnik back in the day, but now, thanks to a little encouragement from all 3 kids and a bit of perspective brought on by age, she's realizing it's not too late, and she's actually really damn good.