This Journey for Talent

The narrative of the talented is one that seems almost universally agreed upon. It justifies all the unknowns we face when observing the work of the masters- in any craft really. It is a lame and obvious conclusion to draw I know, but there you are. I mean, no one will argue that there isn’t something somewhere amidst all the complexities that make up humans and human nature that allow specific individuals to undertake and accomplish unbelievable tasks. For me, however, talent seems to have been dished out sparingly. Like, somewhere in the original stew that was to become Sarah, even with all the careful weighing and measuring of ingredients somehow, the spices that express as talent in human form were forgotten.

So, as one blessed with the smallest pinch of talent I find breakthroughs to be few and incredibly rewarding. I have come to think of talent as an elusive and fickle colleague who seems to always be away on holiday.

As my class in character design reaches midterms, under the careful supervision of Chris Carmon, I have come to one such instance, a small but fundamental breakthrough none-the-less. I began to comprehend the importance of utilizing archetypes in design, especially those that encourage and enhance silhouette. This has greatly expanded my visual vernacular on the whole and allows for new and more creative ideas to seep out.

It may be sad that I have not understood this sooner, but without having any undergraduate courses in art I can safely say this concept did not come naturally to me and it's absence has caused me over two years self induced hair loss.

So many of the amazing people around me have so much talent that their expertise and innate sensibility is practically leaking out of their ears, but for me this knowledge has only come through a long and tenuous journey. Now, don’t get me wrong, I may have another 10,000 hours of treacherous mountain range ahead before I sense another breakthrough, but this small glimpse of sun has given me hope. Somewhere, between taking the leap, facing the boundless expanse of the white page, scribbling and a myriad of ctrl Z-ing, I have found a place where I can sense a character with a story all its own and the joy of finding them soothes the struggle for a moment. 

This is another character that I have explored on this expedition.