A Little About Talent

One of my favorite cartoons used to be Kudzu, drawn by the wonderful and infuriating Doug Marlette. Marlette, who died in a car crash last year, had a gift for pissing nearly everyone off with his political cartoons, which means that he got it. I was perusing his website yesterday, doing some research for my AP class, and came across this breathtaking bit of wisdom regarding creativity:

Practice, practice, practice. It’s hard to get worse at something if you practice. But talent is not enough. Talent is not creativity, just as a seed is not a crop. you have to till the soil, plant the seed, work it, water it, harvest it. Creativity is hard work.

Yep. That stings. Okay, I admit it. Admit to the talent, and admit to neglecting it. Talent won’t bloom if it’s kept in the dark without air or water. And it’s a crime to neglect talent–why would anyone neglect one of God’s gifts?

Guess I’d better get to it, then.