Putting skill to use

Some art students develop skills quickly. They become proficient in their craft. Expert in a variety of media.

The young artist who can create a photo-realistic drawing… The young pianist who can perform a flawless Haydn sonata…

But there is another kind of young artist, too. The artist who has a certain perspective. A vision. A voice. A message that she needs to communicate.

She might not begin with expert skills — those will come with time — but she begins with a need to express something. She has depth. She has grit. Most importantly, she has purpose. Content will pour out from her.

For the other young artist — the one for whom skill comes naturally — her challenge is slightly different. Her challenge is to say something of relevance. To use the skills she’s cultivated to express something that matters. And that can be a paralyzing struggle. “Now that I have the tools of expression, what is it that I want to say?”

Well, as Jodi Picoult says, “You can’t edit a blank page.”

So, the fix? Begin. Put something out there. And then do it again. And again. You’ll eventually find your way.