Enthralled Magazine Vol 1 Issue 2 - Reflect

Nature vs. Nurture: Ten Signposts to
Guide the Artistic Life
by Audrey Kalman
I recently watched the
documentary “Hearing
is Believing” about
musical prodigy Rachel
Flowers. Her story is amazing.
Accomplishments that would take
ordinary mortals years - like
mastering jazz flute or rock guitar -
took her months. Her ability to play
at the top level in multiple musical
genres, on multiple instruments, is
astounding.
But as I watched, I began wondering
what feelings her story might evoke
in a mere mortal musician. Maybe the
urge to throw her instrument across
the room and give up.
Rachel Flowers highlights an ongoing
debate evident in many professions
but particularly pernicious in the arts:
is success born of native talent or
hard work?
We call a musician “brilliant” or say a
writer has a “way with words” or
praise a painter’s “artistic gift.” At the
same time, we urge aspiring artists to
practice, telling them that getting
good at something is 99 percent
effort and hard work.
Well, which is it? Both.
Most people don’t have what Rachel
Flowers has. I certainly don’t. If you’re
one of the lucky few, you can stop
reading right now. But there’s hope
for those of us who come to our art
with only a love of craft, a small
measure of aptitude, and a whole lot
of dedication.
I’ve been writing for nearly 50 years
(yes, I started as soon as I could hold
a pencil). I’ve gone through many
overlapping phases in my journey to
becoming a writer, which may be
instructive for anyone who doesn’t
possess a freakish gift and wants to
know what that road of hard work
might look like.