Yea...But What About Talent?

this 3 minute read is PACKED full of tweetable stuff.

I have bad news for you.

I don’t even know you, but I have bad news…

You are talented.

I know, I know… sucks, doesn’t it.

You may be an actor, a writer, an athlete, a scientist, a parent, a teacher… but, somewhere, in some field, you have talent.

Here’s why this is bad news:

Because talent is a weight, not a privilege. With talent, comes the responsibility to use it, to nurture it, and to share it with the world.

Frankly, that’s too much for some people.

In fact, natural talent can be an actor’s greatest liability. Too many actors let themselves off the hook, and rely on their talent alone to create their career. They treat talent like a a magic gift they can conjure when they need, and they get what they want. No work, no practice, just talent.

Originally, however, talent was never understood in this way.

In ancient times, talent was a measurement of weight. Depending on whether you’re referring to the Greeks, Romans, or Hebrews, a talent was anywhere between 57lbs to 130lbs. That’s a lot of weight to carry!

“Actors, your talent is a weight for you to bear, not a gift for you to keep.”

— CRASH ACTING

Here’s the bad news: you are talented, and that means you need to work hard to lift the weight of that talent.

Honor your talent with discipline, practice, and accountability.

Your artistic process must be strong enough to carry the weight of your talent into a world who needs you to share your gift.

You will need many things to develop the strength to carry your talent. You will need inspiration, instruction, and technique.

But, above all else, you will need ONE THING to lift the enormous weight of your talent.

Wonder what that is?

Watch this video.