"The artist is nothing without a gift, but the gift is nothing without work."
— Emile Zola
French Writer
1840 -1902
French Writer
1840 -1902
Many have wasted the gifts they have been given. Some will go a lifetime and never realize the gifts they have been given. A gift by and of itself is not enough. Even the gifted have to work to perfect their art. One cannot get by on just the gift. Hours of work and preparation are needed to create the masterpiece that will live for centuries in the hearts of others. Often those without a gift can produce great work if they work hard. When I was in college the question on the mind of every want-to-be artist and writer was: "Do I have talent? Am I gifted?" We sought the answer in the words of our professors. Unfortunately, they often could not predict who had the gift and who was willing to work hard enough to perfect their craft. Nobody else can answer the question for you. Only you can answer the questions: Do you have the talent? Are you willing to work hard to perfect that talent?
