Become an artist or should one be born one?

One of the philosophical and practical issues in the art world concerns the artist's talent - can a person become an artist or is he simply born an artist - that is whether it is an innate talent or something that anyone can develop and learn. Cherkov Answers one of the most common questions among new students - people who are just starting to paint or sculpt and are making their way into the art world for the first time:

Is it possible to become an artist or should one be born one?

In my reflections on the subject and based on my personal experience, I came to the conclusion that the ability to create art is an innate ability. But absolutely not unique, but a typical ability for most people, similar to the ability to read, write, or walk. And it, like other innate abilities, requires training and guidance. In other words, learning sculpture, painting and drawing are as natural to a person as learning to speak. They also require time, tips, trial and error, and... desire.

Alexander Cherkov, from the book Introduction to the World of Art "Sculpture, painting, drawing and more"

That is - just as any born person is able to acquire the human abilities to walk, talk, read, etc., so he can acquire the ability to draw, sculpt, etc. For some people such abilities come easily and naturally and for some it takes more time and accompaniment. Some people become well-known orators, writers or painters all over the world, but the majority simply use these abilities for everyday life. To claim that "I'm not good at drawing" or "I have two left hands and I can not sculpt" is like stating for a toddler who starts mumbling words and developing the ability to speak that he is not gifted at speaking.

Part of the training process of course includes mistakes and failures. Children confuse letters or invent words when learning to speak. Babies fall dozens of times until they manage to maintain balance and walk in a stable and safe manner. First graders write letters hundreds of times and can still make mistakes in writing C instead of G. Acquiring abilities is a process that takes time, a failed one-time experience does not indicate talent or ability. Cherkov adds and shares his personal experience with the world of sculpture:

One of my strongest impressions of art as a child was a casual acquaintance with sculpture. When I was 6 years old, in a shop window of an art studio for children, I saw an exhibition of plasticine animal figures. For long minutes I stared and could not disconnect myself from the window, watching the dogs, cats, bears, frogs and turtles. My attention was especially drawn to a horse figure, which stood very close to the glass. I thought this horse was alive? I still have a hard time describing the excited sense of excitement that surrounded me. I had an instinctive urge to make the same horse for myself. After convincing my mother to buy plasticine, I immediately started working. And… Woe to me! What a horror, I did not get anything!

The degree of disappointment at the level of my abilities was immense. I immediately came to the "clear" conclusion - I did not have a talent for sculpture, compared to those children, whose works I saw in the exhibition window. And of course, I was filled with annoyance at the decline in my self-esteem. Unfortunately…

Alexander Cherkov, from the book Introduction to the World of Art "Sculpture, painting, drawing and more"

Many years passed until Cherkov again took plasticine into his own hands, and step by step, with a lot of patience, he began to study sculpture and later also to teach others. And if we go back to the question of whether to become an artist or to be born one - the answer is - Anyone can be an artist, Provided he has a desire to learn, practice and not succumb to failures.

In fact, in what field of human endeavor is this not so?