Natural Talent is Bullshit

“You don’t have what it takes.”

“You’re not talented. You got lucky.”

“You’ve waited too long, you will never be as good as …”

“You’re not like them. You don’t belong here.”

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always struggled with the idea of natural talent. I thought that I was the only one who lacked it, because I was different from everybody else.

When I started to teach myself how to design, the self-loathing, impostery rhetoric magnified. I didn’t feel like a real designer which made the pursuit intimidating and me vulnerable.

Things got easier when I focused on working really hard, stretching outside of my comfort zone and seeking out any and all types of feedback. Over time, I learned to trust myself better.

So trust yourself, because natural talent isn’t a real thing. You rarely see the grit of others.

Worry less about others’ success, and work harder on bringing and developing your best self.

You are a real designer.

“The moment that you feel, just possibly, you are walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind, and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself… That is the moment you might be starting to get it right.”

—Neil Gaiman