On the Nature of Creative Genius
Malcolm Gladwell, in an article titled Late Bloomers from the New Yorker, talks about writing, art, prodigy and late bloomer genius (discussed in a ten minute podcast). The discussion revolves around Ben Fountain, said to have burst onto the writing scene as an amazing new talent. The truth of Ben Fountain’s story is that he struggled for twenty years before being discovered. Twenty years of being rejected before writing literature that will stand for a century or more. Similarly, Cezanne wasn’t realised as a genius until his late 50’s.
Research into expertise suggests that to be an expert we have to be working at something for at least 10 years, even for a Picasso. Even for someone who has the talent.
As a writer who has chosen not to be a writer for the last half of my life, as the husband of an artist and the step-father of a talented young artist / designer / photographer, and as a designer in what must be accepted as a young industry with very few real experts, Malcolm’s words offer an interesting perspective. Are we sometimes confusing prodigy (as in a child prodigy adept at emulation) with genius (based on a more refined talent developed over several decades or more)? Are we ready to accept that while conceptual innovators might strike while they are young, the experimental innovators take a half a century to master their craft and will inevitably be late bloomers due to the time it takes to hone and research? After all, experimentation takes time and effort and thought. And finance.
Cezanne was funded and supported by a number of people through his life and his work may well have rotted away in obscurity at the back end of an attic.
So, from a web design perspective, it’s an interesting article about writing, creativity and the long road of learning a craft to become a master. And it makes me wonder about myself as a writer. Or a designer. Or a painter. Or a photographer. Because I’m a strong believer that, for most of us, it takes a major effort to become good at things and we naturally become good at the things we do. It helps if we’re supported and people believe in us. Even better if they absolve us of the worry for money along the way.
When I was a writer my favourite magazine was The New Yorker. It still inspires me. Picasso’s greatest works came when he was young, and Cezanne’s when he was older. It’s not about age, but about process. At least, for most of us.
As an aside, the part in the article where Ben Fountain says he sat down to write at the beginning and just realised that he didn’t have the vocabulary to describe the experiences that he envisioned telling – that is so true. We don’t naturally deconstruct the world that way. Articulating the obvious, that which our minds intuitively discusses behind natural language, is by far one of the most difficult talents to nurture in oneself. Writers and writing are under-appreciated, in my opinion.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
[...] by Malcolm Gladwell titled Late Bloomers which I briefly touched on at the time in my own article On the Nature of Creative Genius. It’s a common perception in our society that artists, musicians and other creatives require [...]