There is no creativity without talent - but which kind of talent exactly?

*There’s no wedging creativity (photo © Fabio Filippini)*

What exactly is talent? This is a difficult question to answer indeed. Is it a gift from nature, destiny or God (whichever one it may be)? How do we recognise talent, measure it?

In the field of creation, talent seems to take several forms: it might guide intuition, thus generating ideas and enabling the imagination of things never seen before. It could lead to an expression of forms and innovative functions, but also allow for the synthesis of existing ideas into new and unexpected ones. Not least, there is also a particularly effective form of talent, which is all about executing ideas imagined well. That spark, which suddenly gives you the right idea for your next project, be it in the middle of the night or while you are in the shower, allowing you to imagine it clearly, before turning it into reality later on - that too is talent.

There certainly are many definitions of what talent is, but I find this one, which I read in a book by Alessandro Baricco, particularly brilliant: «True talent is having the right answers when questions don't exist yet». On the other hand, I fully agree with Chuck Close, who says that «Inspiration is for amateurs - The rest of us just show up and get to work». Talent is important - but it’s arguably even more important to know what to do with it.

In car design, a high dose of talent is the most essential requirement. This holds particularly true for exterior design, where the ability to visualise large objects, featuring captivating proportions and complex dynamic forms, is a fundamental quality for all designers, both established and aspiring. However, the talent to represent such objects in an attractive and understandable way, either on paper or computer screen, is also very important. It is therefore on this basis exactly that the potential «talent» of candidates for the profession of car design is generally assessed.

All that being said, creative talent must always be considered the main priority in this assessment process, whereas drawing skills come into play later on. However, lately there is an increasingly evident trend towards overestimating the expressive quality of renderings, with somewhat detrimental effects on creativity: too often I come across people on social media, who look mainly at the impact of sketches and not at the design depicted in them, hence mistaking illustration skills for real creativity. It is no coincidence that the appearance of so many recent cars on the street comes as a disappointment to anyone familiar with their respective, decidedly more spectacular design sketches. Moreover, the web is full of so-called «design» seminars, where illustration or modelling techniques are taught, rather than what design is and its purpose. It’s like training people to master the perfect use of an oven, without them knowing what bread is. Similarly, we should never confuse the means with the objective. Drawing skills are a fine qualification, and digital tools allow many people to achieve it, yet creative talent is something altogether different - far more difficult to learn, and not easily available to everyone.

For interior design, another type of talent is needed: the ability to imagine space and the composition of complex elements, as well as conceiving innovative functions and anticipate the user's needs. Obviously, even in this case, it remains essential to have a particular talent for defining shapes and a good graphic expression. But in my opinion, the ability to imagine spatial compositions is the utmost priority, as it involves several factors, including functions, shapes, colour combinations and a perception of materials. This talent to imagine and manage complexity is perhaps more akin to the skills required from an architect.

How do you notice your own talent? And how much should you rely on it? Perhaps the awareness of talent remains the most difficult aspect to handle. In general, those who have real talent are aware of it and are cultivating it from an early age. Yet some people, despite being in possession of talent, do not have sufficient self-esteem to believe in it, which is a real pity. For this reason, it is always important to stimulate and support the talent of others, at whatever level it may be, to ensure that it flourishes and can provide the best possible results.

The opposite case is probably more frequent, and less positive: those who, despite being fully convinced of having it, in reality do not have even the faintest traces of talent, yet possess the determination to go through, creating frustration for themselves and others in the process. This second case is more recurrent in many professional sectors, without preventing some people from obtaining a certain success or important roles, regardless of the «absolute» value of the skills they possess.

The tendency of gifted people to rely exclusively on their talents is well-known. Engaging only loosely in the rest of their duties, they hence risk wasting part of their potential. By contrast, the less gifted ones, occasionally aware of their «limits», often compensate with determination and motivation. They focus on furthering their career and developing efficient working methods, sometimes resulting in more effective and successful a career path. This happens particularly within large corporations, where real talent might, in extreme cases, even be considered a risk factor, associated with unpredictability or «fickleness» of character.

«If you're a talented person, that doesn't mean you've won something. It means you have something to offer», said Carl Gustav Jung.

We should never underestimate our own talent; neither should we blindly believe in it, hence committing the sin of excessive self-esteem, to the point of cultivating arrogance. However gifted you may be, there is always a way to learn from others and improve yourself. Dedication, determination and, above all else, a good dose of healthy self-criticism remain the best food for growing the talent existing in each of us. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than the waste of talent due to lack of dedication, or, as sometimes happens, to have it consumed and extinguished by excessive pride and pathological narcissism.

The word «talent» dates back to ancient Greece, where it was the measuring unit of a sum of money, representing the value of the weight of the precious metal contained in it. This value of preciousness is still found today in the modern notion of the word itself, which induces a profound and implicit "richness" in those who possess such qualities. A natural wealth, a "divine gift" that cannot be acquired otherwise, and which, precisely for this reason, entails an enormous responsibility: to invest and make the most of it, humbly supporting it with will and commitment, to use it in our creative activities without wasting a single drop. For the greater good, as well as for one’s own pleasure.