I read an article in the new issue of
The New Yorker today that blew my socks off. It's about genius in the field of writing or art, and how we too often associate genius with precocity (i.e. that genius will emerge immediately at a young age). The evidence shows the contrary: many talents are obvious at a young age, but some of the best works of literature and art have come from people who honed their craft well into middle age.
The central example is Ben Fountain -- dude was a lawyer (!), decided he wanted to write, so he quit his job and started writing every day, cranking out stories. It ran 30 to 1 (misses to hits) at first. He has finally arrived, writing an award-winning book, EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER.
My "thing" is writing, and I wonder at age 39 if I will ever get it right. Or if I will ever find the time to do it right.
Your "thing" could be writing, could be drawing or coloring, whatever. But I sense there are many would-be talents at IMWAN who, for whatever reason, didn't emerge as a genius at age 19 (but still keep hacking away at their craft).
I don't say this much, but I highly recommend you read this article if late-emergent ability is of interest to you.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008 ... t_gladwellAnd a plus -- it's by Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorites (he's the author of Blink and The Tipping Point).
