What is talent?

Question:

What is talent?

I feel I'm seemingly talentless. I mean i get good grades... but anyone can do that. My question is what is talent? Is it something natural, something a person is born with or does it come through practice? How can i gain talent?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Let's make a clear distinction between "skill" and "talent."

Skill is craft and technique. It is taught, refined, honed and developed. I'd lean on the word "craft" in this definition.

Talent is intelligence, confidence and natural ability. Even though, I hesitate to use that term. It's too easy to fall back on thinking someone is gifted, when really that isn't necessarily true.

Talent is being able to manipulate one's skills. Almost 85% of art-making is skill-based. Ballet Dancers are entrenched in technique -- it is the Prima Ballerina that takes that craft and displays talent, the upper 15%, to make it Star Time.