@juergen_hubert I think there is *some* genetic component to artistic ability. At very young ages I knew children who could do amazing (for a child) work with little effort or practice while I could barely draw a straight line with a ruler.

Of course most of those who showed early talent didn't become great artists (or artists of any kind) if they didn't then cultivate that talent. And people who didn't show talent but worked hard easily surpassed them by the time their 20s rolled around.

@juergen_hubert The inborn trait that really matters is "having fun" while doing it. People who have that will do it more often and inevitably get better at it.

@juergen_hubert YES. I *know* I have (some) talent for drawing but it would take so much energy to actually get good at it and overcome the beginner frustration that I just don't bother. I'd rather concentrate on the things I'm already good at (through lots of experience) like music and writing and cooking.

@juergen_hubert Yes, this. I'm not good at drawing, but I'm trying to push myself to draw more (which in my case means something like "once in a couple of months"), and simply dare to show my doodles to others, regardless of skill level. Normalize being a beginner. (Normalize not using genAI for illustration.)