Artistic Talent: Is it Inherited or Developed Through Environment and Experience?

The debate about whether artistic talent is inherited (nature) or developed through environment and experience (nurture) has intrigued researchers for years. Here are some things I have observed.

Environment, Genetics, or a Combination of Both

My Siblings and Me 1961

I am the baby in the photo. The picture to the right is my younger sister.

The household I grew up in with my seven siblings is a ready-made case study on human behavior.  It makes sense that we are all alike in so many ways.  What I find fascinating, though, are the stand-out differences between us all. With so many shared experiences and genes in common, why are there such big differences?  It comes around to the age-old nurture vs. nature debate!

A brother and a sister of mine are both exceptional at mathematics.  A couple of sisters have been talented artists from the start.  One sibling thrives on working with documents. A couple are what I’ll call strong ‘social organizers.’  Each of the eight kids is best at something.

Woodworkers in My Family Through the Generations

A Cabinet My

Great-Grandfather Built

From early on, I was the builder in the family. As a toddler, building things is what I loved to do. When I was nine or ten, I gathered the very few old tools around my house.  I asked for a toolbox for my birthday.  I was on my way to becoming a builder and a woodworker.  I built crude projects using scraps of whatever I got my hands on.  In a recent blog, I told the story of how, as a fifteen-year-old, I refurbished a china cabinet my great-grandfather had made.  I had never seen something like that done.  No one in my immediate family was particularly handy with tools.

Interesting, though, is the history of woodworkers in my family.  My great-grandfather Adlor St. Dennis built the china cabinet, which is still in the family.  His son, Edgar, was a lifelong woodworker, while another son, Joe, dabbled in woodworking.  Adlor’s grandsons, Venant and Joe, were hobbyist woodworkers.  

My early passion for building things led me to take all the Industrial Arts classes in high school. I attended SUNY Oswego for Industrial Arts.  There, along with all the general education courses required for a bachelor's program, I took courses in design, drafting, metals, woods, industrial ceramics, plastics, electronics, construction, and energy. This laid a solid foundation to build a lifetime of learning.

Does this mean there is a genetic component that led me to my passion?

My interest in the nature/nurture topic inspired me to create this piece I call “Self-Made?”.

What Do You Think?

So, why are some people passionate about music, history, or farming, while others thrive on painting, numbers, engineering, or sports?  Is there a strong influence in the genes?  Did positive early experiences guide them? 

I believe we all have interests that we are well suited for, whether we have discovered them yet or not.  I feel exceptionally lucky to have the experiences and opportunities that led me to be a builder and an artist.

I wish you all the best on your journey toward finding and developing your passions.

Beautiful art for life well lived,

Moe