"HONE YOUR CRAFT"

BY AL KING

Talent is an exceptional gift that each one of us is blessed with in some form. The challenge is identifying with that specific talent and doing something with it instead of allowing it to sit dormant.  Unfortunately, there are millions of us on the planet that are extremely talented in something but refuse to do anything with it or have not connected to it. So it’s a great thing when we have made that connection and understand that we must put in the work to hone the gift.   

  

    What does that mean? That means you will do everything in your power and being to further develop your gift and creative journey so that it’s tight. These days what we all see so much in our internet age is that people spend more time marketing the talent instead of actually working on their craft. Everything has to be nurtured so that it can cultivate to new levels. The neglect and failure to do so only destroys the potential of the gift which is what separates mediocre from greatness. Those that choose to exercise that complacent method day in and day out will see their skill set remain at one level and never improve. Again, we are all talented and keep in mind that there are those that are constantly working on their craft. If you’re not working on yours, you are just stacking the odds against you!

TALENT vs CHARACTER

BY AL KING



After spending many years as an Entertainment Manager in the music industry and working as a Manager in the corporate sector, I wanted to share my outlook on two assets that are extremely important to every artist.....Talent and Character. Emphasizing the disparity of the two on many occasions, I've witnessed how they work hand in hand in completing your persona and creating an identity as an artist. If you're in business you must understand—TALENT will get you in a position to showcase your gifts but CHARACTER will keep you there.  Regardless of the forum, these two attributes will play a major part in your path to success and actually sustaining your success after you've accomplished it. The two form a marriage, coming together to truly define a person's "make-up" and ability to bring others into their world. If not, the talent can be attractive and the character doesn't make the cut. If this transpires (which I've seen often) it diminishes the potential growth in one's artistry from all aspects. The proactive and curable process is development, there is no way around it and the goal should be gaining maturity and proficiency in both talent and character. For example, we have all witnessed the self-inflicted sabotage of those that are successful, who regrettably do something that is outlandish and distasteful.  Such foolish acts leave talents and artist open to the public's judgment and assessment of their character. Although, we are all human and will fall short, there shouldn't be constant blunders repeated. If so, it's time to re-evaluate our person and give that area immediate attention. We're not perfect but why not aim for it by encompassing both the talent and the character to compliment our person!