Encouraging Artists to Feel Good About Their Work

June 20, 2022

The following is a debatable thought and personally, I see both sides of the issue.  While I tend to lean more toward the "encouraging rather than discouraging" side of the fence, I enjoy things that make me think so I’m sharing it with you all.

Many years ago I heard a story...  I think it was supposed to be like a motivational thing.  Anyway, it seems to have stuck with me for some reason and I’ve thought about it on more than one occasion.  I am now going to give you my usual butchered job as I try to paraphrase the anecdote (because I have no idea where the story originated and I only have my memory to go off of).

So there was this student of the violin and he played at a recital one day.  Afterward, he met a violin maestro (is that what they’re called?).  The young violinist asked the master for his opinion of the performance.

“Do I have what it takes to be a professional violinist someday?” he asked the master.

The master looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, son, you don’t.”

The young violinist left and the master’s friend came up to him and said, “That young boy was brilliant.  He has amazing talent.  Why did you tell him he doesn’t have what it takes?”

“Because”, answer the master, “If he has what it takes to be great, he will not care about my opinion.  He will continue to do what he loves and become a master at it.  If he lets my opinion of his talent change the course of his life, he is not passionate enough to become a master in the first place.”

While I don’t agree with everything this story represents, I do get the point of it and ponder on it occasionally.

There’s something to be said for the person who can put his head down and forge ahead without needing the encouragement of others.