I don’t believe drawing is about talent or practice because both ideas place the emphasis in the wrong place.
Talent suggests that the ability to draw is something fixed—something you either have or you don’t. But in my view, drawing isn’t a gift, it’s a way of engaging. It comes down to how clearly someone can observe, how present they are, and how honestly they respond. These are not fixed traits. They can shift the moment a person stops relying on assumptions and starts paying real attention. So talent becomes irrelevant, because the process isn’t dependent on innate ability—it’s dependent on awareness.
Practice, as it’s commonly understood, assumes that repetition leads to improvement. But I’ve seen that people can draw repeatedly and reinforce the same habits, the same misunderstandings, the same way of seeing. If nothing changes in how they observe, nothing truly changes in the work. So practice alone doesn’t guarantee development—it can just as easily deepen limitations.
What actually matters, in my view, is attention. The ability to be present, to see relationships clearly, to respond without overthinking or relying on formulas. When that shifts, the work shifts—sometimes immediately. That’s why one deeply engaged drawing can be more transformative than a hundred routine ones.So for me, it isn’t about talent or practice.
It’s about connection, awareness, and the ability to engage with the moment.