Orson Welles directed the greatest movie ever made, Citizen Kane, at age 25, with only a limited knowledge of the medium. When Paul McCartney was 25, he, along with his fellow Beatles, released the era-defining album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. By age 29, Pablo Picasso revolutionized modern art by developing cubism.
If hearing such stories sets off an existential panic attack because you squandered your 20s with too much reality TV and graduate school, then take heart — you’re not necessarily a failure.
As Adam Westbrook points out in his video essay The Long Game, Leonardo da Vinci was a total loser before he painted The Last Supper at age 46. As a youth, Leonardo planned grandiose projects that he wouldn’t be able to finish. This, of course, did little for his reputation and even less for his career as a freelance artist. But he continued to work, eking out a living by enduring the demands of picky, small-minded clients, and, through this lean period, Leonardo emerged a great artist. Robert Greene, in his book Mastery, calls this period “The Difficult Years.” Every successful creative slogs through some form of the Difficult Years, even child prodigies. Mozart just went through his struggles at a time when most children are learning to read.
In other words, “genius” has less to do with innate talent than just doing the work. Of course, that isn’t nearly as good a story as that of the romantic genius. But it is encouraging for those of us who haven’t quite yet won that MacArthur grant.
You can watch Westbrook’s video essay in various parts above.
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Jonathan Crow is a Los Angeles-based writer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in Yahoo!, The Hollywood Reporter, and other publications. You can follow him at @jonccrow. And check out his blog Veeptopus, featuring lots of pictures of badgers and even more pictures of vice presidents with octopuses on their heads. The Veeptopus store is here.
good to hear. needed the inspiration to keep at it – thanks!
Thank you for re-tweeting this today. At 54, I wonder if what I do creatively will ever really matter. But watching this reminds me that the making of the art really is enough. I really do appreciate the reminder.
Ive said enough,theres gotta be a little mystery left,or the interest fades!I love youre ongoing process.
Ive said enough,theres gotta be a little mystery left,or the interest fades!I love youre ongoing process.
This is total nonsense. Leonardo was already working for the Medici in his 20s and a decade before he painted The Last Supper he was already Engineer and Painter to the Duke of Milan and had already produced The Virgin of the Rocks and Lady with an Ermine. “Total Losers” do not get chushy gigs with the aristocracy.
I photographed Steve Buscemi when I was in my 20’s https://raise.usa.canon.com/gallery/collection/2021
And honestly not much has happened since then as far as a living. But I keep on trying.