“Meanwhile, I can’t tell the difference between a top violinist and your average pro despite years of classical music, both as listener and performer. I don’t have the ear.
As human beings, we’re each gifted in different ways. To be an artist is to develop the necessary skills to express our unique gifts, whatever they are. If you find yourself unmotivated or unable to improve at writing, painting, or any other form of creative expression, chances are you weren’t born with the discrimination that would make additional efforts pay off. How would you even know you were getting better? Sure, you may recognize on some level that someone else’s work is better than yours, but if you can’t articulate why, take it as a sign”