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Cape of Talent

Janet Anderton

By Janet Anderton

Indulge me for a moment.

Think about your talent, whatever it is, the thing you are truly great at. Now, close your eyes and feel where in your body your talent sits. Really feel it.

Janet Anderton's Cape of TalentI did this yesterday, and, to my surprise, it sits wrapped around my shoulders, like a cape, my Cape of Talent.

Now, this made me smile because, as I’ve mentioned on here before, I am struggling with my health right now, I’m tired. A lot. I’ve really struggled to paint, my concentration levels are like Dory the fish. I’ve been finding life incredibly frustrating. I’ve not felt much like myself. And that has been a problem.

You see, I am an artist. If I’m not making art, what am I?

It turns out, I’m an artist.

I’m an artist who is having to take it easy, make simple things, take the pressure off. If my Cape of Talent isn’t draped over my shoulders right now, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist! It’s just hanging in the back of the door, waiting for me to be well enough to wear it again.

You see, if a writer publishes a book, and it’s the best book you’ve read all year, and you rave about it and tell all your friends what a talented person she is. If her next book doesn’t get published for five years, do you consider her less of a talent? Do the years take away what she has achieved already?

Or if a dancer gets pregnant at the peak of her career, and she takes a couple of years away from the stage, after the birth, to be a full time mother. Is she any less talented during the time she is at home with her young child? Has what she has achieved been wiped out and forgotten?

So, if you are struggling. If your muse has gone on a three month sabbatical to the Outer Hebrides. If that tiny writers block now resembles a large Lego model of the millennium falcon. Trust that your talent is sitting waiting too. Perhaps our talents are waving frantically at each other, possibly planning to take us on a picnic when we’re feeling better. Who knows?

Stay safe. Stay sane. Do what you love (if you can!)

Janet x

PS. My Cape of Talent is fabulous by the way. Deep, dark blue, velvet, floor length, hooded, embroidered with silver thread. And it has pockets! Just sayin’.

Janet Anderton is the illustrator of A Question of Time for Clan Destine's imprint Improbable Press. This post originally published on Janet's Ko-Fi…follow and support de art if you can!


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  • Verena on

    What a beautiful, inspiring blog entry, dear Janet!


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