"Oh, you're SO talented - so gifted!"
Do you ever hear that phrase or something similar? How do you answer? I always try to say, "Thank you - so are YOU!", and pray it leads to the following discussion. I think we "artistic" types sometimes feel ourselves of rarefied air, and while we writers DO have a talent with words, that just makes us poets, and not an elite class. Yes, poetry is a rare talent, (one I'll never perfect), but talent is not rare ...
EVERYone is gifted - EVERYone has talent and exceptional abilities, but everyone is DIFFERENT, and sometimes those talents and abilities are not as readily visible, or even as tangible, as they are for others. YOU are talented and gifted, (perhaps in ways you've yet to discern), whether you realize it or not, and if you don't, it's still waiting for you to discover it ...
Or maybe you have multiple gifts but haven't found one that inspires you. Just because that gift may not be considered "artistic" or "creative", doesn't mean it's any less noteworthy or important, any less substantive or integral, or any less of a gift, especially when it comes to the contributions you can make to humanity, or the blessing you can be to others by way of your talents ...
FINDING those gifts is not always an easy task, as there are many things that we pursue simply because we love them, (things that we may not have an inclination toward or talent for), and many things we may have a talent for that are simply not a part of our lives, or are not placed in our paths, due to circumstances or timing. Einstein said this, quite correctly:
"Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
FIND your gift and develop it, whatEVER it may be, and never think that it's not as wonderful or important as anyone else's, simply because you can't frame it and hang it on the wall, or put a cover on it for publishing, or perform it on stage, or win the Nobel Peace Prize with it. Enjoy it and share it with the world, be proud of it and find joy within it, (and always stay humble). Maybe you're a fish, and trees are just not your thing ...
So ... SWIM!!