Skill and talent are very different beasts, but work toward a better goal if used together. A skill is a bit harder to come by and requires more work on your part to gain. Skills involve tasks which require you to learn through some form of effort or study. Although you possibly may not be a natural at whatever your profession or goal might be, with a bit of work, you can do anything you set your mind to. “A skill can be a refined ability when improved with talent” (differencebetween.net). Let’s look at some characteristics of skill:

Skill Requires Constant Practice
We all know at least one person who went to school or college, but never finished because they were bored or tired of the hard work. Unfortunately, many people turn their backs on skill because of the effort required to put into it.

Skill Creates Better Traits Used Throughout Life
Learn what it means to work hard for something ad the immense satisfaction felt when you finally accomplish that goal. A task means more to the one who puts effort into what they are trying to succeed at than one who gets everything handed to him or her. For example, the boyfriend who wants to make his girlfriend happy by buying her jewelry, taking her out to a five-star restaurant or simply being a shoulder to cry on when she’s having a bad day is a man who is invested. Even when things become uncomfortable or difficult, he remains in a loving state because he is committed.
Skill requires commitment. Dedication to enhancing a skill or improving yourself will most certainly show a payoff in time, with a little patience and effort. It doesn’t always come easy. There are, no doubt, aspects in life you like, and some you don’t like. However, you must make the most of life, even when hit with some curve balls. Commitment means not giving up when times get tough.

Positive Thinking is the Best Medicine
When those times of discouragement hit, that’s the most crucial time to continue to work toward your skill. Often, encouraging yourself to continue even when times get tough helps train your mind to use positive thinking, which will help you not only produce a better quality of work, but has been proven to benefit your health and your daily life. The process of studying for a skill teaches you the art of success in life. 

In order to understand the difference between talent and skill and to use them both for the best results, you must know the definitions and characteristics of both terms. This week, talent is going to be the topic of discussion. Talent is a natural ability in something that requires little effort to carry out. In raw terms, talent is essentially an instinct – something you come by naturally. I’m sure everyone knows that friend who is a little OCD and has everything in its proper place where it can be found easily. Then there are others of us who have to analyze and mull over the best spot to keep our stapler or our phone sheet, and then we move it every week to a different spot. The ones with an OCD mentality has a talent for organization – they come by it naturally – while the rest of us have to practice and work at it, which requires skill. Below are a few tips to help talented people gain wisdom about their talent.

Find Some Passion in Your Talent
So many people have talent in arts and crafts or music, but because they come by it so naturally, they shove off their good work or steer clear from it because they feel it isn’t worthy. Have they ever frustrated you when you realize they are doing nothing with their talent? Even though anyone can write about anything, it’s not everyone’s passion. Discovering where your passion and talent align could possibly be the most important detail of your success in life.

Writing Helps Offer Other Skills and Talents
Even though anyone can write, whether it’s a passion, a skill or a passion, one of the greatest things about it is it covers every subject. A woman who has worked for thirty years in teaching underprivileged children or a pastor devoted to his ministry often write books about such subjects. People often take a step further than simply working toward their passion. They write about it. In fact, writing about a subject that dips into your passion and life experience makes for a better experience from the reader. You can often tell if a person has experienced what they write based on their feelings, reactions or descriptions of the experience. It’s not a necessity, but definitely lends a helping hand.

You Can Never Learn Too Much
          Bottom line is: the more you learn, you’ll find the less you know. If you are one of the lucky ones that has a natural talent in writing and creativity, honing it by learning more about writing or wherever your talent is will help grow it into a mastery. It’s a “level you start at,” not finish (Printmatic). Think of all the endless possibilities if we refined our talents with obtained skills. It’s a pivotal marriage in the element of accomplishment.

Works Cited:
Printmatic. "The Difference Between Talent And Skill." PRINTMATIC NET. WordPress, 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.

I'm pretty sure almost everyone has heard the phrase, “everyone can write!” There is more truth to the statement than people realize. Whether you have the talent or the skill, there is always a way to conquer what you set your mind to. Some rely more on one than the other, but the use of both is usually the best method of success.

Many people would consider Michael Jackson to have great talent in the art of music and choreography because he brought a new style to America – one that broke the music industry with moves no one has ever seen on live TV. Others would say Tom Cruise has talent in his acting career because he performs his own stunts, which is rare in the movie industry because of the injury rate. He has his talent in acting, which sprouts from roots of skill through having to learn each of his stunts before he performs them.

A perfect example of trained skill would be Heath Ledger. He knew how to study and work hard to put his best into his movies. He will always be remembered for his exceptional role in The Dark Knight. He became so engulfed in his character, The Joker, that he committed suicide through an overdose. Although his skill left him literally breathless, he knew how to do his best in every role he played. This is one primary key to being successful at anything in life.
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Someone may have talent, but don’t form the skill to perfect that talent. Some don’t have the passion to learn the skill along with their talent. Some people don’t know the difference. That’s what this month is going to talk about: the difference between skill and talent. Perhaps by the end of this season of writing, you will learn the importance of skill and talent, and the benefits of using both, whether in writing or life goals.