I want to thank you for the sincere, kind comments that you give to me regarding this column. It is pretty crucial to anyone who exposes himself to the public to hear kind comments. Kind words of encouragement are like a medicine.

There are folks reading this who possess amazing, gifted talents. It has only been a short time that I began to realize that any talent is first born in the soul. For example, I like to paint pictures. But, when I pick up a brush, I have absolutely no concrete idea of what the blank canvas in front of me is going to say. In other words, I do not “see” the image in my mind. The result of my endeavor looks “passable” but that’s about it.

That, dear friends, is not talent. It is merely a desire in me to paint. But, the little girl who paints beautiful pictures of Christ, of his nail-scarred hands? She sees the picture in her mind, and merely copies it onto a canvas. Norman Rockwell? Same. He imagined the image of the picture, the portrait of a family enjoying Thanksgiving dinner, or the scene of the half-dressed young boys fleeing with their dog from the creek with the sign, “No Swimming.” He saw most of his creations first, in his mind.

That is talent. It is God-given. Then, there’s the 5-year-old Russian child who plays the grand piano accompanied by a large orchestra. Goodness, it took me a year to learn “chopsticks” on the upright piano in the guild hall of my home church!

Can’t you envision Michelangelo imagining his incredible creation that he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? On his back? Lying down? I don’t somehow think he lay there thinking, “Let’s see now. What am I going to do with all this ceiling?”

No, the gift requires a vision, whether it is a physical picture in the mind, or words deep in the soul. And all that needs to be done is to manifest that thought or picture in some way. Architects; great architects. Runners who break all known records, running at impossible speeds with impossible stamina. Photographers. They see the beauty and capture it perfectly, balancing or unbalancing the image to portray the unimaginable.

Am I getting my message to you? I hope so. I say it so inadequately.

Now, you, out there! You possess a special gift, and you might or might not know it. You innately understand how food should taste, and you cook with your soul and not with written words. Or you have an uncanny ability to fit things together or envision how something can be fixed. All of these abilities start with concepts.

If you have acknowledged your gift, and most of you have, I hope, get going!

For those of you who love to write let me help you get started. First, lesson is to write. Write and write and write. You won’t do it like others. You have your own style. Get a pad of paper out where you can see it whenever some idea germinates; a thought, a feeling, a poem, a story. Your effort might not be read by others. But employing this gift, using it, grows and improves. It feeds your soul. Eventually you will get an opportunity with your gift. God opens doors for your gift. Proverbs 18:16

Let’s focus on writing.

1. Don’t worry if it has all been said before. This is an oft considered excuse. Sure, it has been said, but not by you. (Ann Dornfest, author)

2. Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open (Natalie Goldberg, originator) 

3. The first draft is just you telling your story. (Terry Pratette, speaker)

How’s that? Have I hopefully encouraged any of you? All of you? None of you? Somehow I believe you will read this  and that you, hey you, out there...You will recognize yourself here, and get to work.

Whatever your talent might be, start dreaming, and start developing that gift. Today.

Judi Tabler lives in Pawnee County and is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune. She can be reached at juditabler@gmail.com or juditabler@awomansview.