Developing talent into creative eminence: Understanding the productive giftedness of world class artists

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using the Productive Giftedness Model, the study examined key psychosocial and environmental factors of what contributed to the talent development of 15 eminent artists from the 1800s and 1900s: Mary Cassatt, Salvador Dalí, Edward Hopper, Frida Kahlo, Wassily Kandinsky, Jacob Lawrence, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Diego Rivera, and Vincent Van Gogh. Over 140 autobiographical and biographical resources were used to systematically study their success. Key findings show commonalities in their early abilities, skills, motivation, and accomplishments across five stages of talent development: potential, exposure, cultivation, mastery, and eminence. Artists’ “focused motivation” helped them to remain resilient in the field. Key stakeholders (e.g., parents, teachers, mentors, peers) were also essential at every stage, helping them to activate their potential by providing the necessary opportunities, support, and resources. Implications are provided to support the “productive giftedness” of talented artists.