A couple years ago, I watched a video where guitarist Steve Vai [1] was talking about how to succeed as a musician. One comment that he made really gave me pause. I have thought about his comment often. On one hand, I completely agree, but on the other hand I truly disagree. I have wrestled with my two divergent responses to his comment.
Steve Vai's comment was, "I have strengths and I have weaknesses. I don't work on my weaknesses. I ignore them. I cultivate my strengths."
As mentioned, I both agree and disagree with that idea. I'll try to explain why.
Why I Disagree
As long as I can remember, I have been taught that weaknesses can become strengths. It just takes humility, dedication, determination, hard work, more humility, tenacity, desire, etc. I have seen in my own art (and life) that I have been able to improve areas that were weak. Many of these have become strengths.
For a long time I struggled with composition. I considered it a weakness. But I worked on it and strengthened my design abilities. Same with color, and many other facets of art. I return to many of these over and over again at each new level of my artistic growth. With each return, I realize the need to improve and better understand the principle. As I work on that principle, my art improves.
In short, I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't try to improve my weaknesses.
Why I Agree
When I consider many of the works of art that touch me the deepest, I respond on an emotional level. But when considering the works from an academic point of view, each of them has strengths and weaknesses. Yet, somehow the strengths overpower the weaknesses. When the artist recognizes and takes full advantage of his strengths, there is greatness in his work.
Think of Monet for a moment. His strength was his ability to see the color of light. However, his work lacks in terms of composition (in my humble opinion). But because he put all his energies into his area of strength, his art is powerful.
Van Gogh's work is powerful because of his ability to feel something on an emotional level about his subjects and show us the beauty in the ordinary. That was his strength. On a technical level, he does have some shortcomings. But his emotion far outshines his weaknesses.
The truth is no one will ever master everything. I won't. You won't. I will always have strengths and weaknesses. So will you. I have realized that my areas of greatest natural strength are the things that people most often comment on about my work. I need to continue to cultivate those and use them to their greatest potential.
I have also come to accept that my work doesn't need to be technically perfect in each and every aspect. It needs to be authentic and an expression of who I am.
There aren't enough years to work on mastering everything. I could spend considerable time working on my shortcomings or I could spend that same energy working on the strengths that come naturally. If I work on the natural strengths I will progress much farther at a quicker rate.
A Foundation?
Steve Vai had reached a high level of technical skill and virtuosity before he made that comment. He was also speaking to a group of master guitarists. I don't know how he felt about his weaknesses when he was first starting out. I don't know how much he worked on them. Maybe he didn't. But his abilities as a musician would suggest that even his weaknesses are pretty strong compared to many other guitarists.
So, I wonder if it is a matter of reaching a certain level first. A foundation, if you will. Even if you don't master each of the fundamentals, a certain awareness, understanding, and even proficiency is essential to adequately express yourself. Your strengths are more important. And cultivating them to their full potential will make your work authentic, real, unique, etc. Your strengths will define you.
Yet, having a foundation in the other areas will enable you to keep your work in check. They will help you avoid glaring mistakes. My three year old can plunk at the piano expressing himself all day long. But he doesn't make music. He doesn't have that foundation yet.
My Conclusion - Timing
I still both agree and disagree with Steve Vai. But it seems that it is a matter of timing, a matter of where you are in your development. Always work on your strengths, even from the beginning. But also work on your weaknesses at the beginning until you reach a certain level of proficiency. Then, with that foundation, redirect your energies to where it will reap the greatest return - focusing entirely on your natural strengths.
The trick is knowing when you have reached that level of proficiency. I don't have that answer yet.
Best Wishes,
Keith Bond
[1] Steve Vai began his career as a guitarist for Frank Zappa in the early '80s and went on to play for David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, to name only a few. But his artistic side led him to a solo career where he pushed boundaries for himself. His solo work is full of expression and defies classification. He is one of the rare musicians who has been highly successful in both the commercial and artistic realms of music. And he did both simultaneously through a good portion of his career.
