Do you have a talent you don't use?

[WishboneDawn]

Over in the avatar thread I linked to my old drawing blog. I clicked on the link myself and started looking at my post and realized a) how good I am at drawing stuff, b) how much I love drawing, and c) how little I draw these days. My lack of drawing these days has gone to a ridiculous extreme because my daughter didn't realize how good I was until she looked at my blog recently and my son didn't realize I could draw at all until we did some drawing together a few weeks ago. 

 

It's sort of crazy that a skill that was so central to my life as I grew up has been buried. It's not the first time it's happened either. The blog was something I started after not drawing for years as well. I drew for quite a while with that, even got an offer to draw a comic book, and then...poof. Life got in the way and the pencils were put down. 

 

Bizarre. But I can't be the only one this has happened to. Fess up.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Singing.  I was a vocal major way back.  

[Hunter's Moon]

Musical. I sing in my church's choir, but I am really good with picking up music by ear. I have been thinking about going to the Piano Lab at school and playing around a bit.

 

I took Piano class a few semesters ago, and I was getting good. But I just stopped.

[Running the race]

Yes. I played bassoon for years. I have both a Bachelor and Master's degree in it. I haven't touched it in 13 years.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I started trumpet late, in 7th grade, but still managed to win a world championship when I was 21, and haven't formally played since.

 

During the dotcom boom, I was a self taught animator/coder for a start-up in NYC, and did comedy work for corporate humor writers (CEO's are not naturally funny).  Sometimes I miss those gigs.

[Dandelion]

Singing, and playing the guitar and flute.

 

 

[texasmama]

Singing. I'm a decent second alto. I miss singing in a choir or ensemble.

 

Horseback riding.

[DragonFaerie]

Piano.  Apparently I used to be quite good, though I never really felt that way.  And writing.  I'm told I'm a talented writer.  I used to dream of being a writer, but I don't ever actually write anymore.

[Chris in VA]

I can sign some. But I stink at receptive--so it's rather useless. I do use it occasionally to sign a song for worship for my bible study. But I do feel guilty for not using the skill the way it should be used--to communicate with the Deaf. 

[MooCow]

Yes. A writer. I stopped. Every so often my dh, my mom, or a friend while try to encourage me to start writing again.

 

Not gonna happen.

[Mergath]

Singing and writing.  The latter I'm trying to get back into, the former I do in the car or the shower. 

[Belacqua]

Nope. The few talents I do have are barely enough to get me through the day. I'm quite certain I don't hold any in reserve. :)

 

 

[Barb_]

This thread is depressing me.

[momacacia]

Singing also. Trained in my early 20s with a wonderful teacher who is still alive and kicking and just down the road from me. But, the church we go to doesn't really support my style (my DH has seriously considered moving to one that does just so I would sing again), and I'd have to get afternoon babysitting to take lessons again (which I would need). Yeah, kinda depressing. But then, motherhood has used so many of my other skills to benefit the people that are the most important to me that I can't get too depressed. Someday they'll figure out I sing (loud and high, LOL), and maybe even see me use it. For now, I'm tired . . . .

 

I sound, by the way, exactly like Kathleen Battle . . . until I listen to myself on tape. :lol:

[Ripley]

I used to have a very quick wit. I was great on my feet and had an immediate retort on the ready for any conversation, situation, and environment.  These days I'm old and my brain is foggy. It's more like two days later that I sit straight up in bed at 3am and think of a response. LOL I've actually told my son that I'm glad I had him young so at least one of my kids would remember me in my prime!

 

 

[Mandylubug]

Flute, graphic arts and singing. Not using any of those.

[Jeannie in NJ]

I was a union stage manager and also worked as a lighting designer in theatre.  Spent 5 years working on movies in Hollywood and then after moving to NJ, worked as a technical director at the showroom in one of the casinos.  Whenever I tell my dd about some of the stars that I worked with, she says that I must have really had an exciting life lol.

[Berta]

I realized early on that I have no talent.

[WishboneDawn]

I realized early on that I have no talent.

Pfft. I decided early on that "talent" is really just tiny bit of an inclination towards something and then thousands of his of practice, whether you have formal instruction or not.

 

I'm betting there something you've got a bit of an affinity for that could be worked on.

[WishboneDawn]

Me too. So much collective talent, so little expression.

Well, I liked your idea of an accountability thread.

[Mrs_JWM]

Armpit music! Sadly, no one appreciates it, and my range is limited.

 

I also wanted to be a twin magician, but I'm pretty bad at magic, and I don't have a twin.

 

Actually, I am a decent singer, so I've decided to try to get back into that this year.

[trulycrabby]

I can sit motionless for hours at a time. :o

[PrincessMommy]

singing.  I do occasionally sing in our church choir.  But, I've been thinking about finding a vocal teacher and then finding a local choir to join.  The thing is I despise rock music set for a choir.  Despise it.  I prefer classical choral music and that can be hard to find year round.  Most local choirs do tacky music mixed with the nice stuff.

 

 

[fractalgal]

Writing Poetry   :001_cool:

[mytwomonkeys]

I like to think buried deep within I have some kind of untapped talent. It is definitely not singing though. Definitely.not.

 

I am going to buy a jigsaw for some DIY projects. I am hoping that works out in my favor as an untapped resource :)

[tabinfl]

Several. A couple I do still use, in very limited ways (e.g. singing in our small church choir). Most of the things I do well require sustained periods of focus, which has been pretty much impossible for the past 6+ years.

 

My kids are finally getting to an age where I'm considering picking up some more intensive hobbies again. I'm less exhausted all the time, I can leave them in another room without returning to utter chaos & destruction, I can send them off to activities with other people here and there, may even have my Mom living near us part of the time soon...

[BarbecueMom]

I started trumpet late, in 7th grade, but still managed to win a world championship when I was 21, and haven't formally played since.

 

DCI? Which corps?

 

Trumpet player here too. I haven't played outside the house since college (or inside the house until a few weeks ago). When I get my chops back and the kids are a bit older, I might get back into performing.

[elegantlion]

I have a few "I used to be good at...." type things. 

 

Drawing

Piano

poetry and writing lyrics/melody

trombone

photography (before photo editing software)

 

Writing - I'm still working on that. 

 

I recently retrieved my keyboard - long story- and I can feel my stress drop when I play. It's not the same as a real piano, but it's close. I also started writing some lyrics yesterday. 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

DCI? Which corps?

 

Trumpet player here too. I haven't played outside the house since college (or inside the house until a few weeks ago). When I get my chops back and the kids are a bit older, I might get back into performing.

 

Garfield (which dates me right there, because it was the last year they were called that), 1986-87

 

 

 

DW marched Regiment's guard that year ('87), though we met in 1984 in a dinky little class A-60 corps in Philly.  First date was at DCI finals in Atlanta.  (Awwwwwww....)

 

EMBED not allowed for this one.

 

So yeah, I married a color guard girl. :blush:

[littlebug42]

I played flute and oboe in high school.  Haven't played the oboe since although I would love to get back to it if I could afford an oboe.   I have a flute but it needs some work and I just haven't gotten around to it yet.  I am involved with community theatre which I love and feeds my soul.  I missed the years without it greatly. 

[Dory]

I can draw fairly well and the only person who has seen my drawings are my dh and my therapist. I play piano but I refuse to play in front of anyone including my kids so I only play when they are outside. I used to train problems horses but no longer have the time to. I used to play guitar but haven't touched it in 6 years now. The last time I played it publicly was at my brothers wedding 10 years ago. 

[Aspasia]

Yep. Flute, piano, and writing. Though dd is becoming intensely fascinated with all things music, and we recently acquired a piano, so I've been playing the piano quite a bit and have been thinking of pulling out my flute. Writing...sigh. I blog a couple times a month, but that's not really what I aspire to. Someday when I'm not so darn tired at the end of the day. Hopefully.

 

Another one for me is basketball. I was really good at basketball and haven't played it for ages. But we finally have a house (and therefore a yard), so we're going to get a hoop this spring. Then, after I have this baby and recover from that, dh and I can get our pick-up game on again! I dream of a family where all six of us are competent ballers, and can have friendly but competitive games whenever we get together. God help any non-athletic spouses who may marry into such a family. But that's a ways away.... ;)

[Vida Winter]

Programming. But maybe I'll have more time in the next few months.

[ElizabethB]

Trumpet. I played for 10 years in band (started in 3rd grade after getting kicked out of choir, LOL) and was in the Seattle Imperials drum and bugle corps for 2 years in Middle School. We won our regionals my 2nd year, which included a portion of Canada, but we didn't have enough money to go to DCI.

 

My sophomore year in High School for Christmas my parents saved up their money and got me a silver trumpet from a pawn shop and a sweater, my dad was a teacher so this was a stretch.

 

I still have the trumpet. After over a decade of not playing, I played for our Church in Germany for 3 years. Our next two churches I played for Christmas and Easter, they had more trumpet friendly music at those times. Our last few churches have not had a good style of music for a trumpet even at Christmas and Easter, so I haven't played for a while now.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Acting

[Amber in SJ]

Piano

 

I took lessons for my entire childhood and was very good.  When I left home to go to college I no longer had a piano or the time.  Between dds 1 & 2, dh bought me a piano but I couldn't ever find the time to practice.  and it had been so long that when I played I was not at the level I want to be and the amount of work it would take to get back was daunting.  When my eldest was 13 I took a seminar with the title "Music and the Brain."  I almost cried through this very interesting, but not at all sad seminar because I could remember what music had meant to me.  It was a method of communication.  It was my way of interacting with the world around me.  And I had walked away and left that beloved part of myself behind.  I still don't get much time to practice, but I started singing in our church choir and that fills some of my need for music.

 

Amber in SJ

[joannqn]

My story is the same as the OP's.  In fact, I recently took my kids over to an old boyfriend's house so they could see one of my drawings.  They all think I should start drawing again because I'm a "real artist."  

[Parrothead]

I play a mean set of air drums.

[JuanitaL]

I play a mean set of air drums.

 

I play the air egg! I don't like to brag ... but I'm pretty good.

[Greenmama2]

singing. I do occasionally sing in our church choir. But, I've been thinking about finding a vocal teacher and then finding a local choir to join. The thing is I despise rock music set for a choir. Despise it. I prefer classical choral music and that can be hard to find year round. Most local choirs do tacky music mixed with the nice stuff.

I feel the same about choirs & rock music. Shudder.

[Greenmama2]

singing. I do occasionally sing in our church choir. But, I've been thinking about finding a vocal teacher and then finding a local choir to join. The thing is I despise rock music set for a choir. Despise it. I prefer classical choral music and that can be hard to find year round. Most local choirs do tacky music mixed with the nice stuff.

I feel the same about choirs & rock music. Shudder.

[Annie Anne]

Yes. A writer. I stopped. Every so often my dh, my mom, or a friend while try to encourage me to start writing again.

 

Not gonna happen.

 

Why not?

 

[Annie Anne]

Most of the things I do well require sustained periods of focus, which has been pretty much impossible for the past....

This, exactly.

 

[FO4UR]

Another vocal major over here.

 

I give lessons now and then, and sing at church now and then, but I go largely unnoticed. It doesn't help that I move frequently and as soon as I build some rapport within a community, we have to leave. I love conducting choir, but it's an outdated mode it seems.  I've taught music in a co-op, and that was fun.

 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Trumpet. I played for 10 years in band (started in 3rd grade after getting kicked out of choir, LOL) and was in the Seattle Imperials drum and bugle corps for 2 years in Middle School. We won our regionals my 2nd year, which included a portion of Canada, but we didn't have enough money to go to DCI.

 

I had to Google that corps, but it rang a bell.  Looks like a little before I marched, but DW marched drum corps and winter guard in the early 80's and may have run into you guys!

[canadianmomtofour]

Piano. I have my grade 6 Royal Conservatory, and I was quite good. I sit down to the piano from time to time, but I am embarrassingly bad. Apparently it is NOT like riding a bike.....

 

Horseback riding. I used to ride hunter/jumpers and was also quite good. We moved to the city, my horse got old and died, and needless to say it's been a decade since I've been on a horse. My saddle is sitting in the garage looking sad, and I can't bring myself to sell it.

[Jeannie in NJ]

Acting

 

tell us more.  What have you acted in, community theatre, professional, etc.

[Jean in Newcastle]

tell us more.  What have you acted in, community theatre, professional, etc.

Just high school productions.  When I got to college the theater was pretty much restricted to those actually in the theater program.  I'd love to do community theater.  I did study opera - which combined both acting and voice but I never really pursued it.

[KungFuPanda]

I KNOW how to clean. I was in the military. I'm a recovered Type A. I KNOW when something is white-glove, sanitized, 'clean' rather than just improved and I know how to get it there. I choose not to use this talent most of the time. I simply do not have the time for it.

[ElizabethB]

I had to Google that corps, but it rang a bell.  Looks like a little before I marched, but DW marched drum corps and winter guard in the early 80's and may have run into you guys!

 

The Seattle Imperials performed and I think placed 11th, in DCI in 1980, but ran short of funds a few years later when I joined.  I actually think we were better the year we won regionals than their performance in 1980, the 1980 DCI performance is on YouTube.  I recognized a few people that were still there when I joined, including the drum major and the soloist, he had some amazing chops.  The drum major was even better by the time I joined, and she was nice, too.

 

I joined with a friend who played trumpet with me in middle school, we were like everyone's little sister, most of the members were in high school or college.  They made sure we were protected from any crazy goings on when we travelled in the region, we did have enough funds to travel within the region, just not enough to travel to DCI, sadly.

 

What corps was your wife in?  We traveled around the Pacific Northwest and to close competitions in Canada, and some of the California corps came up at times.