your talent and communal ownership
This was a thought I'd expect to have come from a book, but actually came while I was watching Lie To Me, in the show Cal (Lightman) says to his protege Ria (Torres), that she has a talent, but when she joined the Lightman group, that talent was no longer just hers.
When we have a 'talent', one which we choose to share with the world, it becomes relational as soon as it's witnessed and becomes a part of a larger system.
This act of sharing also needs to continue being shared so it can continue to grow and flourish.
While sharing talent should be a positive aspect for us, it can act as a double-edged sword, as it also starts to shine a light on the person providing it.
This spotlight adds a pressure to continue to produce and produce at a consistently high level.
The emotional tax that this can put on the person is massive, not only this but should you find yourself deviating or 'growing' from your initial talent, you can end up with feelings of betrayal either from yourself or from the people sharing in your gift.
The tragic thing about this is that when we see people who have struggled under the burden of visibility, we start to wonder whether we should share our gifts.
Substance abuse and mental health issues are running rife throughout the people we consistently see in the media who have had this burden become too much, some to the point that it has been fatal.
When it comes to seeing this, it's no wonder that we can feel terrified of sharing our gifts and vulnerability with the world.
Creative burnout is one of the mild things that we risk when it comes to sharing our talent with the world.
I hope we never stop choosing to share our talents with the world, but I see why people are terrified to do so and I only hope they can find the courage to share and have the strength to keep sharing without worry.