Where Are They Now? Following Up On Child Prodigies
As human beings, we love seeing talent displayed, whether it’s, say, watching sporting superstars executing unthinkable feats of athleticism, or listening to an incredible pianist tinkling the ivories. What is even more impressive, though, is when these talents come from someone that shouldn’t have this sort of command — such as a kid. These child prodigies fascinate the world, but what happens as they grow into adulthood? Do they fulfil the potential of their prodigious abilities, or are there common pitfalls they may encounter?
What is a child prodigy?
When we think of a child prodigy, we picture a kid who has a talent which isn’t usually possible in someone so young. We often imagine them as precocious and wise beyond their years: a small child playing a violin with such beauty that it beggars belief, or a tiny kid winning a game of chess against a grandmaster.
Throughout history, there have been a number of famous prodigies whose exploits became legendary, and in the modern day we still love to hear about the latest kid-genius who comes along and wows us.
Mozart
Take Mozart: the iconic composer who wrote his first piece of music at only five years old. He traveled the length and breadth of Europe, stunning audiences with his incredible compositions and an ability to play the piano while blindfolded.
In 1764 Daines Barrington, a lawyer and naturalist, examined the incredible eight-year-old and was astounded by his ability to read sheet music he’d never laid eyes upon “in a most masterly manner.” Mozart wound up passing away at 35, by which time he’d already written 600-plus pieces.
Picasso
Pablo Picasso’s first oil painting was completed when he was only nine years old, and by 14, he was learning his trade at a storied art school in Barcelona. His iconic painting First Communion came at only 15, and he would follow it with 22,000 further works across an 80-year career.
He reportedly once said, “When I was a child, my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk you’ll end up as the Pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was born in Mexico in 1651 and had no formal education because she was female. Somehow, though, she began writing religious poetry at eight years old, and then learned to speak fluent Latin in just 20 lessons. At 17, a bunch of university scholars tested her on mathematics, history, and philosophy, and they were shocked at her wide-ranging knowledge of each topic.
_jouant_%C3%A0_Paris_avec_son_p%C3%A8re_Jean..._-_Google_Art_Project.jpg){kind=link}
She wound up becoming a nun at 20, before publishing seminal works of poetry, drama, and fiction. These days, her homeland knows her well — after all, her face is emblazoned on the 200-peso banknote.