It’s easy to imagine that talent is a magical gift, and that we’ll know it when we see it (and that you have it or you don’t).

And yet, over the years, Star Search has rejected each of these musicians, picking someone else to win the competition:

  • Aaliyah
  • Britney Spears
  • Christina Aguilera
  • Justin Timberlake
  • Usher
  • Alanis Morissette
  • Beyonce

One could argue that they’re simply incompetent at judging talent. Perhaps, though, it’s a lesson about the futility of getting picked and the hard-won process of developing a skill and learning a craft.

A star might simply be someone who persisted long enough to combine skill and luck in a way that others celebrate. Persistence, skill and luck, over time.

PS Hank Green (!) created today’s Bongo.