Hardwork or Talent

Once in a small town lived two boys — Arman and Rayan. Both dreamed of becoming great painters. From childhood, Rayan was gifted; his brush moved like magic, and his drawings looked alive. Teachers praised him, and everyone said, “He’s born talented.”
Arman, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. His drawings were messy, his lines shaky, and his colors often clashed. People laughed and said, “Painting isn’t for everyone.” But Arman never gave up.

Every morning before school, Arman practiced. He watched tutorials, studied nature, and copied famous paintings to learn techniques. Where

In a quiet little town surrounded by golden fields and whispering trees, two boys grew up with the same dream — to become great painters. Their names were Arman and Rayan. From childhood, both loved colors, brushes, and the smell of paint, but their journeys were very different.

Rayan was born with a gift. His hand moved effortlessly across the canvas, and every stroke he made seemed to tell a story. He could paint the sunrise so beautifully that people felt the warmth just by looking at it. His teachers admired his talent and often called him “the young Picasso.” Wherever Rayan went, praise followed.

Arman, on the other hand, had no such natural gift. His paintings were clumsy, his colors didn’t match, and his drawings looked awkward. When he showed his work to others, they would smile politely but secretly think he should find another hobby. Even his art teacher once said kindly, “Arman, maybe painting isn’t for you.”

But Arman didn’t listen. He loved painting too much to stop. He believed that even if he wasn’t talented, he could still become good — if he worked hard enough.

Every morning before school, Arman practiced for an hour. After school, while Rayan went out to play, Arman sat by the window, sketching the view outside. When others slept, he stayed up late watching art tutorials and reading about famous painters. He made hundreds of mistakes — and learned from every one of them.

Sometimes he felt frustrated. Sometimes he wanted to give up. But each time he failed, he remembered something his father had once told him:

“Talent gives you a head start, but hard work decides the finish line.”

Years passed. By the time both boys reached high school, everyone still admired Rayan. He rarely practiced, yet his paintings were always beautiful. He won every local art competition, and people expected him to become famous one day. Arman still didn’t win any prizes, but he kept improving little by little.

Then one day, their school announced a big national art competition. The theme was “The Soul of the City.” The winner would get a scholarship to the best art academy in the country. Everyone knew Rayan would win — even Arman thought so. But still, Arman entered.

Rayan painted his piece in two days — a grand cityscape filled with light and movement. It looked professional and perfect, like something from an art magazine.
Arman, meanwhile, spent weeks observing people in the city — shopkeepers, children playing, old men feeding birds. He wanted to capture not just the buildings, but the feelings, the life, and the heart of the city.

He worked every day until midnight, erasing and repainting, trying new techniques he had learned over the years. His fingers hurt, his eyes ached, and sometimes tears fell when a mistake ruined hours of work. But he never stopped.

Finally, the day of the competition arrived. The paintings were displayed in a big hall filled with art lovers, judges, and students from all over the country. Rayan’s painting drew everyone’s attention immediately — bright, colorful, and flawless. Arman’s, in comparison, looked simple. It showed an old woman selling flowers on a busy street, her wrinkled face glowing with kindness.

When the judges came around, they studied both works carefully. Rayan smiled confidently, sure of his victory. Arman stood quietly, his heart pounding.

At the end of the day, the results were announced. Third prize went to another student. Second prize went to Rayan. The crowd gasped — how could the most talented boy not win first place? And then, to everyone’s surprise, the first prize went to Arman.

The hall erupted in applause. Tears filled Arman’s eyes. Rayan, shocked, asked one of the judges, “How could his painting win over mine?”

The judge smiled and said, “Your painting is beautiful, but Arman’s has soul. We could feel the story, the struggle, the emotion. That’s what art is truly about.”

For the first time, Rayan realized that talent alone wasn’t enough. It could make you good, but passion and hard work could make you great. From that day, he began practicing with real effort, while Arman continued to grow as an artist, eventually earning respect and fame for his heartfelt art.

Years later, Arman became a well-known painter and opened an art school in his town. Above the door of his studio, he placed a simple sign that read:

“Talent is a gift, but hard work is a choice.”

Whenever his students complained about not being “born talented,” he would smile and tell them his story — the story of two boys who loved to paint, and how one of them proved that effort can beat gift.

Moral:
Hard work may not make you perfect overnight, but it always leads you farther than talent without effort. Talent opens the door, but only hard work keeps it open.