Can Good Taste Be Taught?
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Good taste is one of those elusive concepts everyone thinks they understand—until they’re asked to define it. In creative work, taste can make the difference between work that resonates and work that falls flat. But is it something you’re born with, or can it be learned?
While some people may have an early sensitivity to beauty, proportion, or style, most experts agree: taste isn’t fixed. It’s shaped, refined, and sharpened over time through what you see, study, and make.
In today’s creative economy, taste acts as a kind of creative currency—a valuable skill that sets professionals apart and shapes how their work is perceived and valued.
Taste Isn’t Purely Inherited
There’s a common belief that taste is a natural gift—that you either have “the eye” or you don’t. In reality, it’s more like a muscle: the more you work it, the stronger it becomes. Treating taste as purely personal preference can hold creatives back. If there’s no shared sense of quality, there’s no benchmark for improvement.
Immersion Sharpens Your Eye
The strongest creative taste often comes from deep exposure to quality work. Designers who study the masters, writers who read great literature, and musicians who absorb the classics all train their senses to recognize excellence. The more you consume high-caliber work—whether through galleries, architecture, films, or craft—the more instinctive your judgment becomes.
Bridging the Gap with Practice
As Ira Glass famously said, “Your taste got you into the game…but your work disappoints you.” That gap between vision and execution frustrates every creative at some point. The only cure? Keep making. Taste improves with creation, not just consumption. Every attempt sharpens your sense of what works—and what doesn’t.
Taste Evolves with You
Good taste isn’t static. As your skills deepen and your worldview expands, so does your aesthetic judgment. Ideas or styles you once dismissed may later become your new standard. This evolution is a sign of growth, not inconsistency.
Why Taste Matters More Than Ever
In an era where AI can generate endless possibilities, the human ability to curate, refine, and decide what’s worth pursuing is invaluable. Anyone can create. Taste decides what should be created.
Key Takeaways
- Taste can be learned It develops through exposure and intentional practice.
- Your influences matter Surround yourself with excellence.
- Work feeds taste Creation is the fastest way to refine your judgment.
- Stay open Your idea of “good” will grow and shift over time.
Bottom line Good taste isn’t just about knowing what looks or feels right—it’s about developing the ability to see the difference, and trusting yourself enough to act on it. Over time, seeing truly does become knowing.
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