Michelangelo, talent is cheap ; dedication is costly

[keannu]

Does this mean "Your talent is so inborn as to be bought cheaply(without any cost), but dedication is something you have to exert your effort for"? Does "costly" mean "expensive" or "in need of sacrifice"?

330-167
ex)Bertoldo di Giovanni is a name even the most ehthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize...Bertold was wise enough to realize that gifted people are often tempted to coast rather than to grow, and therefore he kept trying to pressure his young genius to work seriously at his art. One day he came into the studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath his abilities. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the work into tiny pieces, shouting this unforgettable message, "Michelangelo, talent is cheap ; dedication is costly!"

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

NOT A TEACHER

You have the right idea in my opinion. Talent is in your genes, you either have it or you don't (although people can differ in the degree of talent, obviously). There's not much you can do about it. If you have a lot of talent, you get it for free because you didn't have to work for it.
You can, however, dedicate a lot of time to your craft. Putting in time is costly, because not only does time equal money, any time you spend on X, you cannnot spend on Y.

 

[charliedeut]

Bertoldo di Giovanni - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hi, IMO it means literally that is cost a lot of money, since Michaelangelo was attending the school set up by Lorenzo de Medici. So the time Michaelangelo spent working under his level, he was wasting the money paid (by Mr. de Medici).

charliedeut