How to Find Your Hidden Talents

Remember the last time you were doodling in the margins of your notes during class and discovered that the drawing turned out kind of amazing? Or that time you had to give a last-minute presentation and work and nailed it? Sometimes, our hidden talents crop up during unexpected moments–secret Easter eggs just waiting to be discovered.

We live in a time where our professions and passions often intersect. Knowing what you’re good at can be a way to dig deeper and understand where you’re likely to excel and where you’re likely to be the happiest. Whether you’re trying to secure your dream job, start a lucrative side hustle, or find a fulfilling hobby, figuring out your hidden talents can open you up to new opportunities.

But how do you go about finding your talents that are, well, hidden? Let’s take a closer look at what we mean by hidden talents and how to uncover yours.

Key Takeaways:

• Reflecting on past experiences and accomplishments can help uncover hidden talents you may not have noticed.
• Asking for feedback from friends, family, or mentors can reveal strengths that come naturally to you.
• Exploring new activities and hobbies through low-commitment “micro-adventures” can lead to discovering untapped skills.
• Embracing failure and adopting a growth mindset fosters self-discovery and the development of hidden talents.

Understanding Hidden Talents

Hidden talents are innate skills or abilities that people possess but are not immediately apparent or even consciously recognized. Such talents often stay undiscovered because people lack the awareness, opportunity, or external validation to explore them. Once discovered, however, they can help fuel personal growth and happiness.

Examples of hidden talents:

• While making a funny TikTok video with friends, you discover you have a talent for creating funny, engaging content that draws people in.
• You impulsively join your friend for a wine and art class, only to discover you have a serious knack for painting.
• After a friend asks you to help her decorate her new apartment, you discover you have some HGTV-level interior design abilities.
• You start taking photos of your daily adventures with your new iPhone and notice that many of your snaps look like they belong in a travel magazine.
• You start playing around on your friend’s piano and discover you’ve got a natural ability to pick up on melody even though you’ve never had music lessons.

Hidden Talents List

• Artistic skills (drawing, painting, sculpture)
• Musical abilities (playing an instrument, singing, composing)
• Writing skills (creative writing, blogging, journalism)
• Public speaking (presentations, storytelling)
• Problem-solving (critical thinking, strategic planning)
• Leadership (team management, motivational speaking)
• Cooking (culinary creativity, baking, food presentation)
• Photography (capturing moments, photo editing)
• Social skills (networking, relationship building)
• Design skills (graphic design, fashion design, interior design)
• Technical skills (coding, website development, troubleshooting)
• Athletic abilities (sports, dance, fitness training)
• Craftsmanship (woodworking, knitting, sewing)
• Organizational skills (event planning, time management)
• Empathy (emotional support, counseling)
• Teaching (mentoring, tutoring, instructional design)
• Mechanical skills (repair work, engineering)
• Mathematical abilities (problem-solving, data analysis)
• Performance skills (acting, improv, stage management)
• Language skills (translation, multilingual communication)
• Strategic thinking (business strategy, game theory)
• Negotiation skills (conflict resolution, deal-making)
• Social media management (content creation, audience engagement)
• Culinary innovation (recipe development, food pairing)
• DIY skills (home improvement, upcycling)
• Gaming (strategy games, competitive gaming)
• Animal care (training, grooming, veterinary skills)
• Entrepreneurial skills (start-up creation, business planning)
• Memory skills (memorization techniques, recall)
• Healing practices (alternative medicine, holistic approaches)
• Scientific research (experimentation, data interpretation)
• Historical knowledge (research, preservation)
• Environmental stewardship (sustainability, conservation)
• Negotiation (mediating, resolving disputes)
• Event planning (coordinating, organizing)
• Adaptability (flexibility, resilience in changing environments)
• Customer service (problem resolution, client relations)
• Humor (comedy, wit, entertaining)
• Charisma (influencing, persuading)
• Mindfulness (meditation, stress management)

What Causes Hidden Talents?

Why do some people develop specialized talents that aren’t immediately apparent? Researchers suggest that sometimes these skills emerge because of adversity. 

Harsh environments have a tendency to undermine people’s abilities. When you are dealing with stress or a lack of opportunities, it makes it harder to develop skills. However, evidence suggests that people in harsh environments often develop enhanced social and cognitive abilities. They are skilled at solving problems in stressful contexts.

“Stress-adapted skills represent a form of adaptive intelligence that enables individuals to function within the constraints of harsh, unpredictable environments,” explain researchers in a journal article published in Development and Psychopathology.

That doesn’t mean you need to experience harsh or traumatic situations to develop hidden talents, but it might mean that challenging yourself can help promote specialized skills and resilience.

Do Hidden Talents Have Hidden Benefits?

Discovering your hidden talents can be a bit of a game changer for your life and career. Some of the powerful ways it can benefit you include: 

Greater Self-Awareness

Knowing your secret talents can help you better understand and give you the information you need to decide about your personal and work life. Knowing you have a hidden talent for talking to people might inspire you to choose a profession that involves working with people.

Increased Confidence

It’s all too easy to overlook our strengths and focus only on our flaws. Recognizing your hidden talents can help boost your self-esteem. Knowing what you are naturally good at can give you the confidence to pursue other challenges, including further honing those abilities.

Improved Job Satisfaction

Having hidden talents can be a boon in the workplace. When you know your strengths, you can align your career pursuits with your unique talents. That can go a long way toward making your job more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Increased Fulfillment

Utilizing your hidden talents can also help you feel more fulfilled in your personal life. Even if you’re just pursuing these talents as hobbies or for fun, they can help unlock your potential and show you new ways to learn and grow.

How to Discover Your Hidden Talents

Does it seem like everyone you know has their “thing” they’re good at, but you’re still struggling to figure yours out? It’s totally normal to not know all your hidden talents, after all, they call then “hidden” for a reason. 

The fact is that you have plenty of skills and strengths that make you unique—you just need to discover them. It might be a talent you’ve never noticed or a skill that just needs a little extra nurturing to shine. Let’s take a closer look at some things you can do to figure out your special skills.

Reflect on Past Experiences

The best place to start looking for your hidden talents—your past. It’s a bit like scrolling through old photos of yourself, but instead of cringing at your old hairstyles, you’re looking for memories of those times you really shined.

What were some things you used to do for fun? What did people compliment you on the most? For example, maybe you’ve always been the friend people turn to for advice or the one who had a knack for choosing the best item on the menu.

Take a minute to ask yourself: What have I accomplished? It can be big or small. It might be an art project you were proud of in grade school, or a debate with a friend where you made great points and helped people understand your perspective.

These past successes are clues into the hidden talents you may be nurturing, but perhaps haven’t fully developed yet. Life moves fast, so it’s easy to miss out on some things we are really good at. Taking a moment to pause and reflect can better help you spot the skills that have been there all along.

Seek Outside Perspectives

It can be hard to spot your own hidden talents, but the people around you might have a clearer view. Ask your friends and family (or even your co-workers) what they think you are good at. You might be a bit surprised at some of the hidden talents they’ve noticed.

This outside perspective can be a great way to get a little better insight into what tends to come naturally to you. If you are looking for a particular insight from an expert, consider asking teachers, coaches, or mentors for their suggestions.

Explore New Activities

If you are still stuck trying to figure out what your hidden talents are, it might be time to try out some new things. Consider “micro-adventures,” small, low-commitment ways to try out new hobbies and activities. They give you a taste of the experience without getting overwhelmed. Examples include signing up for a one-day pottery class, joining a recreational sports team, or testing skills with a free app.

According to Colleen Koncilja, LCSW, CADC, ICGC-II, BACC, a therapist at Health and Healing Therapy, people sometimes miss out on recognizing their hidden talents because they are afraid to try new things. While trying something new can be challenging, it can also be an exciting and rewarding opportunity, she notes.

The great thing about these types of adventures is that you never know what will click. You might not become a master of everything, but it gives you a lot of experience and opportunities to build self-awareness and discover your hidden skills.

Utilize Personality and Career Assessments

Personality and career assessments can also be a great way to uncover some of your hidden talents. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one popular example. 

The MBTI breaks down personality into 16 different types based on how you perceive the world and make decisions. For example, are you more of an introvert or extrovert? Or do you make decisions based on logic or intuition? Understanding these aspects of your personality may give you greater insights into some of your strengths. If you are an INFP (“Mediator”), for example, then you may have a hidden talent for leading with empathy or solving problems creatively.

The MBTI isn’t the only tool you can use. Strengths inventories, for example, can help you figure out the things you are good at. There are also plenty of online quizzes (such as our Multiple Intelligences quiz) that can help you understand yourself and pinpoint your abilities and passions. 

Utilize Technology

Technology can also be an excellent resource for uncovering your hidden talents. Self-discovery apps like Skillshare, Coursera, and even YouTube offer ways to explore different skills from the comfort of your home. Graphic design, coding, photography, writing, and art are just a few options you might want to explore.

You might also want to try out apps like Luminosity and Peak to uncover some of your hidden cognitive strengths. Recognizing these skills can offer insights into where your natural talents might lie.

Keep Trying Even When You Make Mistakes

Failing might seem like the last thing you want to do, but learning to embrace your mistakes can be one of the best ways to uncover your hidden talents. You might be tempted to quit when you try and don’t immediately succeed.

This is where having a growth mindset will pay off. Instead of seeing failure as a dead-end, try looking at it as a stepping stone. Every misstep teaches you more about what you’re capable of and where you can improve.

Persistence is key. By sticking with it, you might realize that a talent you thought you didn’t have just needed some extra time and practice to develop. Remember, successful people often have to fail many times before they finally get it right.

Join a Community

Social support is essential, so finding a community that can help uncover what you’re good at can help. Being part of a group and feeling that sense of belonging can give you the strength and security to explore your abilities. It’s a chance to learn from others, explore different interests, and share ideas. The feedback you get can be invaluable, and help you look at things in ways you might not have otherwise.

Summary

Discovering your hidden talents takes exploration, reflection, and patience. Reflecting on your past experiences, trying out new things, and seeking outside perspectives are great ways to uncover your special abilities. So don’t be afraid to start looking for what makes you stand out.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• 50 Guilty Pleasures: Examining some of the things you love (but maybe feel guilty for loving) can also be a way to explore your hidden talents.
• 100 Positive Qualities in a Person: Take a closer look at some of your characteristics that make you great.
• List of Common Insecurities: Sometimes, finding your hidden talents means you need to tackle your hidden insecurities as well.

Sources:

Ellis, B. J., Abrams, L. S., Masten, A. S., Sternberg, R. J., Tottenham, N., & Frankenhuis, W. E. (2022). Hidden talents in harsh environments. Development and Psychopathology, 34(1), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000887

Frankenhuis, W. E., de Vries, S. A., Bianchi, J., & Ellis, B. J. (2020). Hidden talents in harsh conditions? A preregistered study of memory and reasoning about social dominance. Developmental Science, 23(4), e12835. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12835

Frankenhuis, W. E., Young, E. S., & Ellis, B. J. (2020). The hidden talents approach: Theoretical and methodological challenges. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24(7), 569–581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2020.03.007