Craft Vs. Instinct

I love this story that Jay Lacopo told us once.  I think you will too.
It’s a fable from Robert McKee’s fabulous book STORY, regarding the
profound importance of learning your craft as opposed to just floating
through your life and chosen profession on natural instinct:

“High above the forest floor a millipede strolled along the branch of a
tree, her thousand pairs of legs swinging in an easy gait. From the tree
top, songbirds looked down, fascinated by the synchronization of the
millipede’s stride.  ‘That’s an amazing talent,’ chirped the songbirds.
‘You have more limbs than we can count.  How do you do it?’ And for the
first time in her life the millipede thought about this. ‘Yes,’ she
wondered, ‘How do I do what I do?’  As she turned to look back, her
bristling legs ran into one another and tangled like vines of ivy. The
songbirds laughed as the millipede, in a panic of confusion, twisted
herself into a knot and fell to the earth below.

“On the forest floor, the millipede, realizing that only her pride was
hurt, slowly, carefully, limb by limb, unraveled herself.  With patience
and hard work, she studied and flexed and tested her appendages, until
she was able to stand and walk.  What was once instinct became
knowledge.  She realized she didn’t have to move at her old, slow, rote
pace.  She could amble, strut, prance, even run and jump.  Then, as
never before, she listened to the symphony of the songbirds and let the
music touch her heart.  Now in perfect command of thousands of talented
legs, she gathered courage and, with a style of her own, danced and
danced a dazzling dance that astonished all the creatures of the world.”