On a related note, if you find this line of thought interesting, you'd probably enjoy Steve Martin's Born Standing Up.

It's a beautifully written memoir in which he tells the story of how he became one of the most successful stand-up comedians ever. I'm not much of a reader, but for what it's worth, it's probably the best thing I've read this year. And, yes, it reinforces the idea that "genius" is often the result of years of hard work and trial and error.