Dwight Eisenhower never served in combat, but he achieved total victory in World War II. He had no experience running an institution of higher learning, yet he became President of Columbia University. And he never held public office until he was elected President of the United States.
Silhouettes were once among the most popular forms of art. Anyone could afford a silhouette because they were sold in resort gift shops and on seaside boardwalks. The one my mother had made of me came from Coney Island.