[This is one of my favorite articles: wisdom for optimum daily living distilled by author Michael
J. Gelb, a creativity and innovation expert, from one of the most influential thinkers of history.
I met Gelb at a conference in Santa Fe, where he gave a presentation on da Vinci. In this fast-
moving Year of the Dragon, we must be in top form to stay ahead of the curve.]
History has many geniuses, people whose thinking, creativity and innovation have shaped lives
for centuries into the future. It may seem at first glance that geniuses are born into their calling
by some combination of heritage and fate. But geniuses can be made, according to a man who
has studied the works and life of one of humanity’s greatest minds, Leonardo da Vinci. Learn to
think like da Vinci and you, too, can harness new powers of brain and mind.
Michael J. Gelb has developed a seven-step plan for daily living that he says will enable anyone
to step into bigger creative shoes. Gelb, a consultant in innovative thinking, is the author of the
best-selling How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.
“Leonardo da Vinci is the archetype of human potential, self-knowledge and all types of
intelligence,” Gelb said. “His thinking and teaching were similar to Taoism. One of his mottos
was, fix your course to a star, and follow it.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
Da Vinci (1452-1519) lived in Italy during the Renaissance, one of the most fertile creative
periods in history. Titans of art, science, philosophy and literature flourished. Da Vinci stood
above them all. He may be best-known for his art – masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and
The Last Supper, recognized as two of the greatest paintings ever done – but he also excelled in
science, architecture and invention. He was far ahead of his time.
His ideas were so prolific it is hard to list them all. He conceived of the airplane, helicopter,
parachute, three-speed gear shift, extendable ladder, folding furniture, bicycle, crane, alarm
clock, hydraulic jack, snorkel and more. In addition, he conceived of numerous labor-saving
devices, and an astonishing array of advanced weaponry. He made significant contributions to
anatomy, botany, geology and physics.
How on earth did all this genius pour out of a single mind in a few decades of time? Read the rest of this entry »
