7.3 Skills in the 21st Century

back
Understand /7
7.3.10 Innovative Minds in Arts

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)

In a nutshell: Italian painter, engineer, military architect, inventor, sculptor, writer, scientist; all in all, the last polymath in the world

His famous inventions:

  • Anemometer 
  • Armoured tank
  • Flying machine (helicopter)
  • Swing bridge
  • Parachute
  • Giant crossbow
  • Machine gun
  • Watch (the first clock with springs instead of pendulum)

He said:

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.”

His method:

  • He did several things parallel, and sometimes he left his projects unfinished for years before he picked them up again; he waited for ideas to mature.
  • He used mirror writing (his writing is readable with a mirror) to take notes. It was maybe because he was left-handed or because he knew that it was a good way to improve his logical thinking skills. 
  • Though he was a rich man, he set up a school where he personally taught his pupils. They had a lot questions that made Leonardo think hard. He realised that the best way to learn something is to teach.
  • He was vegetarian and openly gay. He was loyal to himself and his visions to old age.

Key takeaway:

  1. Try mirror writing for yourself. Check your handwriting in a mirror.
  2. If you are stuck with an idea, just put it aside for a while and pick it up later.
  3. When you want to learn about something, find somebody to explain it. You will have a better understanding.

1 2→