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3 Ways To Think Like da Vinci

Updated: May 1

To be like one of the greatest minds in history is easier than you think.


Perhaps that is no surprise as the man himself is credited with saying that  “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” (One of my favorite sentiments)


The thing is, da Vinci wasn’t just a painter, although perhaps that's what he is best remembered for.


No, the man was the life of the party, an engineer, inventor, and scientist ahead of his time. He was even an athlete with a cool, calm, and collected stride.


Somehow, he balanced greatness with ease, and Michael Gelb, author, writer, and speaker who has extrapolated the wisdom from nearly 6,000 pages of da Vinci's surviving notebooks, believes it comes from seven core principles (the first three which will be shared this week and the following four in the next).


Gelb has spent his phenomenal career working with top-level CEOs, organizations, and keynote guests and affirms that unlocking inner greatness is easier than we think. 


If you want to emulate the greatness of Da Vinci and find your own success, embrace:


  1. Curiosity (Curiosita)

  2. Demonstration (Dimostrazione)

  3. Sensation (Sensazione)



  1. Curiosity (Curiosita): “An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.”


This principle is my favorite. Beyond its connection to my brand and how I aim to live life, having child-like innocence and inquisitiveness about everything makes for a much more enjoyable and productive run on this earth. We only get one of them after all.


If you're going to go on this ride, you may as well have fun doing it. The essence of anything is only four or five questions away. 


It starts with asking powerful questions. It’s a “what do you mean by that?” or “How did you get to that conclusion?” …  It’s the daily act of Staying Curious.


  1. Demonstration (Dimostrazione): “A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.”


Don’t just accept things as they are or how they come, but live them out, put them into practice, and see what does and doesn’t work for you.


This takes critical thinking (preceded by the inquisitive curiosity mentioned before). Don’t be naive, but neither should you be a cynic. There’s a golden mean in which your genius can thrive. It's strategic and it's implementable.


Practically experiment. Reaccess how it's working for you. Test your knowledge through experience and be willing and persistent throughout.


  1. Sensation (Sensazione): “The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience.”


Da Vinci once said, "The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” They are how we gather,  interpret, and live out information, yet many of us take them for granted in our “busy bee” hustle culture.


We might taste but never savor,

Smell but never breathe in,

Touch but never caress and feel,

Speak but never converse,

Hear but never listen.


Sharpening your senses begins with appreciating nature, beauty, and the small things that compose the big ones. There are no wrong answers within an experience, and its appreciation is dependent on you. Start by going on a real walk, one with no earbuds and some good sunlight. Use and refine your senses throughout, then tell me how it goes. I know you won't regret it.


—

Be intentional, notice the disconnects around you, and develop your Sensation to identify them. Then, peruse those thoughts with your Curiosity and challenge the framework to see what's practical and real through the principles of Demonstration.


Being a genius artist, inventor, or scientist doesn't depend solely on your skills with a brush, your handiness with a tool, or your time in the lab. It bleeds over from the way you behave daily. 


To become a better performer in any arena, begin by reframing and adding these three elements into your routine. Adjust accordingly, but be purposeful. 


In no matter of time, living life like da Vinci will liberate both your creativity and productivity while simultaneously freshening your perspectives and tinting everything in a faint rose hue.


- Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta


(Stay tuned for the following four practical methods to live and think like da Vinci next week.)


Sources:


Ethan Schwandt, How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw9JZgqupaA


Modern Wisdom, Michael Gelb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2bHy6o7i1A


 
 
 

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