Tamara Mitrofanova
Jan 7 · 7 min read
Leonardo Da Vinci’s creativity marked him as a great genius. Anyone can reach endless potential with creativity using these lessons that will change your life!
Leonardo Da Vinci is famous for his artistic genius and innovation. Remarkably, Da Vinci had no formal education besides basic reading and writing. At fifteen, he was sent to apprentice under a famous artist, Andrea del Verrocchina. Under his tutelage, his artistic talent flourished.
Today he is widely considered the greatest painter of all time but he was much more than that. He was an imaginative intellectual that studied nature and designed futuristic machines such as the bicycle, helicopter, submarine, and military machinery. His innovative mindset marked him centuries ahead of others. Sigmund Freud described it perfectly with, “like a man who awoke too early in the darkness, while others were still asleep.”
Leonardo Da Vinci decided that creativity was a crucial part of his life and it showed through his artwork and innovative ideas. Without his creative passions, the paintings of Mona Lisa and The Last Supper would have never existed. The source of all his work was stemmed from his ability to manifest creativity. That made him successful.
Anyone can improve their quality of life through creativity and here’s how you can do it!
Lesson 1 — Unleash Your Imagination
Creativity without imagination is useless. For creativity to thrive, imagination is important because it allows us to explore ideas and concepts that do not exist in our life.
Imagination connects us with our spirited side and inspires us to flourish. Have you ever just let your imagination run wild and it inspired creativity? In many ways, imagination helps us create the life we want to live. Changing your beliefs and taking action all starts with your incredible imagination. It is imagination that pushes us to make the decision to improve ourselves.
Stop focusing on your financial problems or if you have time to accomplish your goals. Sometimes forgetting about what is realistic is all you need to move forward.
Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
If Leonardo Da Vinci lived in the 20th century, he would agree with Einstein.
Leonardo was wildly imaginative to the point of fantasy. His imagination extended to designing cities, flying machines, weaponry contraptions, engineering, and his world-renowned art. He was more visionary than realistic and this fueled his creativity. Da Vinci’s boundless imagination is what distinguished him from his counterparts that didn’t make it to the pages of history.
As we grow, our imagination is replaced with realistic expectations. Responsibilities and obligations have become our norm. We work tedious jobs to afford rent, food, clothing.
Sometimes you just need to let all that go, close your eyes, and envision a better life for yourself based on your dreams.
Connect with your soul and let it inspire your imagination. This would unleash your creativity because imagination is the source of our creativity.
Take a rest from your heavy workload, close your eyes and become a child again. Don’t allow thoughts of limitations into your mind. Imagining success is the first step towards the path of success. Once you start imagining, you engage with your creative side.
Visualize ways to improve your life and once you do, take the necessary step to make your dream come true.
This can be anything!
Start a new workout routine.
Learn a language you’ve always wanted to speak.
Cook vegan recipes to improve your diet.
Quit your mind-numbing job.
When you let imagination into your mind, anything is possible. So whenever you’re stuck in traffic, sitting on the bus, or watching the time go by, let your mind wander.
Lesson 2 — Be Passionately Curious
Humans are wired to be curious creatures. Every time we encounter new things, our brain releases dopamine and other feel-good chemicals. Therefore, lacking curiosity is a burden to the human soul.
We need curiosity in our lives to spark excitement and limitless possibilities. In many ways, curiosity is a trait that marks a genius. For example, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Leonardo Da Vinci are all well-known for being curious people.
Having intellectual curiosity is very important. Honestly, there is nothing worse for creativity than having a passive mind. Being curious allows us to be more observant of new ideas, have an open mind, ask many questions and enjoy learning.
All of this is vital for leading a successful life and stimulating your creativity.
Art historian Kenneth Clark called Da Vinci, “the most relentlessly curious man in history.”
Leonardo Da Vinci had an insatiable curiosity. His notebooks were crammed with math calculations, sketches, birds, machinery, riddles, plant stems, and much more. His insatiable curiosity was largely stemmed from open-mindedness. Being open-minded is an important component for creativity growth. Being open to learn and change your mind will lead to great things.
Another vital habit is asking questions and seeking answers. An active mind is always wondering about the world around them. The mind is like a muscle that becomes stronger through continual exercise, the mental exercise caused by curiosity makes your mind stronger and stronger.
Like all geniuses, Da Vinci was always seeking answers. His notebooks contained numerous questions that were completely random, such as, “Why is the fish in the water swifter than the bird in the air when it ought to be contrary since the water is heavier and thicker than the air?”
He was passionately curious and always filled with wonder. We too can improve ourselves by following Da Vinci’s example and allowing curiosity to flood our minds.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Expose yourself to learning. Study nature. Learn watercolour painting. Read difficult books like Dostoevsky. Or just open any book outside your comfort zone.
Explore, live life and stay curious.
Lesson 3 — The Power of Observation
Observation skills are an important tool for success. It is necessary to observe the world, other people, and the environment for creative inspiration. If you’re an artist, writer, entrepreneur, or anyone who wishes to appeal to others, observing the world around you is very important. It is necessary to understand your audience and whats grips people’s attention.
Research studies have shown that observation skills are the main factor in boosting creativity. Results showed that strong observation skills were linked to greater creativity, originality, and flexible thinking.
Leonardo Da Vinci was a keen observer. He particularly enjoyed observing nature and animals. Without his observations, he would not have been an innovator, let alone a great artist.
As a young artist, Leonardo learned that observation is the blue-print of creativity. His notebooks are flooded with notes of his close observation or instructions on what to observe. “Observe the goose foot: if it were always open or always closed the creature would not be able to make any kind of movement.” He wrote this note in one of his many journals.
In his own remarkable way, Leonardo was able to combine nature observation with an artistic sensibility. His extreme observation of movement and nature benefited his artwork enormously.
Paintings by Da Vinci display the effect of light bouncing on objects. This light-work added an aesthetically-pleasing touch to his art. He was also able to convey motion by drawing quick curved lines on tree leaves and shadows. This made his work look eerily alive.
By improving your observation skills, you’ll engage with your creative energy. You will discover new concepts and details that help build innovative thoughts. Taking a stroll outdoors is a great way to improve your observation skills and fuel creative thinking. Studies have shown that walking benefits visionary brainstorming.
If you’ve got an extra hour to spare, take a stroll through your local neighborhood, park, or a faraway wilderness. Breathe in the smells, tune into the sounds of chirping birds and notice the scurrying squirrels. Observe your surroundings and let your inspiration blossom.
Remember, spiking your creativity using observation takes effort and time. It’s not an overnight phenomenon.
Allow your mind to drift and observe the Earth’s beautiful surroundings. Creativity will come naturally.
In Conclusion…
Is creativity all that important for success?
Absolutely! You can never be successful without creativity because it allows us to navigate through dark waters, turn imaginative ideas into reality, bring excitement into our lives, and inspire success. It is the creative thinkers that create change in the world.
Leonardo Da Vinci is the perfect representation of what a wild imagination, intense curiosity, and observation can accomplish. He discovered the recipe on how to become a creative genius. With these three lessons, you too can improve yourself and prosper through creativity.
Allow yourself to be more like Leonardo Da Vinci: passionate, curious,
and always filled with wonder.
Swan Island in the Kennebec -- 