The painting "Mona Lisa", the fresco "The Last Supper", the drawing "Vitruvian man" — this is the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning the name of the great artist. But Leonardo da Vinci was not just a painter, but also an architect, musician, mathematician, inventor, geologist, writer, cartographer. In a word, a genius.
Michael Gelb has written several books on the creative development of personality. One of the most famous are "The Deciphered da Vinci Code" and "Learn to think and draw like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius every day". They have become real bestsellers and have been published in many languages.
Gelb, having studied the manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci, revealed several secrets of his genius. They can help you become more creative.Curiosity is a natural human trait. Mind you, all children are terribly curious. "Why is the sky blue?", "Why is it snowing?", "Why are the leaves turning yellow?" — a child under the age of five asks thousands of questions. Little things get to know the world in this way.
But then, according to Gelb, something happens that leads to a loss of curiosity: the child goes to school, where he learns that answers are more important than questions. Geniuses remain childishly curious all their lives.
Don't stop asking questions. The search for answers forces humanity to move forward.
Pluralism is simply necessary for creativity. Over the years, each person develops his own opinion. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this? But the problem is that gradually a person surrounds himself only with those sources of information (be it books or other people) that do not go against his opinion.
Gelb notes that for creativity it is necessary to consider different points of view. It helps to think independently and nontrivially.The Italians have an expression la dolce vita, which means "sweet life". The French use the phrase joie de vivre, that is, "the joy of life." In America, they say happy hour — "happy hour". All these statements characterize the ability to seize the moment and enjoy it.
Attention to detail is very important for creativity. To feel the moment, to appreciate its transience and beauty — this is not enough for many in the modern world. Gelb believes that music, art, poetry and even good wine or chocolate help to sharpen the sense of beauty.
The unknown is frightening. People often give up on something new simply because they don't know how to behave in an unusual situation. However, self—confidence in the face of uncertainty is an important component of creativity.
According to Gelb, the essence of creativity is in surprise, in constantly discovering new things. If you do only what you are used to every day, you will never make a discovery. Feel free to embark on the path of uncertainty if you want to be a truly creative person.
It is believed that the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for creativity, and the left hemisphere is responsible for analytical thinking. As a rule, a person has either one or the other more developed. But today, in order to generate new productive ideas, it is necessary to use both parts of the brain equally, to develop creative and logical thinking.
How to do it? Gelb suggests drawing. Try to draw your thoughts on a piece of paper. What associations does the resulting picture evoke? What is missing in it or, conversely, what is superfluous? How can this be used in life? Come up with and analyze your ideas, then your brain will work 100%.
Few people know that Leonardo da Vinci was also a physically developed person. He was considered one of the strongest men in Florence, he was an experienced swordsman and rider.
Gelb believes that creativity is an intellectual exercise that requires huge energy costs. A physically weak person does not have the strength to create. Therefore, playing sports and keeping yourself in good shape are the basis for creative activity.According to Gelb, a diagram of connections, or a map of thoughts, that is, an image of general systemic thinking using diagrams, is very important for generating new ideas, because it demonstrates the infinite possibilities of the brain.
The relationship diagram is usually drawn in the form of a tree diagram, in the center of which is the main concept, and the branches are the associations caused by it. This technique is often used during brainstorming sessions, during various business trainings or planning. But identifying new connections is also very useful for creative self-improvement.
Many people think that creativity is a gift that falls on the chosen ones, like an apple fell on Newton. This is a myth. Cases of insight, when a person invents something completely new out of nothing, are very rare, if at all real.
In addition, many people step on the tail of their own creativity, believing that the ideas swarming in their head are not good enough. Leonardo da Vinci has a reputation as a universal man for a reason. He clung to every idea and developed it.