Judy (J.A.) Kundert Novelist
Speaker
Adventurer

Leonardo da Vinci comes to mind when we think genius and creativity from art to science and inventions. So I decided to find something about one of the greatest thinkers of all time. One good source to find some answers is Michael J. Gelb’s National Bestselling book, “How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.” 

Some important points from Gelb’s book that I want to share today are: 

• Our intelligence is not fixed at birth. We can increase our intelligence  with training

• There are seven intelligences, some genius’s like Leonard da Vinci possessed all of  them 

• Our brains are much better than we think

I found Gelb’s book mention of an interesting study published in the journal Nature enlightening. It stated that a recent statistical review of more than two hundred studies of IQ concluded that genes account for no more than 48 percent of IQ. Fifty-two percent of the IQ function is prenatal care, environment, and education. 

Another interesting finding in Gelb’s book is the listing of the seven intelligence categories. I always thought that our intelligence was one big system. 

  Genius’s like Leonardo da Vinci possessed all of these  areas: 

• Logical-Mathematical
• Verbal-Linguistic
• Spatial-Mechanical
• Musical
• Body-Kinetic
• Interpersonal-Social
• Intrapersonal (self-knowledge) 
• How much better is our brain than we think? Well, here are some of the findings about the wonders of our brain from Gelb’s book:
• It is more flexible and multidimensional than a supercomputer
• It can learn seven facts per second
• It will improve with age
• It is unique. Our creative gifts, our fingerprints, our expressions, our DNA, our dreams are unprecedented and unique.

 What is the first step in changing our brain and thinking more like da Vinci? Gelb recommends that to think like Leonardo, you need to recognize that sight, sound, touch, taste and smell are the keys to opening the doors to experience. 

 Leonardo da Vinci possessed an open, questioning mind with remarkable visual awareness. How can you develop and increase your senses of sight and observation like Leonardo da Vinci? Gelb’s answer – Leonardo experienced a nurturing boyhood. He spent hours observing and enjoying the natural beauty of the Tuscan countryside.  

 Maybe you can’t walk the Tuscan Countryside, but you can find your own nature walks that will give you brilliant and inspirational ideas. Just step outdoors for an hour and  take time to pause and enjoy all your senses.