This weekend I went to the touring exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci. He was a spectacular genius in everything that interested him. They said he had a lovely singing voice, taught himself musical instruments (and, of course invented a few), made special theatrical rigs for the stage, and the list of his innovations, inventions, art, architecture and many other accomplishments goes on and on. All of this does not consider the time he spent in the service of others while trying to support himself. He was apprenticed at 14 and died at age 67. He did all of this in less than 53 years!
How did he do it? Was it because there weren't the distractions of TV, computers, and movies? Probably. But there was his own relationship to his work and problem solving. This is what Leonardo wrote: "Every now and then go away. For when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
I saw this among his epigrams in the show and I wanted to share it with you because is it such good advice in all thorny issues.
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