Leonardo Da Vinci...
You've probably heard of him, but you might not know much about his life and work.
I read his Biography by Walter Isaacson (a great book by a great biographer)
THEN, I read another book titled 'How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci' by Michael Gelb. (the title of which is something I and many others aspire to do).
THEN, I watched the new documentary from Ken Burns. (a great documentary by a great documentarian).
AND THEN, I built Leonardo's flying machine (the newly released LEGO set).
It's fair to say I've been down the Da Vinci rabbit hole the past few weeks - his paintings amaze me, but his life.....his life is what inspires me the most.
I also need to mention a video I watched on YouTube from a creator called Adam Westbrook titled 'The Long Game Part 1: Why Leonardo Da Vinci was once a loser'.
Instead of looking at histories winners, he looks at the losers - but how the hell can you call Leonardo a loser?!
It may come as a surprise, but there was a point in his life when many people (even himself) would have thought the same - a point when Leonardo was 30 years old.
He was a genius, but he had little to show for it around that time - a few unfinished paintings (commissioned by clients who would never receive them) etc etc.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LAST SUPPER, THE MONA LISA??
Well, the Last Supper was finished in 1498 - he was 46. and the Mona Lisa, well that was painted somewhere between 1503 and 1519 when he was in his 50's.
Up until then (his big break) Leonardo had a lot of inner turmoil.
Do you ever feel like a loser? Like you've not accomplished anything and yet you're only getting older.... clocks ticking.
Adam titles his YouTube series 'The Long Game'. There's also an episode on Vincent van Gogh (another loser) who spent 11 years living with his parents, starving, failing...his teeth falling out.
He probably didn't realise he was playing 'the long game', because most of the time its not a choice, it's not intentional.
Yet sometimes, that's what it takes, because great things take time.
P.S - I am uploading a new video on YouTube about Leonardo da Vinci (03/03/25)