Your Brain is Much Better Than You Think!
By Kevin J. Pokorny
Published on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 under Change & Creativity
Your Brain is Much Better Than You Think!
How do I enhance my critical thinking and creativity?
It is a misnomer that our intelligence is fixed at birth and immutable. The neurons in our brains are capable of making increasingly complex new connections throughout our lives. However, we must exercise our brain to keep it fit.
Several years ago, I read a book review that opened up my mind about this subject. The book is called How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb. Gelb embarked on a study of Leonardo’s life to determine if the “fundamentals of Leonardo’s approach to learning and the cultivation of intelligence can be abstracted and applied to inspire and guide us toward the realization of our own full potential.” As a result, Gelb identified essential elements of da Vinci’s approach to learning and the cultivation of intelligence which can be studied, emulated, and applied. His book is a practical approach for applying Leonardo’s genius to enrich your life.
Michael Gelb identified 7 da Vincian Principles, that when applied, cultivates critical thinking just as Leonardo did in his life. What are some of these principles? It involves skill areas such as nurturing our curiosity, learning from one’s mistakes, refinement of the senses, embracing ambiguity, learning whole-brain thinking, and seeing the interconnectedness of all things (systems thinking). These skill sets are now recognized by leading educators and employers as vital in living and working in the 21st century.
Let’s take one of the 7 Principles – curiosity - to illustrate, when used, how it cultivates critical thinking. Leonardo was a master at asking questions to understand everything in his world from how does a bird fly to how does blood flow from the brain to our toes. In Leonardo’s writings, his approach to understanding something began with listing all the questions he could think of which would eventually lead him to answers. Being curious is to ask questions which opens up multiple ways of understanding an issue or how to solve a problem. We are prone to find the right answer immediately instead of honing our skills to ask questions. As Gelb points out in his book, many inventions and business innovations were inspired by the question: “What if. . .?” Thus, to be open to undiscovered solutions is to begin by asking questions. That is an approach to critical thinking. So, start asking questions and you will be thinking like Leonardo da Vinci!
Dewitt Jones, a freelance photographer for National Geographic for more than 20 years, has spent his life cultivating his own creativity. Jones shares his creativity concepts in an inspiring video, “Everyday Creativity,” and further illustrates each concept. His main concept in developing creativity in our lives is “Creativity is the ability to look at the ordinary and see the . . . extraordinary.” In the video, Jones shares his experiences and the lessons he’s learned while trying to tap into his own creative potential.
At ATW, we offer a seminar Critical Thinking and Creativity that encompasses the critical thinking approaches from Leonardo da Vinci and creativity concepts of Dewitt Jones into our work and personal lives. Please join others in this seminar for an experience that may change your life as it has for me.
Kevin J. Pokorny is a consultant with ATW Training & Consulting in Des Moines. He is a graduate of Drake University and holds a certificate in Internal Consulting from University Associates Consulting and Training Services in San Diego. He owned his consulting and training business for 14 years prior to joining ATW. Kevin’s strategic planning process Futures: Planning Creatively was published in The 2002 Annual: Volume 2 Consulting 2002, by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. He can be reached through ATW’s website, www.atwtraining.com