Dec.20, 2012

    “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”      — Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

Disciple of Experience

 Leonardo da Vinci described himself as a ‘disciple of experience’. In his own words he said,

    “The rules of experience are all that is needed to discern the true from the false; experience is what helps all men to look temporarily for the possible, rather than cloaking oneself in ignorance, which can result in no good thing, so that, in the end, one abandons oneself to despair and melancholy.”

 So what are the rules of experience? I’d like to think he was alluding to becoming ‘mindful’ of our experiences, to engage in both the description and the interpretation of it. Allowing that experience to be retrieved, interpreted, abstracted and made meaningful. Those are the building blocks that enable us to grow and evolve, to reach out and live. To become.

 And knowing is not enough, at some point we must apply. It is in our nature, we are hardwired to express ourselves and there should be no shame in it. Not from our governments, peers, colleagues, neighbours, marketing etc… I believe acceptance and understanding should replace ignorance and fear at every turn.

 I see this person as a rolemodel.

This man, -Leonardo- who possessed an open mind and creative vision [painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist], took his desire for knowledge, a trait that guided all his thinking and behaviour, and despite the odds, celebrated it in ways that have influenced so many through all these centuries.

 That is Art. That is Passion. That is my interpretation of living. -testimonia