“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” – Michelangelo
History is a wonderful classroom filled with rich insights, ideas and inspiration to inform the future, providing hope and direction. As we flounder in uncertainty right now, we can explore the wisdom of the past to create a new future.
The Renaissance period between the 14th and 17th centuries in Europe was the transition period between the middle ages and modern times. It was a time of rebirth of classical philosophy, literature and art. Some of the greatest creators produced timeless, foundational work that remains relevant and influences us even today in our “technologically connected and advanced times.”
History.com summarizes an impressive list of those explorers, artists and discoverers of this time period:
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor, and “Renaissance man” responsible for painting “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.
Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536): Scholar from Holland who defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament into Greek.
Rene Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, “I think; therefore I am.”
Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose pioneering work with telescopes enabled him to describe the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Placed under house arrest for his views of a heliocentric universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): Mathematician and astronomer who made first modern scientific argument for the concept of a heliocentric solar system.
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679): English philosopher and author of “Leviathan.”
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400): English poet and author of “The Canterbury Tales.”
Giotto (1266-1337): Italian painter and architect whose more realistic depictions of human emotions influenced generations of artists. Best known for his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua.
Dante (1265–1321): Italian philosopher, poet, writer and political thinker who authored “The Divine Comedy.”
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher famous for writing “The Prince” and “The Discourses on Livy.”
Titian (1488–1576): Italian painter celebrated for his portraits of Pope Paul III and Charles I and his later religious and mythical paintings like “Venus and Adonis” and "Metamorphoses."
William Tyndale (1494–1536): English biblical translator, humanist and scholar burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English.
William Byrd (1539/40–1623): English composer known for his development of the English madrigal and his religious organ music.
John Milton (1608–1674): English poet and historian who wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost.”
William Shakespeare (1564–1616): England’s “national poet” and the most famous playwright of all time, celebrated for his sonnets and plays like “Romeo and Juliet.”
Donatello (1386–1466): Italian sculptor celebrated for lifelike sculptures like “David,” commissioned by the Medici family.
Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510): Italian painter of “Birth of Venus.”
Raphael (1483–1520): Italian painter who learned from da Vinci and Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and “The School of Athens.”
Michelangelo (1483–1520): Italian sculptor, painter, and architect who carved “David” and painted The Sistine Chapel in Rome.
In her TedX talk, sculptor Barbara Segal shares how Renaissance methods drove creativity that she learned in Italy and integrated into her own artistic practice. “When it came time to create my own studio with my own work I was armed and ready with technique and practice and with the voices of those in whose footsteps I followed. The 15th and 16th century Renaissance studios were apprenticeship based where young students and artists would come to learn a trade in order to produce the work of the master. These types of workshops to hone your skills are not available today, so the inspiration and creativity coming out of these is endangered of being lost especially in the United States where we don't have the examples of art history and architecture surrounding us as they do in Europe. Young artists come to me from all over the world and I pass along my artistic philosophies as well as teach them the trade of stone carving. It is more than just tool to stone, it is the passing on of awe and beauty through line and form with meaning and concept behind the work.”
She concludes her talk with a very relevant question that is worthy for each of us to answer for ourselves, “would you take the time it takes to make something that would last forever, what would you send into the future?”
Explore more resources on the Renaissance and take look at 10 top virtual museum tours to expand your perspective and shift your attention to creative endeavors, inspired by the real “GOATs” – (Greatest of All Times).
Looking for a place to start your own creative endeavor? Get a blank pad of paper and start journaling every day. No rules. Just start writing your thoughts, ideas, inklings – uncensored, unedited and unafraid. Let your subconscious rise to the surface without judgment, allowing the first draft to bring up what’s inside longing to see the light of day.
Journaling can not only help you tap into your innate creativity, it can also help with stress reduction. In The Benefits of Journaling for Stress Management, Elizabeth Scott shares research that shows the benefits of journaling:
It decreases the symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and other health conditions;
It improves cognitive functioning;
It can strengthen immune system response;
It can counteract many of the negative effects of stress.
In the past week of a dozen or so of video calls planning for work contingency plans to work from home, I started to lose track of the days and time in the chaos and consternation.
Yesterday, I woke up at 3:30 am with thoughts reeling and lists swirling in my head. Instead of tossing and turning, I got up and decided to start the daily practice of journaling to document these days, to witness them as they unfold, for a few reasons. One is to capture the emotions, thoughts and perspectives as they are happening. We forget our days both while we are in them and when they have passed. Journaling chronicles time unfiltered, real and raw.
Lack of time and busyness have just dropped off of our excuse list for not starting things. We now have been granted both time and space, so do not let these days pass by unattended or in a catatonic fog. Pursue each day with rigor, discipline and joy.
While we fear our external circumstances with COVID-19 right now, there is also an internal battle we’ve struggled with long before this pandemic. And that’s the innate fear of internal awakening and reckoning that is accompanied by disappointment and anticipation of the known and unknown. It’s where we realize where we are right now, where we want to be and the distance between them.
It is a natural response to drift, escape, binge-watch entertainment and to fall into a continuous cycle of news watching. Snap out of it and be more intentional with these rare days. Do not let this time slip away. Add structure back into unstructured, unconnected, uncertain days. In addition to work and writing, I am filling my days with long runs, mindful eating, ball-chasing activities with my girls, daily journaling, a glass of wine now and then, blog planning and even watching some television.
The world has been put on a “collective time out” to stop, to distance and to unconnect so we can reconnect again in new ways when it’s safe. Overcommitment and bouncing from one thing to the next have been stripped away and each of us remains in this space. In this time of reflection, undoing, boredom and wandering, pivot to action, to changing course, to creating your own “Renaissance” of sorts.
In our temporary “social distancing,” we are arriving home to our own doorstep. Ring the doorbell, knock hard and don’t let up until you open the door and welcome yourself home with a long, warm embrace. Accept the invitation, create a daily plan and framework to make something of lasting value and creativity in this time.
Do both transactional and transformational activities. Plan and prepare for the house projects that have been on your list and do the deep work found in exploration, journaling and other artistic endeavors. Learn something new. Pick up that dusty guitar, watch an instructional video, listen to music, draw, paint, carve something of this time.
This is our collective time for our own Renaissance, to create, to prepare for the other side and to go deep within to change what we need to change and hold tight to what’s most valuable.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo
Start carving and set the angel free! This just may be your – our – Renaissance. Don’t miss it. Start 3 Things today.
