I’m not going to write this post today, because it’s already written.
This morning, I saw a repost on LinkedIn, which evoked a near-visceral reaction in me.
The statement that started the reaction was: “If Da Vinci lived today, project managers would’ve murdered him with Gantt charts. He’d be stuck in Jira tickets, closing loops, updating “next steps.” The Mona Lisa? Probably sitting in Drafts, tagged “WIP.””
Here’s my comment on the post.
If Leonardo lived today, he would still be Leonardo. He wouldn’t be working in a company even though he might have started that way. He would’ve chased freedom and become a freelancer. He would still try doing several things at once, leaving a few incomplete.
He would look debonair yet messy; he would still love one or some of his works with a passion; he would come up with new methods to do things; he would write his journals in reverse; and have atrocious habits.
He would still be thinking, journalling, writing, inventing, AND painting – and yes, he would’ve probably gotten married to Salai instead of being “accused” of homosexuality in 1476.
It’s nearly impossible that he would be working a 9-to-5. When you are that mad about being creative, you leave every damn promise of stability behind. Leonardo had every chance of growing his studio that he had inherited from Verrocchio into the biggest in Europe, but he chose to dissect corpses to make anatomical drawings!
And, by the way, somewhere out there, he would still have his arch-nemesis, Michelangelo, consistent, focussed, and practical – leading a multinational firm and taking home a billion dollar paycheck.
To lose oneself, one must be free.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Caricature Painting. Medium: Oils, Size: 12″x16″ (2017) Artist: Shafali R. Anand. (Not for Sale)
Leave a Reply