Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci

"Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind." This quote states the fact that practice makes perfect, and lack of practice leads to a gradual decrease in skill. None other than Leonardo Da Vinci could've written this quote. Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 on a small farmhouse in Vinci, where he was raised by his parents, Ser Piero and Caterina. When he was 15, he moved to Florence to his father's workshop, where he apprenticed under people like Antonio Pallai and Andrea del Verrocchio. Eventually, Da Vinci became an athlete, musician, singer, inventor, scientist, artist, and engineer, and died at the age of 67 on May 2, 1519. Although he lived about 500 years ago, Da Vinci conveyed heroic characteristics that 21st century citizens can follow, with a humble past, the mind of a discoverer, and a need to master lifestyle.

Although Da Vinci had a very successful life, his relatability verifies that any person is capable of achieving greatness. Leonardo Da Vinci wasn't born in a palace or a castle: "...being born and raised in a small farmhouse did very little, if anything, to hinder a boy who would soon become the focal point of the artistic, scientific, and medical worlds of his own age and of many ages to come." (Dane). A small farmhouse is not a typical place for a boy who will "be the focal point of the artistic, scientific, and medical worlds." (Dane). Anyone can accomplish great things with drive and motivation. Education wasn't a very big issue for Da Vinci either: "But Leonardo was the most intellectually versatile of them all and brilliantly original in everything he did, without the benefit of a formal education except in graphic art." (Nuland). Da Vinci's lack of education further justifies that success is inside. His success is also based on desire and curiosity, which are both things that we humans are in control of. There must be another factor, other than education and background, that had influenced Leonardo to exceed in the way he did.

To cover more ground, we can also expand our studies to further enlarge our knowledge and spark more interests. Da Vinci's range of studies have covered multiple subjects and areas that not a lot of scientists have interest in: "He was at once a painter, architect, mathematician, city planner, biologist and researcher in optics, while at the same time a civil, military, and a hydraulic engineer." (Nuland). We can only think of how much work it took Leonardo Da Vinci to learn about all of those subjects, but with the motivation he has, it's obvious how he got there. Areas he covered greatly influenced the success he achieved. Even more studies shape him into a hero-like character: "He was a gifted athlete, a fine musician and a talented singer,..." (Nuland). We don't have to be limited to the boundaries that society puts on us, but we can grow into areas completely foreign to our kind. Society indeed splits people into groups of music lovers, sport fans, and education promoters; we all still have the right to learn what we want. The areas that one chooses to inquire can truly help them define who they really are.

Attempting to master every area we study can help us do more things than we thought. Leonardo Da Vinci's teacher in each subject was a very inspirational part of the process: "Leonardo soon surpassed his teacher and painted what are now some of the most famous paintings that will ever exist." (Dane). Learning a tremendous amount of knowledge from a teacher is one thing, but Leonardo became more skilled and artistically developed than his teacher because of the drive he committed to himself. A teacher is a great role model for a person to work on achieving higher than. Inspiration, dedication, and motivation can truly help someone reach that goal. Self-learning is also a great way to acquire new information: "...there was Leonardo, dissecting in solitude the stinking corpses of executed criminals and indigent hospital patients, so that he might better comprehend the body's mysteries." (Nuland). Grasping a new idea or topic is not always easy. It takes the right amount of dedication for the job to push through the toils and master what you want to master. Learning to do something is one thing, but mastering something can assist someone in other areas as well.

Leonardo Da Vinci shows the qualities of a hero because he had a very humble childhood, an interest in many different areas, and a heart made to master his many studies. With his life starting out on a small farmhouse, his life has been very successful, considering the many things he invented and researched. This can only mean that if he wasn't inspired by his surroundings growing up or his education, than it had to come from inside. That's also where the drive and motivation come from. Da Vinci inspires me greatly because it shows that if someone from a small town in the hills can change so much in the world, maybe I could as well. Determination can lead to our destiny. Leonardo Da Vinci knew that, and in turn, continued to prosper with knowledge. Dreams can truly drive us towards success. If everyone in the world was as determined as Leonardo Da Vinci, think about what our world could achieve and where it could end up.