Leonardo da Vinci Activity:

According to Dave Stewart in The Business Playground, Leonardo da Vinci considered the ability to think as being inseparable from the ability to visualize and that the eye is an instrument of thought (p. 106).

In his book, he includes the following activity on pages 106-107. For this activity, you will need an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper and colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Fold your paper in half on the 11' side so that you now have two sections that are 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". Now think about a creative problem you need to solve. This can be a work or school related problem.

On the left side of your paper sketch out a picture of what things are like now. On the right side, sketch out how things would be in an ideal world. There should be some significant differences between the two sides. Now , go back in to the left side and using a different color, sketch in things to represent all of the barriers to the ideal solution. You may want to add a few labels on some of the sketched items.

Take a short break now to clear your mind. Stewart suggests you do something completely different. Perhaps exercising or at least stretching or something completely different. Then, go back into the right side and use yet another color to sketch ideas that illustrate ways to break down the barriers you added to the left side. Pin the sketch somewhere you can see it and add to it in the future if needed.

Looking at the sketch you completed: Did this activity take you out of your "comfort zone" and stimulate creative thought and problem solving?

What did you learn from the obstacles that you can apply to a creative idea or project that you are currently working on at work or school?

Do you see this as a helpful activity to stimulate creative thought in the workplace? Why or why not.