I think I finally figured out what the Mona Lisa is smiling about.
Could it be that she's really amused by all of us deeply creative, voracious for knowledge, energetic, multi-focused people Leonardo's running around in what appears to goal-oriented, incredibly focused people Straight-Liners as exhaustive circles with our always-growing lists of creative projects?
Possibly, Mona's amusement comes from the knowing that we Leonardo's have genetically inherited something so wonderful, so grand, and so inexplicably beautiful that makes our lives endlessly expansive, expressive, and exciting. Touched by the great Leonardo da Vinci herself, she knows how creatively capable we truly are. And that inherited something is what author Angie Dixon has coined The Leonardo Trait.
Angie's personal perspective on creative living first caught my attention when she wrote the tongue-in-cheek article How Not to Be Creative. I immediately knew this woman was living a vivaciously creative life accented with a delightful sense of humor (it literally oozed from her writings). She later confessed to me that when someone asked her if she ever laughed while she was typing she retorted "If I'm not laughing while I'm writing, I stop until I feel funny." Angie is not only funny — she's also one smart cookie. She has a no-nonsense way about her, and when it comes to living the multi-passionate life she's demonstrated remarkable success not only as an author and entrepreneur, but also as a teacher, mother, wife, and friend.
The Leonardo Trait does at least two wonderful things. First, it helps those who identify with the trait to further understand it and learn how to embrace it as the marvelous gift it really is. Second, it offers an abundance of down-to-earth advice about balancing passions, managing time and projects, and making a living as a Leonardo. In a very you-have-permission-to-live-this-way, Angie covers all of these topics and more and provides an extensive list of books and resources for further learning. That's important, because as you know, we Leonardo's have a voracious appetite for knowledge.
We live in an exciting age where having multi-passions and being a flexible Jack (or Jill) of All Trades not only works to our advantage, but has become increasingly demanded in the world in which we live. Career counselors have been saying for years that gone are the days of the straight and narrow career path, and we can expect to continually upgrade our skills and change job directions many times during our lives. Creativity and innovation are also dependent on people being open to change and doing more things differently. All of this demonstrates why tuning in to the message on how to successfully live the multi-passionate life is so important today.
We are all multi-faceted individuals who have every right to enjoy the multi-passionate life. If you are among those seeking to use and express your gifts and creative talents — especially in ways that bend around usual expectations — may this book open the portal to possibilities. And maybe, just like the Mona Lisa, you'll find yourself smiling in odd places along the pages in the book that humor you and resonate with your new understanding of your life as a Leonardo.
Chris Dunmire, Founder
Creativity Portal, www.creativity-portal.com
July 30, 2006
Copyright ©2006 Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.
