What is a Renaissance Man/Woman?

A Renaissance person is skilled in many fields of disciplines. They have a broad base of knowledge. Although the term was used to define artists and scholars of the European Renaissance period (around 1450 CE) we find the ultimate Renaissance Man of this period was Leonardo da Vinci. He was a master of the arts, an engineer, expert in anatomy as well as many other disciplines.

It seems in modern society we have placed an emphasis on becoming specialized. The "expert" is highly revered. I remember a funny example of what is an expert; the expert studies in a particular field, then continues to narrow it down until he knows more and more about less and less, until he knows absolutely everything about nothing!

I once heard a child psychologist talk about the underappreaciated value of a "well rounded" student. Our students are praised for specialized academic success. Parents are proud to say, "Johnny is really good at math" or "Sally is best at reading". If you were trapped on a deserted island, who would you value most, a person who knows absolutely everything about your big toe, or a person who knows a little bit about everything?

The Renaissance Man views the world with a curiosity about everything. Everything has possibilities. The renaissance person has so much more at their disposal. As artists we can bring together the possibilities of "what if" in a way that the specialist can't.

The challenge: Try stepping out of your comfort zone. Push yourself to learn a new discipline. Start small, if you only paint with watercolors, switch to oils, or acrylics. Later move way out of your field and explore something as diverse as ceramics, or poetry. The guarantee is you will not be able to return to your watercolors as the same person you were before your explorations. This is a great way to stay fresh and evolve as an artist. Who knows, you might even stand a better chance to survive the deserted island experience!

Thanks to B. Runge for the Island painting.