Soulscape 10, Art: The Catalyst of Human Progress

From My Upcoming Book: Soulscape – The Role of Art in Our Lives

Leonardo da Vinci, Design for a Flying Machine (Codex Atlanticus f.858r), circa 1485–1490. Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan. Wikimedia Commons, photo: Luc Viatour.

Art has long been a catalyst for human progress. Leonardo da Vinci's design for a flying contraption exemplifies this. His drawing explores: How could man fly like a bird? The combination of his imagination, engineering, and the study of birds' anatomy resulted in a perceptually tangible drawing. The latter is important because, if you can draw it, it gives the viewer an undeniable sense of reality—that their visions could become true and real. This drawing, and other da Vinci forays into inventions, has inspired generations of inventors, thinkers, engineers, and artists to ultimately realize the seemingly impossible. Artists, through their integration of thought, scientific perception, and imagination, could they not be considered the blueprint makers of human evolution?

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Art is a window to our future.

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Artwork: Design for a Flying Machine by Leonardo da Vinci.
Written by Michael Newberry.
Video and voiceover by Clipchamp.