Issue 64 - Breaking Convention

Welcome to Issue 64 of Deep Life Reflections, where I share five things I’ve been enjoying and thinking about over the past week.

In this week’s issue, we explore two vastly different yet significantly influential artists from history, examining how they broke conventions in their work. We begin with Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed biography of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci, and then turn our attention to Liz Garbus’ Oscar-nominated documentary on the life of music legend Nina Simone. We also contemplate the benefits of embracing a wide range of interests and skills to cultivate a well-rounded and fulfilling life.

Join me as we explore this week’s Friday Five.

1. What I’m Reading

Leonardo da Vinci. By Walter Isaacson. (Audiobook)

I’ve been fortunate enough to see four pieces of Leonardo da Vinci’s art: three in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Mona Lisa in the Louvre (behind a mass of people, cameras, glass, and security). However, da Vinci was much more than an artist—he had a voracious curiosity that stretched across many disciplines, from architecture and sculpture to engineering and anatomy.

Walter Isaacson pieces together the extraordinary life of Leonardo in his acclaimed biography, Leonardo da Vinci. Isaacson draws from thousands of pages from da Vinci’s incredible notebooks—including ‘The Codex Leicester’, considered the most important of his 30 scientific notebooks, and today owned by Bill Gates—to reveal an intimate portrait of one of history’s most creative and intelligent individuals.

Isaacson masterfully connects da Vinci’s art to his science. Da Vinci was fascinated by the mechanics of movement, the principles of light and optics, rocks and fossils, and birds and flight, to name just a few. One of the most fascinating entries in his many notebooks is a simple note to self: “Learn about the tongue of a woodpecker.” Leonardo’s ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, epitomised by his drawing of the Vitruvian Man, cemented his status as a genius.

The book extensively covers Leonardo’s life and the times he lived in. He’s portrayed as the quintessential Renaissance man, fully at home in fifteenth and sixteenth-century Florence, and backed by the powerful Medici family. The book also explores Leonardo’s ease with being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times, heretical. He took everything in his flamboyant stride.    

Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as a passion for curiosity, careful observation, and an open and imaginative mind. In his most famous and iconic work, the Mona Lisa, the genius is in the smile. We learn Leonardo achieved this effort by using a technique known as ‘sfumato’, which involved blending colours and softening edges to create a hazy, dreamlike effect. In this technique, Leonardo hinted there is always a veil to people; we can never truly know one’s inner emotions from outward appearances. Therein lies the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

2. What I’m Watching

What Happened, Miss Simone? Directed by Liz Garbus.

‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ is the Oscar-nominated 2015 documentary about the life and legend of Nina Simone. Known as the ‘High Priestess of Soul,’ Simone emerged from a poor, southern upbringing to become one of the world’s greatest jazz singers, pianists, and songwriters. She was completely uninhibited, uniquely original, and brilliant. I’ve been listening to Nina Simone for over twenty years but hadn’t been familiar with her story.

Born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina, in 1933, the sixth of eight children, she began playing classical piano at the age of three. Trained by a white piano teacher, the young Simone literally crossed the tracks to take her piano lessons and felt ostracised by both communities—unwelcome by the whites who felt she was invading her world and pushed out by her own community at the same time. This sense of conflict would be a defining part of Simone’s life.  

Simone’s prodigious talent led to her acceptance into the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, where she studied classical piano. She then started performing at a dive bar in Atlantic City, where the owner insisted that she sing as well as play the piano. This is where the legend was born, as she honed her diverse skills. She looked beyond her classical training to ‘bar music,’ developing her unique vocal style and sound.  

Director Liz Garbus has created a captivating, complex, and intense documentary culled from hours of autobiographical tapes and archive film footage, capturing the many sides of Nina Simone. Despite her talent and success, Simone faced many external battles with racism, domestic violence from her husband/manager, and her role as a peaceful Civil Rights activist amidst the political turmoil of 1960s America. Her struggles were not only external but also internal, as she tried to deal with depression and bipolar disorder. At the height of her fame, Simone walked away from her family, country, career and fans, moving to Liberia and giving up performing. Garbus doesn’t shy away from the darkness Simone experienced and sometimes inflicted on others.

Garbus’ film is a portrait of a soul torn apart by external and internal forces. It embraces Simone in all her multitudes and contradictions, capturing the raw power of her music and presence, which remains just as impactful today. The music is sublime. The documentary features some of the best concert footage ever shot; her performances are mesmerising. She channels her rage into classics such as ‘Mississippi Goddam,’ ‘I Loves You, Porgy,’ and the hypnotic, electrifying 10-minute epic ‘Sinnerman.’

The question posed by the title of What Happened, Miss Simone? isn’t really answered, reflecting the complexity of her life. Such intricate lives rarely have simple explanations. Nina Simone had much to say. She said it through her music.

3. What I’m Contemplating

Despite being born five hundred years apart, the extraordinary lives and legacies of Leonardo da Vinci and Nina Simone have much in common. Both emerged from humble backgrounds, pursued wide-ranging and eclectic talents, defied convention, pushed boundaries, and left indelible marks on their respective fields.

Their refusal to be confined to one discipline—da Vinci beyond painting and Simone beyond classical music—allowed both to innovate and create enduring works. Da Vinci’s integration of art and science transformed the Renaissance era in Europe, while Simone’s fusion of different musical styles has influenced generations of musicians the world over. Their unconventional approaches still resonate today.

This got me thinking about David Epstein's book Range. Epstein explores the debate between being a generalist versus a specialist. His argument is that combining knowledge and experience from multiple fields and embracing late specialisation often leads to greater success and innovation than early specialisation.

The lives of Leonardo da Vinci and Nina Simone support Epstein’s thesis. By drawing from diverse fields and experiences, they both achieved trailblazing accomplishments that might not have been possible through a narrower focus. Their stories remind us of the power of embracing a wide range of interests and skills, supported by those very human qualities of curiosity, observation, and an open, imaginative mind.

4. A Quote to note

“Don't play what’s there; play what's not there.”

- Miles Davis

5. A Question for you

What is one discipline or field you’ve always wanted to explore but haven’t yet, and how might you start integrating it into your life?

Thanks for reading and being part of the Deep Life Journey community. If you have any reflections on this issue, please leave a comment. Have a great weekend.

James

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