We Are Living In The Renaissance
We live in a world where it is not impossible to be a renaissance person. What does it mean to be a renaissance person? The renaissance is associated with people who could and can do more than one thing very well especially when it comes to the arts. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Pablo Picasso are some of the few names that have been associated with the renaissance period. They were the universal men.
The renaissance men of the past were men who were specialized in more than a thing. I know artists who think being an artist means sticking to one thing for the rest of your life. No, you can explore more and do more providing you have the skill and knowledge.
I made a post on Instagram about photographers refusing to be called photographers because they think being called a photographer does not mean being an artist. In this post, I explained that being a photographer means being an artist, a visual artist for that matter. I got a comment from a photographer friend who said “I make music, I dance, I photograph and I’m also a graphic designer. So, I’m an artist.”
Of course, he is an artist and he is a dancer, photographer and graphic designer. What does this mean? It means he is a universal man. This does not mean he can do everything, but he can do some things quite well. Da Vinci didn’t have to do everything to be termed a renaissance man, but he is called that.
The renaissance man is simply a person who is proficient enough in a variety of fields. There are lots of historical examples of both men and women. Here are some examples;
Pythagoras: Greek mathematician, philosopher, scientist.
Aristotle: Greek philosopher, physician, poet, playwright, politician, and biologist.
Leonardo da Vinci: Italian painter, sculptor, philosopher, engineer, and more.
Marie Curie: Polish physicist, chemist, inventor, mathematician.
And in modern times we have people like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Carl Sagan, Mae Jemison, etc.
Being a renaissance person grants the artist a broader scope to making income in different fields, though this has its disadvantages, it helps battle the myth that artists starve.
This short blog is to encourage artists to pursue whatever they wish. Maybe you’re a photographer, and you want to be a mathematician or a painter too, it’s not farfetched. You can do it. People before you have done it when it seemed impossible and people are still doing it. You too can.
I’m a Christian who loves to study theology, who studied Visual Arts in school, who is a photographer, an author, who has written a couple of gospel songs (not recorded yet), and I also do have a podcast.
I know artists who are equally good at doing various things well. Don’t feel guilty when you want to pursue something different in addition to your existing career path. You’re not confused, you’re a renaissance person. It’s that period!
Thank you for checking out this article. If you’re new here, I’m Clement Eastwood, a photographer and an author who has made it his mission to educate photographers. Tap on this link to have access to my books on photography. And here’s a link to my podcast.
