Hypercreatives: The Renaissance of the Renaissance Man

Has anyone ever used the term “Renaissance man” or “Renaissance woman” to describe you? This person may have been simply paying you a compliment, but they are unknowingly drawing connections between you and the brilliant minds of the actual Renaissance. You know, just that little era in history that shaped today’s society and made Leonardo da Vinci and Shakespeare household names.

This could just be a nice little pat on the back, but the thing is, we’re in the midst of a brand new Renaissance age. This isn’t just hyperbole either. The advance in technology has made means of creation and collaboration abundantly accessible. You can make movies on your phone, albums in your basement, and podcast from the train.

So if you agree with me, and we are truly in the midst of a Renaissance, what can we learn from the original Renaissance men that will help us follow in their footsteps as we help to shape this hypercreative society?

Hypercreatives are nothing new.

If you’re reading this I’m sure you’d consider yourself pretty creative, and you’re more than likely right. But this isn’t the first time in history that we’ve had a hypercreative class. In fact, historians and philosophers that studied the Renaissance coined the term “polymath” to describe the creative of that day. According to the dictionary, a polymath is an individual whose knowledge spans a significant number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.

Those with polymath ability were the ones that provided the archetype for what we consider today to be a Renaissance man or woman. These were people of “unquenchable curiosity” and “feverishly inventive imagination” as described by Helen Gardner. Whether described as polymaths or Renaissance men, this was the first time people felt that humans actually had unlimited potential for development and knowledge.

Specialization: The death of creativity

Somewhere along the way, education and cultural norms in general shifted in favor of specialization. As our society moved into the Industrial Age, we became focused on building industries, efficiencies and specialization; leaving the creativity out of it. In Specialization, Polymaths And The Pareto Principle In A Convergence Economy, Jake Chapman writes:

“As we progressed along the economic continuum from hunter-gatherer through agrarian and industrial and now into post-industrial economies, the labor force has become more fragmented, with workers having more and more specialized skill sets. … Historically, specialization has been a path to prosperity. Although specialization has certain economic advantages, in the era of technological convergence, well-educated generalists will be those who are the most valuable."

This passage perfectly explains why hypercreativity can have a negative connotation. Society got to a place where to be successful, you had to choose one thing to do and build a career climbing a ladder in that particular industry. But this is the last generation’s thinking. Chapman goes on to write:

It is time for a renaissance of the “Renaissance Man.” … The Renaissance thinkers recognized both the potential of individuals as well as the enormous value to being well-rounded... We now live in a world where distinctions between formerly separate industries are breaking down and the real opportunities for growth are where those industries intersect. Harnessing these 21st-century opportunities will require people who are “jacks of all trades, masters of none,” or, perhaps more accurately, master polymaths.”

Our shared responsibility

So this brings us to today, where the world is going through somewhat of a creative renaissance again. But this time around, it’s a bit different.

For the polymaths of the Renaissance, the university was the key to their ability. The classroom was their proving ground. Rather than specializing in specific areas, universities trained academics in broader areas of study, giving them a base to pursue specific areas of apprenticeship. Basically, all the hypercreatives of the age were coming from the university.

But in today’s society, with the amount of information and technology right at our fingertips, we’re skipping the university classroom and going straight out into the world, creating as soon as we get the itch. Even those with degrees don’t let a piece of paper define what industry or career they take on after college. Some of the most successful creators I know have degrees completely unrelated to their creative careers, rendering their hard earned and expensive diplomas nearly ornamental. At the same time, apps like Snapchat, VSCO and Instagram are turning everyone into content creators. Now, even more-so than in the age of the Renaissance or Enlightenment, we have the ability, no, the responsibility to create the way that the world sees itself with just our bare hands and our God-given creativity.

“A man can do all things if he will.”

In the Italian Renaissance, the idea of polymath was expressed by Leon Battista Alberti as “a man can do all things if he will”. Doesn’t that sound like you? When you take on a project, you perform every job function from start to finish. Even if you have a team to do the work, if they’re not moving at your pace or executing your vision to a tee, you can do it all yourself if you so choose. When people ask me what I do, I often find it it easier to say “whatever it takes to get the job done.” And that’s exactly the sentiment.

So next time someone calls you a Renaissance man, a jack of all trades, a Swiss Army knife or even a unicorn, don’t brush it off. Congratulate yourself. You’re this generation’s da Vinci.