The Da Vinci Method

Overall I think Loporto's "The Da Vinci Method" is worth reading. I have some reservations, but lets start with the positives...

A positive view of ADD. Loporto explores why ADD types are potentially more creative and capable of original thought than others. In brief, we are closer to our unconscious selves, think visually, are not so constrained by rule bound thinking or behaviour and tend to occupy alpha /theta brain waves patterns which are conducive to creativity.

Brain wave patterns. Loporto gives a very clear explanation of brain wave patterns and why they are important. He argues that ADD types tend to find it harder to access beta patterns (the mode for most people). We tend to occupy theta or alpha patterns. The theta pattern, though less focusing and more dreamy, allows us to be more creative. According to Loporto, the optimum brain wave position for us is the alpha/theta border.

Completion difficulty. He has an interesting take on why we find it difficult to complete. Drawing on the psychotherapist Otto Rank, Loporto suggests that for us ADD types, completion feels like death. This is connected to the notion that we tend to see everything in wholes. (Though I do not quite get the logic of this argument, I connect with the emotion behind it. For me completing seems inexplicably painful..)

Frustrated “artist”. The term “artist” here is a generic term for creator, inventor, explorer, entrepreneur, pioneer etc. Again drawing on Otto Rank, Loporto suggests that many of our more neurotic tendencies - anxiety, procrastination, frustration etc - arise when we are not expressing our true nature. Our personality type is one which wants to push boundaries and explore. If we do not find an outlet for this side of our personalities, we will feel frustrated. I found this an interesting perspective.

Need for honesty and humour. If we want to develop our “artist” side we need to be honest and true to ourselves, and also be able take ourselves lightly. We need to give ourselves the freedom to honestly explore and make mistakes. If we take ourselves too seriously, if we are too precious with out creativity, we are likely find it too scary to express what is in us.

There was much in the book which resonated with my own experience. And it was interesting to find Otto Rank mentioned. He is a less well known disciple of Freud who went off in his own direction (writing in the early twentieth century). I came across Rank when I was a student and was impressed by his writings. Rank also indirectly influenced Carl Rogers – the founder of person-centred counselling. There are quite a few “leads” that I would like to explore more.

These are my reservations:

Pop style. I found the popular style of the book annoying. Loporto tends to “shout” in the pages and often presents things as fact rather than as hypotheses . I had to keep 'turning down the volume' in order to be able to hear his message! I often had the sense that he is trying to “sell me something”. (It could just be my English sensibilities struggling with a rather brash American style!)

Over generalising. To my mind Loporto exaggerates the idea that we ADD types are all potential creative geniuses. Though it is important to look at the positives, there are places in the book where he seems to be encouraging a kind of arrogance, that “Da Vinci types” are superior to “normal types”. Speaking for myself, I already have a good dose of narcissism (a kind of self protective arrogance as an antidote to an underlying sense of shame). Although my arrogance helps me to get by, it is ultimately unhelpful when it comes to trying to communicate what is important to me in a way that others can understand!

It is not a “method”. Loporto admits this at the end of the book, and rather weakly justifies this. A more accurate description of the book would be “the Da Vinci attitude” or the Da Vinci Perspective”. I have no problem with this, but if people are looking for a “method” they will not find it.

For all this, there is wisdom in the book. I have learnt over the years that wisdom comes in many guises and voices. Sometimes I need to do a bit of translation in order to get to the juicy bits in a book, and this is the case for me with Loporto!

This book will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have creative edge wanting to be expressed, you may find things in this book which resonate and support you.