What Da Vinci Would Do With an iPad.
Imagine giving the one of history's greatest minds modern tools. Hereâs how Da Vinci would use an iPad setup to think, create, and build across disciplines.
Imagine giving one of the most creative people in historyâLeonardo da Vinciâa modern setup: an iPad, a digital notebook, and internet access.
Sounds wild, right?
Da Vinci lived over 500 years ago, but he was obsessed with learning and building. He wasnât just an artistâhe studied science, anatomy, architecture, and anything else that caught his attention. He kept notebooks full of drawings, inventions, and random thoughts. It was messyâbut genius.
In a way, he was doing what a lot of us are trying to do now: combine different skills, stay curious, and create things that matter.
Now imagine if he had an iPad to draw and take notes, and access to the entire internet.
Heâd go crazyâin a good way.
In this post, Iâm going to break down how Da Vinci would use tools like these todayâand more importantly, how you can use them to think better, stay organized, and live more creatively, no matter where you are in the world.
Real talkâthis post isnât just about Da Vinci. Itâs about you. Whether you're planning a move, starting a business or just trying to get your ideas in order, this setup can help. Think of it as a system for staying focused and creativeâwherever you are in the world.
Letâs get into it.
đ§ Da Vinciâs BrainâBuilt to Connect Everything
Leonardo da Vinci wasnât just a painter. He studied science, engineering, anatomy, even weather patternsâall at the same time. What made him different wasnât just talent. It was how he thought: he connected everything.
He didnât separate art from science or ideas from action. If something sparked his curiosity, he explored it fullyâand then used that knowledge in other areas. Thatâs how he invented things, solved problems, and created with depth.
The way his brain worked? Thatâs what weâd call a âmodular systemâ today.
đ Donât worry about the term. Just think of it like this: A modular system means building your life and ideas in connected parts that work together, like Lego blocks. Itâs not one big overwhelming thingâitâs small, organized pieces that support each other.
Now imagine if Da Vinci had todayâs tools:
An iPad to sketch and draw instantly
Apple Notes, a digital space where you can organize your thoughts, track your projects, and store ideasâall in one place
His messy notebooks were basically the first version of what we now call a personal operating systemâa way to manage learning, creativity, and goals in one spot.
So when people use tools like Notes today, theyâre doing what Da Vinci did back then: staying curious, tracking ideas, and building things from scratch.
And the best part? You donât have to be a genius to think like one. You just need toolsâand a system that works for your mind.
âď¸ The iPadâDa Vinciâs Digital Sketchbook
Da Vinci was always sketching.
He drew everythingâhuman bodies, flying machines, water systems, even weird inventions that wouldnât be possible for hundreds of years. His notebooks were packed with ideas that blended art, science, and engineering. But back then, he had to use paper, ink, and whatever tools he could find.
Now imagine if he had an iPad.
With apps like Procreate and a simple Apple Pencil, heâd go crazyâin the best way. He could:
Sketch fast and try new ideas without wasting paper
Zoom in and annotate his anatomy drawings with notes, layers, and colors
Design machines in 3D, piece by piece, like digital blueprints
Swipe between projects instantly instead of flipping pages or starting over
The speed and flexibility of a digital sketchbook would 10x his creativity. Heâd be able to go from idea â test â edit â buildâall in one day.
Da Vinci wouldnât use tech to replace creativity. Heâd use it to unlock more of it.
And thatâs the mindset we can use too.
You donât need to be an artist or engineer to get value from a tool like an iPad. If youâve got ideas, visions, or concepts in your headâyou just need a place to bring them to life, quickly and easily.
The iPad isnât a toy. In the hands of a curious person, itâs a creative weapon.
đď¸ Apple Notes â The Quiet Command Center
If the iPad wouldâve been Da Vinciâs sketchbook, Apple Notes wouldâve been his command center.
Itâs simple. Itâs fast. And it works.
Da Vinci used notebooks to track everythingâhis art, science experiments, observations, and wild ideas. Apple Notes is the modern version of that:
a digital notebook that helps you stay organized without getting overwhelmed.
Hereâs how he mightâve used it:
đ ď¸ One folder for inventions, each note tracking versions, sketches, and ideas
đ¨ Another for art and creative studiesâmaterials, references, style experiments
đĄ Quick thoughts, questions, and observationsâtyped out or jotted down on the go
đ Bonus: linking notes together with tags or pinned folders to spot patterns across projects
đ A running daily log or reflection journal, just to keep his brain clear
He wouldnât overcomplicate it. Heâd use it to think on the move, reflect on his work, and revisit ideas when they needed more time to cook.
And thatâs the pointâyour system doesnât have to be fancy to be powerful.
Apple Notes is simple, reliable, and always within reach. Just like Da Vinciâs old sketchbooksâbut synced to the cloud.
đ Workflow of a Modern Creative
If Da Vinci were alive today, he wouldnât just rely on talentâheâd build a system to support his curiosity. A rhythm that let him capture ideas, organize them, and keep moving.
Hereâs how that might look:
âď¸ Morning: Create Freely
Start the day sketching on iPad, taking messy notes, doodling ideas, capturing whateverâs fresh.
đ Afternoon: Organize the Chaos
Open Apple Notes, drop in anything worth keeping. Sort it into folders, add tags, clean it up a little.
Start to see connections between ideas.
đ Evening: Reflect & Reset
Write a short reflection note: what did I learn today? What stood out? Whatâs next?
Tag it, save it, and let it simmer overnight.
đ¤ Talk to AI
If somethingâs unclear or needs more depth? Ask AI. Use it like a modern-day Socratesâsomeone to push your thinking and give you new angles.
These tools arenât here to make you look productive.
Theyâre here to help you stay clear, creative, and consistentâeven while living across countries or building your own path.
đ ď¸ How to Build Your Own Da Vinci Setup
You donât need to be a genius to think like Da Vinci.
You just need a setup that helps you capture your ideas, connect the dots, and create without friction.
Hereâs how you can build your own version of the âDa Vinci systemâ using todayâs tools:
đ§ Use Apple Notes for Big Picture Thinking
Notes app can help you see how your ideas relate.
Start with:
A âBrain Dumpâ page to throw in random thoughts
A âProjectsâ tracker for work, learning, or content
A simple âDaily Journalâ to reflect and spot patterns
You can use templates online, or just build something basic and tweak as you go.
âď¸ Use an iPad for Creative Flow
If you like to draw, sketch, write by hand, or brainstorm visually, an iPad is a game changer.
Apps like:
Procreate for art
GoodNotes or Freeform for mind maps
Notability for handwritten notes and audio
Think of it as your digital sketchbookâa fast, flexible place to test ideas.
đ§Ş Treat Your Digital Space Like a Lab
This is the biggest shift: donât make your system just a place to store info.
Make it a labâa place to:
Try things
Test ideas
Track whatâs working and whatâs not
Review and refine over time
You donât need a perfect setup on day one.
Just start. Tweak. Add. Simplify.
Make it yours.
Your brain is already full of potential.
You just need the right setup to help it work like Da Vinciâs.
đ˛đđ¨
đŻ Timeless Creativity, Modern Tools
Creativity isnât locked to a time period.
Itâs not about wearing robes or using fancy appsâitâs about how you see the world and what you do with the ideas that come to you.
Leonardo da Vinci didnât wait for the âperfect setup.â He used what he hadâpaper, ink, and endless curiosityâto design, question, and create across every field he touched.
Today, we have tools he could only dream of:
đď¸ iPads, đ Notes, đ¤ AI, đ the entire internet at our fingertips.
So whatâs stopping you?
You donât need to be a genius.
You just need to stay curiousâand start building.
The tools are here. The time is now.
The only question is: What will you create with them?