A polymath is a modern-day Renaissance person. They have expertise in a range of fields and their diverse experiences help them be more creative. Dr. Angela Cotellessa was the first person to do a dissertation on modern-day polymaths. In this episode, she shares with us what she learned about polymaths and how it relates to being more creative.
What You’ll Learn
- What is polymathy and why does it matter?
- What are the themes of modern-day polymaths
- What we can learn from polymaths to help us be more creative.
About Dr. Angela Cotellessa
Dr. Angela Cotellessa is dedicated to helping individuals reach towards their fullest potential.
Her doctorate from George Washington University is in Human & Organizational Learning. The focus of her doctoral research and dissertation was on modern day polymaths: people with broad, varied expertise in both the arts and sciences.
Since 2007, Angela has worked for the American federal government. From 2007 to 2013, she was a non-political, civil servant at the Executive Office of the President. Since 2013, she has worked at the Center for Leadership Development, helping make the federal government more effective, one leader at a time.
Angela lives near Washington, DC with her husband, Joe, and her daughter, Lily. For fun, Angela enjoys traveling internationally, music, and learning.
Weekly Challenge
Angela gives us two challenges this week.
- Try something new. It doesn’t even have to be outside of your comfort zone. Just something new. Reflect on it. What did you learn?
- Think about an issue or challenge you have. Is there another area of your life that you could apply to solving this problem?
