15 Inspirational Leonardo da Vinci Quotes for Motivation
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest polymaths the world has ever seen. His extraordinary talents and relentless curiosity led him to make groundbreaking contributions in diverse fields including art, anatomy, engineering, and invention.
Though he lived over 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci’s innovative spirit and timeless wisdom continues to inspire people today.
This article features 15 inspirational Leonardo da Vinci quotes that provide perspective and motivate us to push boundaries, think creatively, and never stop learning. Whether you’re an artist, engineer, entrepreneur or simply seeking inspiration, the words of the great Leonardo da Vinci will resonate and fuel your dreams.
Click here for more motivational quotes from other artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Wassily Kandinsky, Grayson Perry, and more.
Table of Contents
The Importance of Leonardo da Vinci’s Words
Leonardo da Vinci’s Quotes on Persistence and Perseverance
Leonardo da Vinci’s Quotes on Achievement and Leaving a Legacy
The Importance of Leonardo da Vinci’s Words
Leonardo da Vinci was the archetypal Renaissance man - renowned as a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. His genius and talents spanned an incredible breadth of disciplines.
Part of Leonardo da Vinci’s enduring legacy lies within his extensive notebooks, where he recorded his thoughts on artistic techniques, observational sketches, anatomical studies, inventions, and more. Embedded within these pages are quotes that provide motivational wisdom relevant centuries later.
Though the world has transformed dramatically since the Renaissance era, Leonardo’s insights speak to our shared human desires - to create, learn, grow, and leave a positive mark on the world.
He speaks to cultivating creativity by unleashing your imagination. He emphasises lifelong learning, urging us to appreciate that wisdom never exhausts. He pushes us to overcome obstacles with persistence and view challenges as opportunities to demonstrate resolve.
The motivational force behind these quotes can spur you to bring innovative ideas to life, pursue knowledge tirelessly, conquer obstacles with grit and determination, and enable you to disrupt and transform our world, just as Leonardo da Vinci did so brilliantly.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Quotes on Persistence and Perseverance
Leonardo da Vinci produced masterful artistic and scientific works through tremendous persistence and perseverance. He had an iron will to overcome the many obstacles he encountered. Leonardo da Vinci’s quotes emphasise the grit required to achieve great things.
Pushing Past Setbacks
1. “Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.”
2. “Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you multiply your garments as the cold increases, that cold cannot hurt you. In the same way, increase your patience under great offences, and they cannot hurt your feelings."
For Leonardo da Vinci, setbacks were inevitable but never insurmountable. He viewed obstacles as opportunities to demonstrate resolve and commitment. Through determination, even the greatest barriers can be conquered.
Leonardo da Vinci spent 16 agonising years completing The Last Supper, constantly seeking perfection. His persistence exemplifies pushing past temporary failures or distractions to fulfill your vision.
The Path of Most Resistance
3. “People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
Leonardo da Vinci believed that exceptional achievement requires action and hard work. Success does not come easily but through sacrifice and struggle. We must take the more difficult path, one requiring grit and perseverance.
Imagine the labour Leonardo Da Vinci endured to envision and engineer marvels centuries ahead of their time. From flying machines to solar power, his innovations materialised by a determination to make an impact. Following Leonardo Da Vinci’s ethos, he encourages us to not wait for success, but to go out and make it happen.
4. “He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year.”
This quote emphasises Leonardo da Vinci’s view that real achievement takes sustained effort over time. There are no shortcuts to greatness - it requires committing to the hard path.
5. “Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.”
Here Leonardo da Vinci uses a vivid metaphor to illustrate how inactive minds waste potential. We must constantly challenge ourselves mentally and physically in order to grow.
Time Waits For No One
6. “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
Leonardo da Vinci cautions against complacency and inertia. Knowledge carries no benefit unless applied proactively. Good intentions do not matter without action.
Leonardo da Vinci’s extraordinary output reflects this mantra. His notebooks brim with sketches and designs that were brought to life through doing. Aspire to Leonardo da Vinci’s sense of urgency and pursue your ambitions with hard work and determination.
7. "Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it."
Leonardo da Vinci emphasises making the most of your time, as it slips away steadily. Be diligent in pursuing your goals rather than procrastinating.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Quotes on Achievement and Leaving a Legacy
Leonardo da Vinci exemplifies the heights of human achievement. He created legendary masterpieces and made groundbreaking discoveries across disciplines. Leonardo Da Vinci’s quotes provide wisdom on accomplishing great things and leaving your mark on the world.
Gaining Needed Perspective
8. “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
Leonardo da Vinci recognises that stepping back from your work provides a fresh vantage point. Time away lets you return with improved perspective to refine and perfect.
Leonardo da Vinci would study paintings for flaws by gazing at them in a mirror. He knew space from intense focus is crucial for executing masterpieces.
9. “The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.”
This quote warns against rigid assumptions that obscure truth. Remain open and flexibly adapt views based on evidence, not ego.
10. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Here Leonardo da Vinci praises elegant simplicity over complexity. Restrict your focus to the essence of ideas for clarity and nuance.
Live With Purpose and Passion
11. “Just as eating against one’s will is injurious to health, so studying without a liking for it spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in.”
Leonardo da Vinci believed we must engage in work that we find most interesting and gives us the most purpose. Going through the motions without meaning is fruitless. He pursued projects that ignited his curiosity and imagination.
He followed his own north star with childlike wonder, devoting himself fully. Direct your efforts towards what you feel passionate about - you will create your greatest contributions.
12. “Life is pretty simple: You do some things. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.”
This clever quote emphasises continually building on successes by innovating anew with enthusiasm. It encourages us to embrace failure, making progress through adapting and experimentation.
13. “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.”
For Leonardo da Vinci, cultivating knowledge was life’s highest pursuit. True fulfillment comes through learning and expanding horizons.
Make Your Mark Through Action
14. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
This quote by Leonardo da Vinci emphasises that in life, significant accomplishments and progress often require a degree of courage and a willingness to take risks. If someone is overly cautious and avoids taking chances or stepping outside their comfort zone, they are likely to remain stagnant and not achieve very much.
15. “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
Leonardo da Vinci was never fully satisfied with his works, always seeing room for improvement. This quote encourages continually refining skills and output to higher levels. Strive for mastery through tireless practice.
Applying Leonardo da Vinci’s Wisdom to Your Life
Leonardo da Vinci’s quotes span 500 years, yet their motivational power persists. His words speak to our deepest human desires - to create, learn, overcome, achieve, and leave an impact. Though the world has transformed dramatically since da Vinci’s era, his insights remain relevant by tapping into our shared human experience.
As we reflect on these 15 Leonardo da Vinci’s quotes quotes, certain lines will resonate more than others based on what motivates you personally, but the timeless wisdom serves as a source of inspiration, encouraging us to live life to the fullest by pursuing our passions and dreams.
Read more inspirational quotes from other famous artists here.
I hope you have found these quotes attributed to Leonardo da Vinci helpful. I would love to hear your thoughts on them, please feel free to email me and let me know at sarahransomeart@gmail.com.
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