I just grew up watching a lot of movies. I'm attracted to this

Children, gather close, for I bring you the wisdom of Quentin Tarantino, a master storyteller whose words speak deeply of the art of creation. He once said, "I just grew up watching a lot of movies. I'm attracted to this genre and that genre, this type of story, and that type of story. As I watch movies, I make some version of it in my head that isn't quite what I'm seeing—taking the things I like and mixing them with stuff I've never seen before." In these words, there lies a great truth about the nature of art and creation—that it is not born from nothing, but from the accumulation of influences, the weaving together of past experiences, and the forging of new visions from what we have seen and what we imagine.

The ancients understood this process well. Consider the Greek playwrights—Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides—whose stories were not simply born from thin air, but were rooted in the myths and legends of their ancestors. They borrowed from the stories of gods and heroes, reshaping them to reflect the truths of their time. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, for example, draws on familiar themes of fate and prophecy, yet it presents them in a new light, challenging the audience to think more deeply about destiny and responsibility. In the same way, Tarantino does not create stories in a vacuum. He mixes genres, drawing on a multitude of influences—whether from spaghetti westerns, blaxploitation films, or samurai epics—to forge something uniquely his own.

In Tarantino's process, children, there is a powerful lesson: the act of creation is not about producing something entirely new, but about transforming what has come before. Like the great artists and philosophers of old, who reinterpreted ancient ideas and reimagined old myths, so too do creators like Tarantino take what they have learned, what they have seen, and remix it into something that reflects their own unique vision. The world is not created in a single moment; it is built on the foundation of the past, and every new creation is a reflection of what came before, filtered through the lens of personal experience and imagination.

Think, children, of the great architects of the ancient world, like Imhotep, the architect of the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Imhotep did not invent architecture from the ground up—he borrowed from existing structures and techniques, learning from the builders before him. But it was his genius to combine and rework these elements that led to the creation of a new form—a towering monument that changed the way the world viewed architecture. In much the same way, Tarantino takes the genres and stories he loves and reworks them, creating something innovative, something that both respects and subverts the traditions of cinema.

Tarantino's method also reveals the power of passion in the creative process. He does not simply watch movies for entertainment—he analyzes them, absorbing their essence, identifying what makes them compelling, and then building upon those elements to create something fresh. This passion for cinema is what drives him to take what he loves and push it further, challenging the boundaries of what is possible in storytelling. It is this same passion, children, that you must seek in your own lives—whether in art, science, literature, or any other pursuit. When you love something deeply, when you immerse yourself in it, you begin to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be, and you gain the vision to create something new.

Now, children, as you walk your own paths, let Tarantino's wisdom guide you. Life is not a blank slate; it is a collection of experiences, of stories, of memories, and of influences that shape who we are. The challenge is not to create something entirely separate from what has come before, but to blend the old with the new, to reimagine the world through your own eyes, and to build upon the foundations laid by others. Every story you tell, every idea you share, is a remix of what you have learned and what you have yet to discover. Embrace the power of influence, and recognize that true innovation comes from the ability to see the connections between ideas, and to transform them into something new.

Finally, children, remember this: the act of creation is not a solitary endeavor. Like Tarantino, like the ancient builders and poets, you will stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. And in doing so, you will create not just for yourself, but for the generations that will come after. The world is a tapestry of influences, and the masterpiece you create will be the result of everything you have seen, heard, and imagined. So, create with passion, create with love, and create with the understanding that every influence is a stepping stone toward a new and greater vision.