I'm a very eclectic person, and I enjoy multiple tastes; I'm

Hear the playful yet profound words of Luca Guadagnino, the master of cinema, who declared: “I’m a very eclectic person, and I enjoy multiple tastes; I’m like a bee who jumps from flower to flower. Before I die, I have to make a war movie, a Western, and a movie like Mike Nichols, because I love him.” These words may seem lighthearted, but they carry the weight of an artist’s restless spirit. They remind us that creativity is not a fixed road, but a wandering journey, where the soul yearns to explore many landscapes before the end of its days.

The origin of this reflection lies in Guadagnino’s career as a filmmaker known for his variety of styles—from the sensual beauty of Call Me By Your Name to the haunting terror of his reimagined Suspiria. He refuses to be confined to one genre or one form, declaring himself eclectic, a bee sampling the nectar of many flowers. In speaking of war films, Westerns, and the intimate dramas of Mike Nichols, Guadagnino reveals the hunger of an artist to taste every flavor of storytelling before his life is complete.

The meaning of his words is twofold. On one level, it speaks to the eclectic spirit, the soul that refuses to be bound by categories. Guadagnino likens himself to the bee, who gathers sweetness from many blossoms, not out of confusion but out of abundance. On another level, his words speak to the urgency of mortality: “before I die” is not a casual phrase, but a reminder that life is short, and the artist must labor with haste if he is to fulfill his vision. The unfinished dream weighs upon the soul, driving it ever forward.

Consider the example of Leonardo da Vinci, who, like Guadagnino, could never be confined to one pursuit. He painted, sculpted, designed machines of war, studied anatomy, and dreamed of flying. His genius was not in narrowing his vision, but in leaping from field to field, like Guadagnino’s bee. Though many of his works remained unfinished, his life was a testament to the power of eclectic passion, showing that greatness comes not only from mastery of one craft but from the courage to explore many.

Guadagnino’s mention of the war movie and the Western also reminds us of genres that embody humanity’s greatest conflicts and myths. To create a war film is to confront the reality of destruction and sacrifice; to create a Western is to wrestle with the myth of freedom, justice, and the frontier. To make a film “like Mike Nichols” is to dive into the intricacies of human relationships, to find drama in the subtle struggles of the heart. In aspiring to all these, Guadagnino shows that the artist’s true mission is to reflect the whole spectrum of life: its battles, its legends, and its loves.

The lesson for us is clear: do not let your life be bound by a single path. To be truly alive is to be eclectic, to taste widely, to explore boldly, to leap from flower to flower as the bee does. Whether in art, in work, or in life itself, curiosity is the fuel of the soul. To confine oneself to one narrow role is to live half a life, but to embrace many callings is to leave behind a legacy of richness.

What, then, must we do? We must listen to the callings that stir our hearts, even if they pull us in many directions. We must remember that life is short, and if there are dreams we wish to fulfill, the time to begin is now. Like Guadagnino, we should not be ashamed of our eclectic tastes, but see them as gifts that enrich our lives and the lives of others. In each flower we taste, we gather the nectar of wisdom, beauty, and truth.

Therefore, let Guadagnino’s words echo not only for artists but for all seekers of meaning: before you die, gather widely, love deeply, and create boldly. Be as the bee that does not linger in one place, but moves joyfully across the garden of life. For in the abundance of experiences lies the fullness of being, and in the courage to pursue them lies the path to a life well lived.