Tim Burton is one of my favorite filmmakers.

I grew up watching his movies, and I’ve always loved how visually stunning and unique they are.

“Beetlejuice” made me laugh, and “Edward Scissorhands” tugged on my heartstrings. I love how Burton can weave humor and lightheartedness together, alongside elements of the dark and macabre.

I remember watching the first “Batman” film in the theater and falling in love with this dark, suffering version of the caped crusader. (As opposed to the campy ’60s television show I was familiar with.) I remember we got a VHS copy of “Batman” the summer I was 10 years old—I literally watched that tape once a day, every day, for the whole summer. (No, I’m not joking…do I look like I’m joking?)

And, Tim Burton’s art is so surreal and compelling. I remember being blown away when “The Nightmare before Christmas” came out. The combination of the unique visuals, the stop-motion animation, and the phenomenal score and soundtrack were riveting. It’s still one of my favorites to this day.

For me, as a writer, Burton’s unique style gives me inspiration and courage to think outside the box and to not be afraid to follow my own creative notions, wherever they may lead me.

Tim Burton’s work has inspired so many––filmmakers, writers, and artists alike. He truly is an American treasure.

Below, I’ve compiled 10 Tim Burton quotes to inspire our wild and wacky inner artist:

1. “It’s good as an artist to always remember to see things in a new, weird way.”

2. “One person’s craziness is another person’s reality.”

3. “I can’t remember any dreams in my life. There’s so much strange in real life that it often seems like a dream.”

4. “Things that I grew up with stay with me. You start a certain way, and then you spend your whole life trying to find a certain simplicity that you had. It’s less about staying in childhood than keeping a certain spirit of seeing things in a different way.”

5. “Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?”

6. “When I was growing up, Dr. Seuss was really my favorite. There was something about the lyrical nature and the simplicity of his work that really hit me.”

7. “I get so tired of people saying, ‘Oh, you only make fantasy films…’ and this and that, and I’m like, ‘Well no, fantasy is reality,’ that’s what Lewis Carroll showed in his work.”

8. “When you don’t have many friends and you don’t have a social life, you’re kind of left looking at things, not doing things. There’s a weird freedom in not having people treat you like you’re part of society or where you have to fulfill social relationships.”

9. “I have a problem when people say something’s real or not real, or normal or abnormal. The meaning of those words for me is very personal and subjective. I’ve always been confused and never had a clear-cut understanding of the meaning of those kinds of words.”

10. “For some of us, Halloween is everyday.”

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Relephant:

25 Quotes to Soothe your Inner Weirdo.

27 Adventure Quotes to Ignite our Wild Hearts.

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Author: Yoli Ramazzina
Images: Flickr/Gage Skidmore; Flickr/ Sarah_Ackerman
Copy editor: Catherine Monkman