--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A classic is a classic for a reason…" description: "\"A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create new classics. The idea of repeating ourselves drives me a little crazy.\" — Gina Prince-Bythewood" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/gina-prince-bythewood-12054_classic_a-classic-is-a-classic-for-a-reason-let_1031923.jpg" --- # A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create… ![“A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create new classics. The idea of repeating ourselves drives me a little crazy.” quote by Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/gina-prince-bythewood-12054_classic_a-classic-is-a-classic-for-a-reason-let_1031923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/gina-prince-bythewood-12054_classic_a-classic-is-a-classic-for-a-reason-let_1031923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/gina-prince-bythewood-12054_classic_a-classic-is-a-classic-for-a-reason-let_1031923.jpg) > “A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create new classics. The idea of repeating ourselves drives me a little crazy.” [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating enduring works requires intentional effort, not just repetition; true classics arise from fresh, purposeful expression. **In simple terms:** New classics need fresh effort. Key Takeaway Aim to innovate, not imitate. Themes creativity legacy innovation Mood inspired determined Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - writing - film - music - publishing Key Concepts cultural impact artistic standards Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance homage with originality? - What defines a 'classic' in your field? A Different Perspective Originality may be constrained by market expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Classics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classics/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [I think classic films are classic for a reason. It's always sketchy to redo one, especially if you're trying to make it contemporary. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-classic-films-are-classic-for-a-reason-it-s-always-sketchy-to/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [“Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: 'Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/morning-and-evening-maids-heard-the-goblins-cry-come-buy-our-orchard/) [Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/) > [“A classic is read not to enjoy but only to be boast about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aman-jassal/a-classic-is-read-not-to-enjoy-but-only-to-be-boast-about-it/) [Aman Jassal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aman-jassal/) > [“At some point in youth an old person will tell you a harsh truth you will not believe, in middle age you will realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-a-a-savastano/at-some-point-in-youth-an-old-person-will-tell-you-a-harsh-truth-you/) [C.A.A. Savastano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-a-a-savastano/) > [You come to a point in your life where you don't want to just keep repeating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/you-come-to-a-point-in-your-life-where-you-don-t-want-to-just-keep/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [The true definition of madness is repeating the same action, over and over, hoping for a different result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-true-definition-of-madness-is-repeating-the-same-action-over-and/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I hated repeating myself. The last films I've done - not once did I ever have the feeling that I was dialing it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-hated-repeating-myself-the-last-films-i-ve-done-not-once-did-i-ever/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [Regretting the past does not prevent me from repeating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/regretting-the-past-does-not-prevent-me-from-repeating-it/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Repeating, trying to repeat success - it never gets easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-judge/repeating-trying-to-repeat-success-it-never-gets-easier/) [Aaron Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-judge/) > [I was concerned about doing a sequel and repeating myself. That was before I read the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jobeth-williams/i-was-concerned-about-doing-a-sequel-and-repeating-myself-that-was/) [JoBeth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jobeth-williams/) > [It's so unbelievable when you train so hard for a fight and when you keep repeating the same thing over 10, 20, 30 times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-moraes/it-s-so-unbelievable-when-you-train-so-hard-for-a-fight-and-when-you/) [Marlon Moraes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-moraes/) > [“When I prepare, then I become pregnant... and then I produce. When I produce, then I praise the Lord... and then I become prosperous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/when-i-prepare-then-i-become-pregnant-and-then-i-produce-when-i/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [There comes a point where certain things are becoming my Achilles heel; you know when you start repeating yourself and saying the same anecdotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/there-comes-a-point-where-certain-things-are-becoming-my-achilles/) [Karen Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elson/) > [I don't like repeating things and look out for work that could challenge me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/i-don-t-like-repeating-things-and-look-out-for-work-that-could/) [Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/) > [I'm trying to be very aware of not repeating myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/i-m-trying-to-be-very-aware-of-not-repeating-myself/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) ## More by Gina Prince-Bythewood > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [The thing is I write to music, so every script I have has its own playlist. Music just opens me up to the emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/the-thing-is-i-write-to-music-so-every-script-i-have-has-its-own/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [We think of Shots Fired as almost an autopsy of Ferguson that shows the events from every street in the house. And, in dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/we-think-of-shots-fired-as-almost-an-autopsy-of-ferguson-that-shows/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [Some of my favorite films are musicals, like 'Walk the Line,' 'The Rose' and 'Lady Sings the Blues.' I just love the way the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/some-of-my-favorite-films-are-musicals-like-walk-the-line-the-rose/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [There are a lot of aspects of filmmaking that I love, but one of my favorites is in post, finding the right song for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/there-are-a-lot-of-aspects-of-filmmaking-that-i-love-but-one-of-my/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [Sports also teaches you that it's about the team, and the better your teammates are, the better they make you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/sports-also-teaches-you-that-it-s-about-the-team-and-the-better-your/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [When killings of black by policeman happen, there's the victim, there's the family, there are the police, there are the politicians, and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/when-killings-of-black-by-policeman-happen-there-s-the-victim-there-s/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [There is a perception within our community and the world that black people don't love each other. That we don't fight for each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/there-is-a-perception-within-our-community-and-the-world-that-black/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [There are so many romantic comedies made, but very few dramas or love stories. And with a love story, you have to take time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/there-are-so-many-romantic-comedies-made-but-very-few-dramas-or-love/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I write to music, and Nina Simone is always on my playlist to write to. I mean, shes inspiring. She's truthful and real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/i-write-to-music-and-nina-simone-is-always-on-my-playlist-to-write-to/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [My parents are amazing. When I said I wanted to go into film, they didn't understand it, but they were incredibly supportive. But growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/my-parents-are-amazing-when-i-said-i-wanted-to-go-into-film-they-didn/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I grew up with white parents, and until after college, it was a lot of confusion, especially because I grew up in an all-white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/i-grew-up-with-white-parents-and-until-after-college-it-was-a-lot-of/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [Even if someone doesn't look like you or you don't know people like this in your real life, you get to know them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/even-if-someone-doesn-t-look-like-you-or-you-don-t-know-people-like/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [Films really can change a conversation and change someone's thinking and perception, especially with people of color at the center. It rarely happens. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/films-really-can-change-a-conversation-and-change-someone-s-thinking/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I want my work to always be hopeful, in the end. You're giving me two hours, and, in Shots Fired's case, 10 hours of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/i-want-my-work-to-always-be-hopeful-in-the-end-you-re-giving-me-two/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) [Explore all 56 Gina Prince-Bythewood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) ## More Classic quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [What I love about watching classic horror films is that they take you on a ride and they obviously make you scared because you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-holmes/what-i-love-about-watching-classic-horror-films-is-that-they-take-you/) [Katie Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-holmes/) > [To see classic rock, you had to go to an arena. But punk was happening everywhere, even in little towns in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-callahan/to-see-classic-rock-you-had-to-go-to-an-arena-but-punk-was-happening/) [Bill Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-callahan/) > [A classic is like a hidden treasure. Its core is buried under so many layers of varnish that it can be reached only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-barrault/a-classic-is-like-a-hidden-treasure-its-core-is-buried-under-so-many/) [Jean-Louis Barrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-barrault/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [One glance and I knew exactly who and what he was. The classic alpha male, the kind who had spurred evolution forward about five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-glance-and-i-knew-exactly-who-and-what-he-was-the-classic-alpha/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I'd always wanted the show to be more reality based science fiction, something along the lines of The Day the Earth Stood Still, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-gerard/i-d-always-wanted-the-show-to-be-more-reality-based-science-fiction/) [Gil Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-gerard/) > [Classic mountaineering grows out of a traditional romantic imagination. Its heart is the feeling, its path is blood, sweat and tears, and its restriction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-kurtyka/classic-mountaineering-grows-out-of-a-traditional-romantic/) [Wojciech Kurtyka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-kurtyka/) > [In his anti-Darwinian book... (and eponymously named The Neck of the Giraffe ), Francis Hitching tells the story... "The need to survive by reaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-his-anti-darwinian-book-and-eponymously-named-the-neck-of-the/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The story being told in 'Star Wars' is a classic one. Every few hundred years, the story is retold because we have a tendency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/the-story-being-told-in-star-wars-is-a-classic-one-every-few-hundred/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [In the tradition of the classic songwriter rooms like The Bluebird in Nashville, Strange Brew is a gift to the music community in Austin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-cross/in-the-tradition-of-the-classic-songwriter-rooms-like-the-bluebird-in/) [Christopher Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-cross/) > [It's sad that women characters have lost so much ground in popular movies. Didn't 'Thelma and Louise' prove that women want to see women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-quivers/it-s-sad-that-women-characters-have-lost-so-much-ground-in-popular/) [Robin Quivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-quivers/) > [Classic book is a book which people praise, but do not read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/classic-book-is-a-book-which-people-praise-but-do-not-read/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-have-a-large-watch-collection-and-classic-watches-are-especially/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) Browse all 1,505 Classic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create new classics. 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