Its an acknowledgement that knowledge grows like a tree, and every new creative work has a root or foundation in the past which was used as inspiration and leve

Its an acknowledgement that knowledge grows like a tree, and every new creative work has a root or foundation in the past which was used as inspiration and leverage to reach new heights and without which, perhaps those heights might not have been possible to reach. A good one - "If I've been able to reach new heights, it's because I strove after the examples set by my inspirations."