Tolkien: The author or the reader (No, this is not another canonicity thread)

[Eönwë]

Many members of this forum have mentioned that Tolkien has made them interested in many different things, such as medieval life, archery, languages, nature and gardening, to name but a few.

I, for example, already had an interest in languages, and after reading Lord of the Rings it increased much more, leading to try to learn some Old English and just other languages in general.

Tolkien's works also draw in people who already have an interest in such subjects, which makes you want to read them more.

So, what I am asking is- What are your experiences on the subject? Is it Tolkien who inspired your interests or were you drawn to Tolkien because of your previous interests? Which way round was it for you?