Being able to express myself through music and art has always been when I feel the most alive.

When I can do an acoustic set, I can sit down and sing. And then when I have a huge arena full of people, there's nothing like that. It's the coolest feeling in the world, but I also like to play small intimate shows because I feel you can connect a little more. And that's something I had to learn - how to connect to a big audience versus the small one.

Staying true to yourself and trusting your instincts is very important. I've learned this both through creating music, where I've always stayed focused on recording music that is true to who I am and to my fans, and through my recent health struggles, where I knew something more was going on than what I was hearing from different doctors; I had to trust myself and continue to pursue a diagnosis.

I couldn't tell you why she felt that way but she felt it everyday. I couldn't help her; I just watched her make the same mistakes again.

When things are very real and honest, they don't go away.

I'm waking up to say I tried, instead of waking up to another TV guide.

We should all focus on trying to be compassionate to others at all times, and be as understanding as possible towards people we know are hurting. We should try to be there to lift each other up.