Teachers have to respect the privacy of students' creative life, but at the same time give them a chance to express themselves.

Writing a story is like going down a path in the woods. You follow the path. You don't worry about getting lost. You just go.

My parents would tell us to go outside and play or to do creative stuff, but television was very limited. So we used our own creativity to entertain ourselves. We were out in the woods a lot making huts and playing horses.

I loved being a child. If I do have a talent, it's not so much being an artist, but it's being able to remember back to that time.

When I go to another country, I try to be a big sponge and look at what the houses may look like and what colors predominate. I do not do research as much as just get ideas and ask people about things.

I would like teachers to look deep because sometimes kids do have a faade that they put up because they feel vulnerable. Their creative truth may not be ready for their friends to see.

I remember kids used to give me a penny for drawing them a horse. I loved horses, but I couldn't have one, so I would draw a horse for myself. I would make it food and a blanket for it to wear and a place to live.