I've never made money from films.

No one has to give you permission to make music or make art.

To find yourself, you must first lose yourself

I’ve always been interested in leaders and rule breakers and artists and politicians.

Live your life for anyone but yourself

In 1971, Bossier City, Louisiana, there was a teenage girl who was pregnant with her second child. She was a high school dropout and a single mom, but somehow she managed to make a better life for herself and her children. She encouraged her kids to be creative, to work hard and to do something special. That girl is my mother and she's here tonight. And I just want to say, I love you, Mom. Thank you for teaching me to dream.

When you’re young, you don’t know that you’re poor, you just know whether or not you’re happy. And i was happy, and loved. My mom did whatever she has to do to get by, and the lesson i learned from my childhood was that it’s possible to pursue happiness, no matter where that pursuit may lead you.