I guess I am ruthless too because that's what makes a great artist. But I also respect people, I don't go around stepping on their heads.

There are certain times you want to be here and there are certain times you want to just go. And when you go, it's usually so exhausting you have to check into a hospital when you come home!

The thing about living in New York is that there are other artists; that is the most difficult, I think they are the hardest critics.

You seem to make different concessions with yourself about what you want to focus on or not, and what you want to pay attention to.

I was always very... impatient about showing my paintings to people.

Nobody is perfect. I don't think it's the most scathing indictment of anybody. It's pretty innocuous. [Miral] is just the story of one family and one girl, living in that part of the world, and that's what goes on over there. I thought that maybe it would be informative and useful for people to know more about it.

I think it's your own ghost, seeing the work and just thinking if it will be okay to leave that around.