Every memorial in its time has a different goal.

The role of art in society differs for every artist.

I loved school. I studied like crazy. I was a Class A nerd.

Our lives are given meaning by our actions-accomplishments made while we are "here" that extend beyond our own time.

I always give the analogy of the Earth at Night picture, of 7.3 billion of us, right? And everyone says, "Well, that's population." Well, if you took the entire world's population and you lived at the density of Manhattan proper - not a bad place to live - how much space do 7.3 billion people take up? The state of Colorado. At which point I end my lectures, because I want you to be thinking ... is this really a question of population, or is this a question of land use and resource consumption? And let's face it, the top 1.3 billion of us are doing all the damage. Sorry.

I cannot force a design; I do not see this process as being under my conscious control.

Sometimes you have to stop thinking. Sometimes you shut down completely. I think that's true in any creative field.