At school there were some programs in music. I did take piano lessons, and we had a piano at home. I got very interested in that.

What I adore is mixing the unexpected, things you don't imagine should go together

People, even children, aren't really afraid of change. They're afraid of not being prepared for change.

The first important [step] one was going to school. There was an advantage as there was a one-room schoolhouse that was within walking distance of my home. I went there being very shy, but I fit in quickly, and I was nurtured by a very dedicated and caring teacher, Magdalen George, who we referred to as Miss George. She was my teacher for a full seven years.

Experience is the best teacher. A compelling story is a close second.

We've got a nation of people who have one eye looking out for the next speed camera, another looking for a speed limit sign and another looking at the speedometer - which is a bit of a shame, when you only have two eyes.

I developed friends in the community that were in walking distance or a bicycle ride away, so that I socialized and did a lot of things that children do in their early years.