In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the point where it kills sincerity.

One of the things that I love about painting is that I never consider myself to have an audience.

A great show means we have to connect; we have to prove to [the audience] that we do something great or blow their socks off, but it has to be with them if it's going to be sustained for any length of time.

Whether it's about children or not, we have to move forward.

I had a dream that Louis Armstrong was playing the 'Swept Away' melody. I have no idea where it came from. But Louis Armstrong was playing it and singing the song to me. I woke up-it's a borrowed melody no doubt-and wrote it down. If I hear a song and I choose not to put it down, that's me neglecting to accept that song. I think there's a very spiritual and godly-type ting that happens, and it happens to way more people than we know. It's just that very few of us choose to engage it.

In the music world, when we're making work, we are obligated to no longer be completely free from what we are to someone else - sort of like an athlete, where you become a role model to someone.

If humor is not present, I tend to be concerned about the artist, or distrusting of what they're presenting - unless there is an obvious tragedy being talked about.