I think being mediocre and in the middle would be the worst. It's more interesting to get strong reactions, and to have the mixture of people who get it and the people who don't get it. And to invite a dialogue.

For everyone, there are those moments when you have great days with someone you wouldn't expect to. Then you have to go back to your real lives, but it makes an impression on you.

I like to write things to be personal, so I just put what I'm thinking about at the time.

You don't have to be loud. If you know what you want, people respect that.

Having a kid, it makes you slow down; when you're walking with a toddler to pick up a leaf it can take a half hour. You've never spent that time looking at a leaf before, having that kind of interaction. So I think it does make you change the way you look things.

I think anything you do that's different, that doesn't take the typical approach, invites differing opinions.

My parents were always encouraging of us being creative however we wanted to be. People say, "You didn't get pressured into having to be a director?" But it's hard to be around my dad and not be curious about filmmaking, because he thinks it's the ultimate medium.