For years, I refused to go to any openings, not even my own.

Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.

A small act is worth a million thoughts.

Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught.

The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay.

The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility.

Maybe being powerful means to be fragile.

Everything is art. Everything is politics.

I think art certainly is the vehicle for us to develop any new ideas, to be creative, to extend our imagination, to change the current conditions.

I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.

The purpose of art is the fight for freedom.

Our behavior is human with a sliver of animal, our souls animal with a sliver of human.

What you compose with is neither here nor there, you compose with words, or you compose with stone plants and trees, or you compose with events; the Sheriff's officer, or whatever.

Every winning streak will have to end sometime.

Beauty opened all the doors; it got me things I didn't even know I wanted, and things I certainly didn't deserve.

Growing is the result of learning.

A successful life is expensive; it will cost you something to become a champion.

The good and bad are all tangled up together. American popular music is loved around the world because of its African rhythm. But that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for slavery.

Money is a life skill – and as parents, grandparents, interested adults – it's up to us to make sure our children are prepared for the financial world they are going to face.

No matter how bad your life gets, you can always turn it around.

It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.