I always was intrigued with writing my own stuff, and I was always really bad at learning other people's stuff.

I found it more pleasurable to write something, sing a melody over it. At a very young age, I kind of honed my writing skills, I guess.

Music has been more, you know, the only thing I've ever known.

The only thing I knew how to do was draw and play music.

I just never doubted myself. I always knew I was going to do something.

I work, to this day, from morning to night, seven days a week. I'm always working two, three years ahead of my own timeline; I'm a workaholic.

I started out on guitar when I was nine years old, and I started playing bars and stuff when I was thirteen, and I've been playing ever since.

But miracles still happen, even if we don't think they do.

But you are a different sort of girl. Not at all what I expected you to be. And this is a different sort of time. And so I am hopeful for all the things you may yet find.

Those who write as they speak, even though they speak well, write badly.

An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.

I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.

Long slow distance makes long slow runners.

You've got to be stupid to heckle me - I am very equipped to win.

He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.

Write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

I think I have learned to really get out of the mathematical side of myself that looks at story and story structure and go with, "Okay, well, what would people do in real life?"