There's no solution to life, there's going to be problems no matter what.

People are not born heroes or villains; they’re created by the people around them.

A villain is just a victim whose story hasn’t been told.

When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sand paper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.

If you truly own who you are, no one can use you against you.

I couldn't do country, with all due respect to all country music artists. My parents dressed me up with a cowboy hat and we'd go to the rodeo when I was younger and it traumatized me for life.

You can't shy away from your greatness just because you're afraid you're not great enough

Even in the worst of situations-even when it seems no one in the world appreciates you-as long as you have hope, everthing can get better

Courage is one thing that no one can ever take away from you.

To Grandma: Once upon a time, there was a boy who flew.

You don’t get to pick where you’re from, but you always have control of where you’re going.

You can't fight a battle you don't think exists.

The worst that you can say about him (God) is that basically he's an underachiever.

Choose to experience peace rather than conflict.

I think there is a poem out there for everyone, to be an entrance into the poetry and a relationship with it.

I would never lay down a pre-programmed set and perform to a pre-mixed CD; I would never cheat my fans like that.

At the same time that I'm finding the color world I want, I'm also trying to make the imagery, you know, by the nature of the strokes themselves.

After all, the world is still great.

Genre-spanning is the effort to make the live show interesting. It's also a great way to challenge yourself as a writer.

Why are you so docile when you give up your child to a government agent called a schoolteacher?

I think sometimes negative campaigning, like so much, is in the eye of the beholder, and I don't think we'll ever get rid of it.