You can't be a free spirit in a place that feels like it was built on lockdown.

I was the first person in my family born in the United States. My mom is from Croatia, and my dad is from Iran. They met at music school in Belgium. I grew up as a pianist.

I love art because I feel that it's evidence of the great shared universal power. I like art that feels real, that cuts the bullshit.

I've always really enjoyed sharing my work with others. I find it really hard if I don't think the work will exist outside of my own apartment.

If you look at the horror genre, that work is all about making people uncomfortable by stimulating our fear of death.

For me writing isn't a mental exercise, it's barely even a literary exercise, it feels like a spiritual experience.

I hope that I'm the kind of person who would step in between somebody holding a gun at somebody else. I would like to be that stupid. I'd like to be that in love with life.

I don't like talking too much about my personal life, but it all goes into my work.

I had to brainwash myself, like what I was doing was going to be really, really good, and then just accept whatever happened.

I was really interested in piano and sort of discovered that I was a writer when I was about 13 and started writing. And it was my secret thing and my passion.

Anyway, I don't trust those people who poke around sad people's minds and tell them how interesting it all is up there. It's not interesting.

Whoever prefers the material comforts of life over intellectual wealth is like the owner of a palace who moves into the servants’ quarters and leaves the sumptuous rooms empty.

I hope I'm always learning something.

I think the government has to reposition environment on top of their national and international priorities.

There is no freedom of speech if you're a conservative.

I'm underrated, don't fit on nobody's playlist / If I ain't in your top 10, then you're a racist.

I'm an A student. I'm addicted to feedback, and I want to please people. That's sort of how I've gotten to where I am.

I really believe in the characters I play.

And when you appear all the rivers sound in my body, bells shake the sky, and a hymn fills the world.

I'm confident and I trust my instincts.

It is a wicked thing to be neutral between right and wrong.