It's a tough pill to swallow, but if I was going to stand for something as an artist, and every time that had consequences I decided not to do it, that'd be pointless. I have to listen to people, and I always try to meet people with understanding.

There comes a time as an artist, can't follow the crowd. You have to do YOU, and make the crowd follow you.

I always wanted to be an artist, whatever that was, like other chicks want to be stewardesses. I read. I painted. I thought.

An artist has gotta be careful never really to arrive at a place where he thinks he's at somewhere. You always have to realize that you're constantly in a state of becoming.

I have so many opinions about everything it just comes out during my music. It's a battle for me. I try not to be preachy. That's a real danger.

When you're young and everything dramatic is exciting, you start to believe that hype that, in order to be an artist, you have to suffer. I've graduated from that school.