At one time I smoked but in 1959 I couldn't think of anything else to give up for Lent so I stopped - and I haven't had a cigarette since.

I've taught fifth-year Christmas leavers last thing on a Friday afternoon. Basically if you can face that you can face anything.

Christmas is taken very seriously in this household. I believe in Father Christmas and there's no way I'd do anything to undermine that belief.

The worst gift that I ever gave a girl was a suitcase for Christmas. As in 'I can't think of anything to give you but here's a new suitcase.' Afterward I was like 'What were you thinking idiot?'

I don't think people understand that being poor means you have to work from dawn until dusk just to survive through the day. I think there's some notion that poor people lie about all day not doing anything.

What I had to prove was that I had a dedication and a desire and a passion to do the work and everything else would fall in place because I have a vision that I want to portray and it did and I do it. I don't sell anything.

I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work I really wanted more than anything else to contribute in some way to the culture that I was living in. It just seemed like a challenge to move it a little bit towards the way I thought it might be interesting to go.

I don't try to focus on anything that doesn't affect me personally and how I go out there every single day. I'm just going to continue to work hard and focus on what I can control.

Being a mother is quite tiring. There's not much time to do anything. You just rush around and it's hard work.

Man unlike anything organic or inorganic in the universe grows beyond his work walks up the stairs of his concepts emerges ahead of his accomplishments.