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Some people become artists for whatever reasons. Some of it's frivolous. And I don't think there should be any shame on that, but I think there comes a point in life where you want to offer more.

An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have.

Being an artist is not easy - I have always said that to the students I have taught over the years. It's a huge sacrifice.

My friend Harry Nilsson used to say the definition of an artist was someone who rode way ahead of the herd and was sort of the lookout. Now you don't have to be that, to be an artist. You can be right smack-dab in the middle of the herd. If you are, you'll be the richest.

It's true that there are people who live the idea of being an artist, as opposed to the idea of making art.

Artists usually don't make all that much money, and they often keep their artistic hobby despite the money rather than due to it.

I believe that if your primary motivation in life is to be moral, you don't become an artist.

To be an artist you have to give up everything, including the desire to be a good artist.

There is actually no such thing as an Artist type. 'Artist' is just an economic designation, a box you tick on a form. We are all people, and we are all creative.

I think it's harder than ever to be an artist. I think that you end up, especially as a middle-aged person, you pay such big consequences for saying, 'I'm just going to devote my life to making art,' or 'I'm going to devote my life to writing novels.' You end up with no resources.