When I'm writing I'm constantly thinking about myself because it's the only experience I have to draw on. And I don't see an exact reflection of myself in every face in the audience but I know that my songs have validity to them and that's why the fans are there.

There are more people than you think who want to have a challenging experience in which they are obliged to reflect about the past.

There can be nothing exclusive about substantial art. It comes directly out of the heart of the experience of life and thinking about life and living life.

'Donny and Marie' was a great experience. I tried so hard to be a great talk show host but it's all about relaxing and enjoying it. Marie and I finally figured that out. I would have liked it to continue but I'm kind of glad it's over because of the phenomenal workload.

My kids will grow up in a house knowing that it's perfectly normal for two men to be in love it's perfectly normal for two women to be in love. My kids will grow up knowing it's all about love. It doesn't matter who you're with and everyone should have that experience.

In my experience it's all wonderful with girls until about 16. Around that time boys kind of calm down and start focusing their testosterone. Girls get a little challenging especially for fathers.

I hate these platforms that are all over the place today they are all about grabbing attention. They are suburban! I never do a platform. Well I did in the 1970s but that was a bad experience.

I have a mess in my head sometimes and there's something very satisfying about putting it into words. Certainly it's not something that you're in charge of necessarily but writing about it putting it into your words can be a very powerful experience.

I'm a method writer. In order to write about the emotion I have to experience it. I get physically tired and exhausted devoting hours and hours and hours to it.

I think it's really really important to mix it up as an actor to try to get as much kind of varied experience as you can not only for your own personal growth as an actor but for the audience to keep them guessing about what you're going to do.

I started thinking about joy. Everything in our society is so purposeful. Let's bring joy back to the experience.

As an actress it's part of your job to be able to imagine just about anything - even if it's not within your personal experience.

I think being a parent is the most challenging thing you do. That's why we're here. It's at the heart of what it is to be a human being. It's the ultimate experience because it questions everything about who you are. But it's difficult.

Stories have always been the things that entertain me and make me feel happy and sad and move me and give me the experience of being able to live many lives in one lifetime. It's the best thing about being alive.

There are a lot of obstacles in the way of our understanding animal intelligence - not the least being that we can't even agree whether nonhuman species are conscious. We accept that chimps and dolphins experience awareness we like to think dogs and cats do. But what about mice and newts? What about a fly? Is anything going on there at all?

I'm not particularly precious about the theatrical experience any more.

I absolutely believe in the power of tithing and giving back. My own experience about all the blessings I've had in my life is that the more I give away the more that comes back. That is the way life works and that is the way energy works.