I was extremely moved by the plight of Tsunami victims and I was inspired to try to make a difference.
I could get away with not taking care of myself as a bachelorette but as a mom I can't.
Writing a song doesn't heal things. Even if the song comes up with a solution, it's still only a theory. Going out and living my lyrics is a whole other deal. That takes courage.
I think it's child abuse to have someone in the public eye too young. Society basically values wealth and fame and power at the cost of well-being. In the case of a child, it's at the cost of someone's natural development. It's already hard enough to develop.
I was always such a people-watcher. I would sit on street corners alone and watch people and make up stories about them in my head. Then, all of a sudden, I was the one being watched.
Ageism works in both directions. As a teenager in the public eye, people would talk condescendingly to me. When you get older there's this feeling that you have to start carving up your face and body. Right now I'm in the middle ground - I think women in their thirties are taken seriously.
I started playing piano when I was 6. And I knew that wanted to be involved in that form of expression, whether it was through music, or acting, or dancing, or painting, or writing.
I was motivated by just thinking that if you had all this external success that everyone would love you and everything would be peaceful and wonderful.
I'm clearly most well known for my music. Eventually, ultimately, I'll be writing books. I'm still writing articles now. I just consider myself a writer.
I'm excited about there being more of a sisterhood these days. Back in the '90s there was a lot of hate - the women I looked up to as artists were dissing me! It's not so patriarchal these days - there's more love and a lot less hate!
I've been doing a lot of different cross-training and kickboxing and Capoeira and kite surfing, and I've just really been back to what I consider my original athletic self.
Freedom lies at the heart of my willingness to lose everything
If I could sell 500 million records every time, it would be great. But I've also had the luxury experience of having it when I was a teenager, in a very kind of model version of it.
But I love to entertain. My vocation is to accrue all these experiences, to write about them, to get them out of my system, to not get sick, and then to share them publicly.
It's not just the 'Grammys' that I've pulled out of. I also pulled out of the English awards as well. The reason that I wanted to pull out was because I believe very much that the music industry as a whole is mainly concerned with material success.
When I'm off the road, my husband and I recharge our batteries. It's a day of deep rest and connection with the spiritual, and that can be anything - going for a walk in nature, being in silence, burning incense.
My yearn for home is broadened Patriotism expanded By callings from beyond So I pack my things Nothing precious All things sacred
The more I know the less tortured I am.
I listen to my records and I think, 'Wow, these are really great appetizers. I haven't even considered what I'm going to order for the full entree meal yet.'
I really do see that anywhere I am, whether it's doing interviews a hundred in a row, that every situation I'm in, I'm at choice in the matter.
I get angry at myself for staying in relationships way too long.
I make up new lyrics to well-known lullabies. Mostly because I don't actually know a lot of the lyrics.
I happen to be lucky in that I knew what I wanted to do as far as a career since I was nine years old.
Europe seems a little softer, but in America it's harsh. In L.A., where I live, it's all about perfectionism.
I'm a leave-the-bathroom-door-open nudist, which is sometimes disconcerting for my friends.
