I have such difficulty calming down - my stomach, my head, reality, everything. That is the reason I live in Faro.

When I was young, I was extremely scared of dying. But now I think it a very, very wise arrangement. It's like a light that is extinguished. Not very much to make a fuss about.

In 'The Serpent's Egg,' I created a Berlin which no one recognized, not even I.

Mother was actually a great doer and organizer. All the special occasions were directed by mother.

Let us leave pretty women to men devoid of imagination.

I've always been a fan of poetry. I grew up with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the Beat poets. I really followed that stuff for a while. I just love the way people threw words around like they were painting.

I started track and field when I was 12 and didn't get to an Olympic Games until I was nearly 23. By any stretch of the imagination that's a very long apprenticeship.

I think that that's why artists make art - it is difficult to put into words unless you are a poet. What it takes is being open to the flow of universal creativity. The Zen artists knew this.