Pipeline Artists

I suffer because I said yes to myself, not because I ignored or silenced or starved the relentless fire in my guts.

There's a certain kind of suspense and mystery to the forests, heavy rain clouds, and grey skies that lends itself to the thriller genre; which I love the most.

I think I lost about ten pounds, but I made it out feeling invincible and have never wanted to do anything else in life since.

Film work is endlessly fascinating and rewarding and never-ending, and that’s even before taking into account all the incredible artists, collaborators and businesspeople with which you get to meet and work.

... pissing off powerful people is at the top of the list. Having a well-attended funeral is another goal.

If art illuminates the human experience, then my goal is to create work that helps people appreciate all the similarities that we often overlook. Plus, I just love weird shit.

There is no end goal to reach. There is no mountaintop to climb and then you've "made it"—there are just more mountains.

As humans, we have a need to express ourselves. And at the most fundamental level, as artists, it's why we do what we do.

I fought back in my own little ways, like dressing as the macabre Angel of Death for “Bible Character Day.”

Our stories reveal our humanity. They peel back the layers of the titles we hold—mom, aunt, etc.—and remind others that underneath those layers, we’re all just people.

Research awakened me to the vast array of knowledge contained not only in books and the internet, but also in the people around us, and reminding me how much there is to learn about the world in which we live.

Writing multiple POVs drove me crazy at times ... I wrote Mary in first person because I wanted readers to feel an intimacy with her, and I thought it would help them connect to her as an outsider.

Kids are very aware of what’s going on around them. And I think they want to escape into worlds that ultimately make sense, regardless of the offbeat concepts or quirks that define those worlds.

The working-class is what I know, and they’re almost always at the heart of the stories I tell. As for why we’re not hearing enough about them—I don’t know. Superheroes are overqualified for the jobs out here.

I hope this story offers readers some kind of kindling—for warmth, or to stir some hidden fire. Mostly, I hope this story helps someone reclaim their own skin—whatever that means to them.