For me, writing is just processing.

I was a really, really depressed kid.

I feel like if I couldn't write, I would explode.

I try to harmonize and sing every moment that I can.

I think I streaked one time when I was 16, which was scary.

I like to think that my music allows people that cathartic cry.

I'm a sensitive, sensitive person. Overly sensitive. Extremely emotional.

Gay rights and body acceptance are two things I feel very passionately about.

My mom, grandma, great-grandma - we're all named Mary, and we all play piano and sing.

The bottom line is: You are in control of your reactions to things and how you view things.

It's an interesting thing about being a 'fem.' People automatically assume that I'm straight.

In my field, you can't really wear the same dress twice unless you want Isaac Mizrahi to scorn you on TV.

Getting snail mail is one of my favorite indulgences, and I think receiving mail is actually a common joy.

I remember when I heard 'Jessie's Girl' for the first time, I was like, 'This is so applicable to lesbians!'

After singing 'Same Love' across the nation, it's given me faith that I've underestimated the straight world.

So I want to make money. I think it's an OK goal to have. I always felt like I can't ask for that. But why not?

Treat others as you wish to be treated. Don't just be nice, but be kind to other people. That can be so rewarding.

The thing I really love about my fans is the vulnerability and openness, the crying and the hugs. They are so kind.

When you're 17 in the suburbs and know only three gay people, holding hands with your girlfriend is a proclamation.

As soon as I check into a hotel, I get butt naked and I watch super trash TV like 'Storage Wars' and 'The Bachelor.'

I'm one of the writers that would die if I didn't say what I needed to say. For me, it's a matter of survival to write.

When I came out, I said, 'I'm going to be a proud gay artist.' I'm not going to be Melissa Etheridge. But she's a goddess!

I have gained so much more from my experiences of being open and loving humanity rather than being jaded and being closed-off.

If I can sit down at my keyboard and have a melody that says something that I can't with words, that's a really beautiful thing.

I'm not dieting anymore. I want to eat what my body is asking of me. Just listen to your body in general - it's all self-awareness.

Even when I'm in a really great, steady and stable place... I'm clinically bipolar, so that always exists - a darkness always exists.

At this point, I have 10 pairs of cat earrings because fans bring them to me. The next song I write, I'm going to be like, 'I love Chanel.'

To be honest, I used to hate shopping. I rarely left a store without crying, cursing my body, and swearing under my breath at the fashion industry.

I have a big thing with eye contact, because I think as soon as you make eye contact with somebody, you see them, and they become valued and worthy.

Bike lanes are the coolest. My favorite past time is flipping off cars from my bicycle. Just kidding - I'm more of a silent resentment kind of girl.

I think, for me as an artist, there are no boundaries. As long as I'm creating in a way that isn't trying to re-traumatize any wounds that I do have.

I'm learning how to keep my identity and personal life sacred. It's a matter of knowing my limits. I don't have to give everything that's asked of me.

I hope people learn the power of vulnerability through my songs. I think vulnerability can save the world. Empathy helps people connect with each other.

I don't think of my songs as sad songs. I think of them as vulnerable and honest. I crack jokes in between songs, so people don't leave feeling too dark.

Body love is more than acceptance of self or the acceptance of the body. Body love is about self-worth in general. It's more than our physical appearance.

I would sing to my Beanie Babies, and I sort of created this alternate universe where I was famous, and there were thousands of people that I was singing to.

Sylvia Plath, Rumi, there's a lot of spoken word poets who do a really incredible job putting their spoken work into page poetry - that's what I strive to do.

I came out when I was 17 - coming out in middle or high school is one of the most difficult things that anyone could experience. I wouldn't wish it on my enemies.

I don't have all answers, but as far as viewing my body... I'm in a place where I can look at my stretch marks and say, 'Oh, hey, stretch marks!' and I'm over it.

If you want to help somebody, make sure you're coming from a place of clarity and complete non-judgment; that way, you can begin to understand their journey, too.

Beauty, by way of fashion, has to do with confidence, with flattering silhouettes, with patterns, with proper fit for body type, and with an abundance of self-love!

I know how I want to operate as an artist. And that is by having an honest, genuine dialogue about this kind of screwed up journey I've had that I'm so thankful for.

Fat bodies are used comically. I respect Rebel Wilson so much, and Melissa McCarthy. I love them both. But so often, I feel like fat female bodies are used as props.

I was bartending when I recorded 'Same Love,' and when it was on the radio, too. I remember overhearing people talking about the song while I was making them drinks.

It's a really skewed part of our culture that happiness is the end-all be-all. The people that force themselves to be happy all the time often end up being the most broken.

If people can find something that they love about themselves after going to one of my shows, then I am so addicted to that feeling. It's the most gratifying thing on earth.

I was going to be a teacher. I was applying to graduate school when I got the call to do 'Same Love,' actually. I was gonna go to Boston University for my masters in teaching.

One of the best parts about my job is that I get to dress for red carpets and appearances, and I often forgo working with a stylist because fashion is half the fun of any event!

It's taken me a long time to enjoy shopping. As a plus-size girl, you walk into a store, and it can sometimes be like a designer doesn't know you exist. It's become a fun treasure hunt.

Just because you're not thin does not mean you're ugly. You are beautiful because of the light you carry inside you. You are beautiful because you say you are, and you hold yourself that way.

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