Sarah McLachlan

I've learned to trust myself, to listen to truth, to not be afraid of it and to not try and hide it.

Time is a beautiful thing. It's like when you meet an old lover on the street six years later and they don't look so ugly anymore.

I was trying to uphold what I thought feminism was as best I could by supporting women, by trying to create an opportunity to get women to get together, play music together and celebrate the fact that we are having great success making music on our own and together.

It's a very romantic sentiment, but to think that you would die if you didn't write, well, I would definitely choose to not write and live.

I'm not one to sit and wallow - I would rather figure out a way around so I can move past it and be at peace with things. I don't like bad feelings gnawing away at me.

I think often sadness is a great place to get songs from.

It's all kind of a big illusion: the white picket fence and the perfect marriage and the kids. Check that box off, check that box off, and move forward.

Happiness is like a cloud, if you stare at it long enough, it evaporates.

I didn't get hugely famous really quick. It was a slow, gradual process, so I was able to sort of grow into myself and figure out who I was and what I wanted without the glaring spotlight on me telling me who I was.

Coming to terms with the fact that my marriage was a failure was devastating and very difficult.

I spent a lot of years on the road, and what happens is you find out who your real friends are and you find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie in communication. I've had the same friends for 20 years now and I can count them on one hand.

Trying to force creativity is never good.

I have a full life: I have two amazing kids, I have great friends, great family. And right now, that's plenty for me to manage. A new relationship just seems like way too much work.

It's an amazing luxury to say I'm 31 years old and I'm gonna take a year off. That's pretty amazing.

I think sometimes all you need is to hear someone else say the same thing that you're going through to realize that you're not alone. I try to put some sense of hope into the songs, into whatever the situation is so that it's not just dirt, drudgery and a life of misery.

I'm really lucky that my record companies have been patient with me and leave me alone and give me the time to make it right in my mind.