I think that the problem is that people fear so many things and they don't live life to its fullest. And for me as an artist if God should want me to come this Wednesday to the end of my life so be it.

One of the most gratifying things I get as an artist is when people watch me do these different demonstrations and they in some way feel empowered by what I'm doing so they can confront their own fears. Maybe it's the fear of getting in an elevator maybe it's the fear of going on a plane and seeing the world.

People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. I think that there is still a need for a dialogue about things racial that we've not engaged in.

Most fears are basic: fear of the dark fear of going down in the basement fear of weird sounds fear that somebody is waiting for you in your closet. Those kinds of things stay with you no matter what age.

When I was younger I used to pick things just to face the fear.

Here's what the right-wing has in there's no shortage of the natural resources of ignorance apathy hate fear. As long as those things are in the collective conscious and unconscious the Republicans will have some votes.

I like normal stuff people fear - like spiders and heights. I'm frightened by the unknown by things that are hard to figure out and get a grip on.

A line from one of my 1997 columns - 'Do one thing every day that scares you' - is now widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt though I have yet to see any evidence that she ever said it and I don't believe she did. She said some things about fear but not that thing.

I won't touch on risky because that's subjective. People are just afraid of things too much. Afraid of things that don't necessarily merit fear.

The things you fear are undefeatable not by their nature but by your approach.

I don't think that anyone seriously fears that the world can be blown to pieces all together. But what one can fear and rightly so are regional things like in the Middle East India Pakistan the Korean Peninsula borders in Africa etc.

Fear can make all of us do the wrong things sometimes.

So then learn to conquer your fear. This is the only art we have to master nowadays: to look at things without fear and to fearlessly do right.

Respect and fear are two different things.

Why do people do things that they fear? It may be that the fear contains information. Something can be interesting if you get to the other side of that fear.

For me it's important to be in balance. To not let fear get in the way of things to not worry so much about protecting yourself all the time.

I always say three things make a writer: inspiration obviously perspiration doing the work. But the third is desperation. I'm not really fit for anything else or to have a real job. That fear drives me. The pressure has always been self inflicted.

Television knows no night. It is perpetual day. TV embodies our fear of the dark of night of the other side of things.

But I love being scared. I think you're brave only when you do things that scare you. I've always used fear as a motivator. I'm not sure why.

Fear of things invisible in the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.

You cannot avoid war in life you cannot avoid the fear of terrorism you cannot avoid those things now they are a part of everyday demeanor.

You can ask me pretty much anything. There'll be things I'll go 'That feels a little too personal.' But most things I don't have a fear of being asked about.

I think one of the terrible things today is that people have this deathly fear of food: fear of eggs say or fear of butter. Most doctors feel that you can have a little bit of everything.

I've noticed a lot of younger artists have less fear of doing different sorts of things whether it's various types of music or gallery artists moving between video and sculpture and drawing.