We certainly had our moments when I was growing up. But the great thing was, if Mom was working on a night shoot, she'd be up making breakfast before school.

The arts are the most uniquely suited to provide young people with critical-thinking skills, problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration, empathy and tolerance and compassion, looking at the other point of views.

The arts give kids the building blocks with which to then play.

My mom's coping mechanism was to be strong and resilient. She is very compassionate and nonjudgmental.