Over the years, Americans have worked hard to expand the values our nation was founded on - justice, freedom, equality - to every person, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

I grew up, went to the Virginia Military Institute and then medical school, married my wife Pam, served in the United States Army, and moved back to Hampton Roads.

Every year, I volunteer with Remote Area Medical mobile clinics to provide care to folks in rural Virginia. They do incredible work. But I'm the first to admit that treating people once a year at an annual clinic isn't the ideal way to provide healthcare. We should be investing in long-term, permanent solutions to rural health.

America is a melting pot. Our diversity is our strength.

As a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and a veteran of the United States Army, it is important that we celebrate and support our citizen-soldiers.

Progress in our country has always been too slow, and creating change has always been difficult, but we must continue marching towards those ideals written in our founding documents - that all people are to be treated equally under our laws.

The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.

An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have.

Art itself is knowledge of the spiritual world. Art is information from higher forces, by those who are talented. I'm not jiving.

In Japan, I am famous in certain special circles - mainly as someone who is trying to break down and enlighten the conventions of Japanese art.

I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.

Right after 'Raymond' I had a world-is-my-oyster attitude, but I found out I don't like oysters. I had this existential emptiness. 'What is my purpose? Who am I?' I had a big identity crisis.