Gwen Stefani

If you're not Prince, you're never going to sound like Prince.

I try not to be but I'm super-neurotic about diet. I'm neurotic about trying not to be neurotic! I'm like every other girl. I have to try really hard my whole life to try to be fit. And I'm super-vain. And I want to wear cute clothes.

Never say never. In your life you never know what's going to happen next.

You can't plan anything, right? You can try.

I got married and decided I wanted to do a dance record, and I didn't ever expect for it to be what it was or for the 'No Doubt' thing to be such a long break, but it was one of those things where you just had to sort of follow your inspiration.

I'm just, like, totally normal. The fact that any of this has happened, that we're sitting here at the Beverly Hills Hotel just gets me going, like, 'What?'

Now I'm a wife and a mother of two. It's a really different role. I always referred to No Doubt as a marriage, because that's what it's like to be together for so long and go through what we've been through. I can't really have that relationship with them anymore.

A miracle... my biggest accomplishment is my marriage so far. Because it's hard, everyone knows it's hard.

It feels like the more I'm out there in the public eye, the more criticism I get. You need to have confidence - that's what it takes to walk out there and sing a song in front of a huge group of people.

I have learned to delegate.

I've always been a girl who loves to dress up.

And if I let myself down, appear on stage when I'm not looking my best, it's not fun for me. I just beat myself up about it.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice your performance for high heels.

Before, I was really passive, all I cared about was being in love with my boyfriend. I didn't have any creative power, nothing. I don't know that person any more.

It was such a turning point to find that I had a talent and I had something to contribute, somewhere.

Every day I fail at something.

I want to be a guy, but I want to wear a lot of makeup.

We all have to go through hard times. Tragedies. Those are given to us to see what were going to do with them.

I imagine my children are going to save me from my vanity and be my passion and fill whatever fears I have of the amazing time I'm having right now being gone.

I remember so vividly the first song I ever wrote. It was called 'Different People.'

As a famous person you think how you're gonna end it, get away and have a normal life.

I like the old, vintage Hollywood look.

My mom and dad met at Anaheim High School. After they got married, all they wanted to do was have four children, and they did.

Finding that balance between work and family is the hardest thing I've ever done - by far.

Being in a band you can wear whatever you want - it's like an excuse for Halloween every day.

I'm really emotional. I don't fight with people - like, I can barely fight with my husband because I'll just start crying instead. I've learned not to do that.

I'm vain enough to want do a movie again, but right now more roles are the last thing on my list.

I remember when I was in school, they would ask, 'What are you going to be when you grow up?' and then you'd have to draw a picture of it. I drew a picture of myself as a bride.

I'm neurotic about trying not to be neurotic!

Being in a band you can wear whatever you want - it's like an excuse for halloween everyday.

I work out five days a week, I can't imagine not doing it.

I don't fight with people - like, I can barely fight with my husband because I'll just start crying instead.

Music has this emotional thing to it, and it touches people in crazy ways. The power of having that power is something that, once you have it, you don't want it to ever end.

I wanted so badly to have a backup plan for when I'm not performing anymore. Let's be realistic: it's not going to be like this forever.

My songs are basically my diaries. Some of my best songwriting has come out of time when I've been going through a personal nightmare.

I think I've been able to fool a lot of people because I know I'm a dork. I'm a geek.

You're always tellin' me to go out more, Go ahead, get out and see the world, But then I think, why should I? I'd rather stay home and cry.

I was thinking that when I have children, that I should always dress as a character for them, so they think their mom is Alice in Wonderland or Cinderella.

Being a singer is all about me. About ego. Being a mom is all about being selfless - two different worlds.

You know, I was chubby when I was a little girl. And I have all those issues everyone else has. But I try not to. And I've learned over the years that it's such a waste of time. And people like me whether I'm a little bit fatter or not.

At a certain point I'm going to want to have a family.

I thought that I was going to be like this earth mother. When people would complain about being pregnant, I was like, 'What are you talking about? It's incredible! Just enjoy it.'

I have to be creative to be happy.

My parents always pushed creativity on us, but they made it seem like the fun thing to do.

I don't have a strong sense of self-worth unless I'm doing something.

I was thinking that when I have children, that I should always dress as a character for them, so they think their mom is Alice in Wonderland or Cinderella. It would be totally messed up!

I was a different person before I started to write. When I realized I could be a songwriter and that people would listen - that was when I started feeling good in my life.

I'd like to have no rules and eat what I want, but I've learned over the years that I'm so disappointed when I can't wear the clothes I want to wear.

I don't mean this in a stuck-up way, but I needed an attitude song.

I'm lucky to not have a real job, to be able to express myself, be creative and be relevant.

I would love to learn to play something so I don't have to rely on someone to collaborate with.

Act as young as you feel. Youre not getting older youre getting more entitled to be your fabulous self.

This last year I kind of stopped working out. I think my body just needed a break. And so I did that, and focused more on feeling good as opposed to beating myself up.

Working with (new collaborators) and letting people in to try new melodies and new lyrical ideas was very hard.

It takes a lot of selfish time to make music.

I've been trying to do films for years. So I've decided to wait until the next good part comes along and develop a record on my own in the meantime.

Everything works out how it should.

If I wasn't even famous or had any success, I would still wake up and put tons of make-up on, and put on a cool outfit. That's always been who I've been my whole life, so that's never gonna change. I love fashion. I love getting dressed up. I love Halloween, too.

Life is short and you've got to get the most out of it.

I wish I could write more make-believe. It's a lot easier to write about hard times and when things are going wrong. But I've never been a private person.

My priorities are always going to be my husband and my family now. That's a huge, huge thing.

Writing songs is super intimate. It's a bit like getting naked.

At first it was my brother's songwriting and I was just doing what everyone told me.