Gwen Stefani

“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.”

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

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

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

“Although I'd always wanted children, it was such an opposite thing to being a singer.”

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

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

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

“Out of all the artistic things I do, music is the most rewarding because it's so hard to write songs.”

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

“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.”

“The one thing that makes me feel super lucky about my financial success is that I have a housekeeper.”

“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.'”

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

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

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

“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!”