We laugh when agreeably surprised, and we are primed to laugh by the infectious laughter of another.

The pleasure of laughter solidifies the bond between friends, strangers, and loved ones. One of the most beautiful sounds I know is the gentle chuckle of a baby as a parent plays peekaboo.

I do not use humour in my work and ponder why. Perhaps because each time I revisit even the funniest thing I tire a little. In this, beauty and love differ. With these my feelings always grow rather than recede.

Despite its unsettling affect, a certain degree of chaos is crucial in my creative process.

I start work early each morning after enjoying a glimpse of the sky - walking out into a changed world frees me from the confines of my mind. My routine is to then set about making something. At present, first thing, I use words. I make for two hours before I take a short break to drink and eat.

Not all my day is forged by routine, but its start allows me to better manage my freedom and chaos.

The nature of what I make is profoundly affected by my emotional life. How I feel about a person, people, nature, objects and ideas is not always consciously present as I make, but my emotional preoccupations quietly transform my choices about what should go where, and when.

Expressed more simply: what I make comes from my state of love. More generally: how I act comes from my state of love: whether I love, am loved, I am in love, or yearn for love.