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‘I really feel for womankind. I think a lot of us beautiful women are torn in so many different directions with all the responsibilities we have. The time out thing is so important and a lot of girls don’t get it.

‘It’s really hard for teenage girls too because they can feel really insecure. They’re going through lots of changes and there are so many pressures now on girls – more so than when I was growing up. I wish for them to have happiness and not worry about body image – just pamper themselves and surround themselves with people that are going to make them feel good – it’s the most important thing.

‘I love the style, the glamour, the elegance of the vintage era – not only just in the fashion side of it but in the way people treat each other with kindness. I think we could all learn from those times to slow down and to be kind to each other. Things are too fast now. We need to be a bit gentler on ourselves and be our own best friends because if we are, everything else works out in life.’

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‘One of the most challenging times in my life was when my mum died when I was 23 – it was a really devastating thing – particularly at that age.

‘I write most of my work from personal experience. My new album (“Eternal Return”) was written at a time when I was falling in love so I was trying to capture the joy and the openness of that.

‘Both the difficulties I’ve gone through as well as the highs in my life have inspired what I’ve done.

‘The most important thing I think for a musician is to listen to their own instincts because there are a lot of people who have opinions about what you should do and how you should do things. I’ve always found when I’ve followed my own gut; it’s always worked out well for me. That’s all you can really do.

‘There have been only a few times where I’ve gone against my gut instinct but luckily only with minor things. It’s always kept confirming to me that no one knows what’s best for you, more than you do.’

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‘My partner Gary passed away in 1990 and left me $10,000 – but he said that I should use the money for my art. I was a butcher at the time and had been studying art as a hobby at night. I’d always wanted to go to National Art School so he left me the money and said I should apply and go. I got accepted and spent three years doing my Bachelor’s degree there and it was terrific.

‘It was the catalyst for me to be in the position in the art world I’m in today. I started the Lennox Street Art Studios 20 years ago with another artist called Steven Perrin. We now have 36 artists here. Gary would be so very proud of the studios – he’d be very, very happy.

‘For a city like Sydney, having accessible art studios like this is very important – there should be more of them. A city is not just big business – it’s about communities and being creative. Imagine a boring city with nothing but big business – how boring would that be? You need places like Newtown where there are creative people around and there’s variety in style.’