“The best way to create emotional or spiritual distance between me and another person is for them to come up to me and go, ‘yaassssss.’”

I’m not a competitor by nature, and I’m certainly not used to being evaluated.

People on a daily basis walk up to me, panic, and tell me something extremely graphic and violent about their life.

Any time there is an economic downturn or political strife, lipstick sales skyrocket. If you have a hard day, it’s this $14 thing that lifts your day. I think drag has that same lipstick effect.

People are slowly realizing that they’re looking at drag all the time. ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ ‘Real Housewives.’ Peewee Herman. Don’t let calling it drag make you uncomfortable.

I’m an optimistic realist. I kind of expect the worst but prepare for the best.

I always tell my mom that if she would have just bought me a Barbie when I was little, I would have gone into real estate.

Trixie Mattel is a product of bad things that happened to me, and it’s how I deal with things. It’s wonderful.

I remember seeing RuPaul in ‘The Brady Bunch Movie,’ when she says to Jan, ‘Girl, you better work.’ And I froze it in my mind forever.

If I have a show at night, I like to spend the whole day alone in silence. I know that might be crazy.

For years, ‘Drag Race’ was gay people’s best kept secret. When I started doing drag, people didn’t know anything about it. Look at it now: it’s like it’s gone from black and white to IMAX.

Out of drag, I’m a white guy with a guitar, which isn’t special. There are a million white guys with guitars. But being a drag queen with a guitar is a lot more commanding.

I don’t expect a lot of people who love drag to also be like, ‘I love ‘Drag Race,’ and then I got to hear my Chris Stapleton album.’ Not necessarily an obvious crossover.

Some people say that ‘Drag Race’ is about glory and immortalizing yourself in the Hall of Fame. For me, it’s about shaking RuPaul down for her money.

I think the perception of audiences that love folk and country is they’re perceived to be more closed-minded than they really are.

I’m an artist who happens to be in drag. And I think that’s why my drag is a little different.

Something that I love about drag is that it’s a celebration of feminity.

I love driving; driving along the California coastline is the best drive in the world.

By best, I mean when I have a real sense of doing the right thing and doing good for people and the connected universe of everybody.

You always feel the drawing you are working on is the best you’ve ever done… I am only interested in the present.

The best way to make news is to announce a new category, not a new product.

Competition in its best form is a test of self. It has nothing to do with medals.

The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.

To exercise at or near capacity is the best way I know of reaching a true introspective state.

If you don’t love what you’re doing and you can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short.