I came to California and got signed at a young age. And it's not like you see in the movies, where you start rubbing shoulders with Timbaland and Pharrell, and you become a giant pop star.
People don't understand being a child star is very hard because first off, to be a child star, you have to be very unique. These kids are talented to be able to do it at such a young age. At the same time, you go through the pressures of bullying and a lot of people not understanding.
With the mega-fame came the mega-downfall - you know, with the press and everything - and at a young age, it was very stressful to me.
I never really knew I wanted to 'be' a writer, but I was always writing from a very young age. It became more conscious as an ideal when I was in my twenties.
From a young age, I've had a desire to put forward this perfect image, whatever perfect was.
I was very fortunate to grow up with parents who love to travel, so I traveled from a young age. My dad's a heart surgeon and goes to conferences all over the world. By the time I was seven, I traveled outside the country for the first time. We went to Paris. The next year, we went to London, and then Brussels.
I am someone who, from a very young age, was a huge fan of DC Comics.
I grew up in Cleveland, so my heart got attached at a young age to the freight train of sadness that is Cleveland sports.
I loved seeing my mom put her own twist on years-old family recipes and also create new dishes. This made me develop a passion for cooking at a young age and would eventually inspire me to prepare meals and host wonderful family dinners.
I'm just thankful that even at a young age, I got to experience something like 'X Factor,' and I got to meet enough people just to know that I needed to be patient until the right deal came around.
At a young age, I had to give up a lot of things, like being able to hang out with my friends.