'I love the art of the untrained and unskilled. I love child art. Imagine drawing a line for the first time'. I am ... living proof that there is no distinction between work and play - it is all living. I was born in the '60s, raised in the '70s, survived the '80s, artist of the '90s.

Where were you born? Joburg.

Where do you live? Some say I live in my head or on "PlanetPaul". My base is Hout Bay.

Who do you share your house with? My wife, Lorette, my daughter, Danielle, my son, Joshua, two dogs and a cat.

How did you get into your career? I read what Abraham Lincoln said: "The only way to predict your future is to create it yourself." Since then, I have worked myself to the point of exhaustion to achieve this goal.

Was it difficult to follow your passion? I studied computers for a year, thinking I could work in the day and paint at night. It is difficult to support yourself as an independent artist. Luckily, I did not study art because I now feel uncorrupted. The desire to practice my art was so great that I decided to do it full time. My wife supported our family during the difficult start-up years.

A misconception about artists is ... that they do not really work. Actually, artists work 24 hours a day and can never retire.

Art snobs are ... so yesterday.

What inspires your work? The inner drive to create something that no one else has seen before and that even I have not seen. I am inspired by people, travelling, punk music, alternative thinking, rock art, street art, childlike art; a crack in the pavement can spark a whole series of works. I am open to all influences and I don't block anything out.

The secret to understanding art is ... start anywhere and buy something. It is the most incredible lifelong journey. Find artists and art that you like and it will enrich your life.

Who are your favourite artists, and why? I don't have enough time to look at other artists' work as I am stuck in the studio for months on end. The more I work the more I want to work. I like looking at incomplete works because there you discover what the artist is about. I love the art of the untrained and unskilled. I love child art. Imagine drawing a line for the first time.

What has been the most memorable moment in your career? I was invited by Nelson Mandela and the 46664 campaign to create a bronze replica of Mandela's right hand for his 90th birthday. I floated for days after the first meeting. It was an amazing experience that will be with me forever.

What's your favourite building in Cape Town? The Old Castle Brewery.

What's the ugliest thing about Cape Town? The drug scene.

What is the most memorable moment you've had in Cape Town? The day I found out that my first solo exhibition would be held in France. Galleries and the boring art establishment here would not look at my work because of the unconventional route I followed, yet a gallery in Paris gave me my first solo exhibition.

How do you get around? I am not into cars. I am as happy and unhappy with any form of transport.

I can't go a day without ... green tea, drawing and hanging with my kids.

If you inherited R100-million, what would you do with it? Give every child in South Africa a skateboard and build as many skateparks as possible.

What music are you playing in your car? Joe Strummer, PIL, vintage punk, Carsick Cars and Peter Gabriel's new Book of Love.

If your house caught fire what would you save? Apart from the family - photographs.

What are you reading? I read about 10 books at the same time and leave them in the places I move around. I never read a book from start to finish. In my bag I have the diaries of Keith Haring and in the bedroom Seth Godin's Linchpin: Are you Indispensable? While travelling I read Here be Monsters, by Alan Snow.

When I go out at night ... I don't want to return until the sun comes up. I love 4am and think it is too late to go to bed anyway.

I always collect ... vintage punk. I collect and record things of visual interest by drawing or on camera.

My friends and I like ... the time we share together. I can go years without seeing some friends and find it amazing how we just pick up where we left off at the last encounter.

My most valued possession is ... time. I feel like I am running out of time. There is so much I still want to do. I have drawing books full of ideas that could keep me busy for the next 60 years.

If you made a movie about Cape Town what would you call it? Raw Beauty. I love the space above the ocean.

Perfect happiness is: New York below 14th Street. There you can just be and people do not care about where you are from, where you are going or what you have achieved.

Have you ever taken public transport in Cape Town? Yes, buses and taxis. There's great atmosphere and interesting people.

Everything in moderation but ... nothing in moderation, especially love.

I met my partner ... at school when we were 15 years old. We got married at 22 and have now been married for 22 years.

If money could buy happiness ... it would bring a happy end to starvation and children in need. - Ziphezinhle Msimango

My Little Black Book

• Willoughby & Co, V&A Waterfront 021 418 6115 - I remember meeting Sam 15 years ago behind his sushi counter in this once- tiny shop. He has transformed the way people think about sushi.

• Calma, Hout Bay 021 790 6966, - I try to have flotation therapy once a week. Floating in a light- and sound- proof tank allows for a deep state of relaxation, helping the body recover from stress and pressure.

• Deez, Mexican Bistro, Hout Bay 021 790 3602 - One of Cape Town's best-kept secrets is under Hout Bay's tallest pine tree. I remember going there at 4am for a cup of coffee many years ago. You meet people there from all over the world. It's great for midnight snacks, beer, margaritas, tequila and great company.

• Mabu Vinyl, 2 Rheede Street, Gardens 021 423 7635 - Mabu buys, sells and trades vinyl LP records and CDs of all genres.

• Icedream, Main Road, Hout Bay 021 790 2496 - At this authentic Italian gelateria, the ice cream is hand made by Liana Lazzarotto. The chocolate-chip Stracciatella is a winner.