This week, a question from a listener leads us into a wide-ranging discussion about the artist life. Many feel a frustration about limited time to spend on their work and don't feel they can call themselves an artist if they also have another career, but a recent study by The Arts council found that 68% of artists support themselves with other jobs.

So what is it really like to work as an artist? What is the fantasy and how does it stack up to reality? Do we risk losing the joy when we turn a hobby into a career?  We cover all this and more as we discuss our own journeys from hobbyist to professional. We talk about how we strike the balance between business and art, how we keep the joy in our professional lives, and how to get comfortable calling yourself an artist.

We also discuss two major exhibitions in London and how they offered inspiration in different ways (and some of the same) ways.

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Mentioned:

Tracey Emin exhibition

Van Gogh in Britain exhibition

https://www.artworkarchive.com/

Read the Arts council report here

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Credits"Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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