This week finds Alice and I at different ends of the painting process. I have just finished several paintings in my latest series while Alice is getting ready to begin new work.

As she prepares to start, we talk about the importance of making a leap into the unknown - in art and in life.

The impressionist Edgar Degas is quoted as saying “only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good things.” This week's conversation centres on the extent to which this is true. How important is it to push your work into new territory? Is risk-taking an essential element of being an artist? And if art mirrors life, do we need to find ways to bring risk into our daily lives?

We also answer a question from a listener, who asked "how long does it take to become an artist?" We discuss what it means to be an artist, and whether becoming one is a matter of fact or a matter of mindset.

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I'd love to hear from you when you've had chance to listen. Let me know your thoughts on our discussion or ask me a follow-up question in the comments below. And if you get a chance to write a quick review on iTunes, we'd really appreciate it!

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

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/