In this episode, Stuart Semple reads his latest essay from Diary of an Artist, reflecting on leaving London, creative burnout, and why stepping away from the centre of the art world might be the best decision an artist can make.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you need to be in London to “make it”, or found yourself searching things like “should artists live in London”, “leaving London creative career”, or even “Stuart Semple London art scene”, this one’s for you.

✨ What this episode covers

• Why London can feel creatively limiting despite its opportunities

• The psychological shift from city life to coastal living

• The reality behind the London art scene and creative industries

• A personal story of building a career beyond the capital

• How moving away led to more exhibitions, museum work, and global projects

• The rise of artists leaving London and working remotely

• Finding space, clarity, and better work outside major cities

🌊 Key themes

This is not a rant about London. It’s a deeper look at:

• Creative independence vs. creative pressure

• Identity and place in an artist’s life

• The myth that success only happens in big cities

• Building a meaningful career on your own terms

🧠 Why listen?

Whether you’re an artist, writer, or creative thinker, this episode speaks to a question many people are quietly asking:

Do I actually need to be in London to succeed?

It also gives context to Stuart’s wider journey, for anyone who may have come across his work, his writing, or searched for more about his career and creative life.

📍 About Stuart Semple

Stuart Semple is a British artist known for his paintings, public artworks, and for founding Culture Hustle, a platform that has supplied innovative materials to artists all over the world.

After a decade in London, he returned to the coast, where he continues to make work, write, and build projects including the public gallery GIANT.

🔎 Related searches this episode connects with

• Leaving London as an artist

• London art scene reality

• Stuart Semple artist story

• Culture Hustle founder interview

• Creative life outside London

• Do you need to live in a big city to be successful

📩 Subscribe

If you prefer listening to essays while walking, painting, or travelling, subscribe to get new episodes as they drop.

You can also read the original essay at:
👉 diaryofanartist.co.uk

Episode 2: Dumping the Middle Man

What if the thing that was supposed to connect us… quietly became the thing standing in between?

In this episode of Diary of an Artist, I’m reading aloud “Dumping the Middle Man – My Social Media Ex.” It’s a story about the early promise of the internet, the strange shift into algorithmic control, and why I’ve decided to step away from social platforms entirely.

It starts with a simple idea.
Art, like a sunset, should belong to everyone.

No gatekeepers. No middlemen. Just the work and the person experiencing it.

But somewhere along the way, something changed.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re shouting into the void online, or that the system is subtly reshaping what you make, how you think, even who you are… this one might hit close to home.

I made this podcast because I know a lot of you are busy.
You’re painting, making, walking the dog, driving somewhere, or just trying to get through the day. Reading isn’t always possible. So this is the audio version. Same thoughts, same stories, just in your ears instead.

If you want the full experience, including the original article, you can read it here:
https://www.diaryofanartist.co.uk/p/dumping-the-middle-man

In this episode:

The original promise of the internet and why it felt like freedom

How platforms became the new gatekeepers of art and attention

Why algorithms reward noise over truth

The hidden psychological cost of chasing reach and validation

Aaron Swartz, open access, and the fight for a truly free web

Why I walked away from social media and what comes next

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About this podcast

This is Diary of an Artist.

I’ll be reading my articles out loud, once a week. No fuss, no overproduction. Just ideas, stories, and thoughts about art, creativity, and the strange world around us.

What if I told you one of the most iconic colours in art… doesn’t actually exist?

In this first episode of Diary of an Artist, I’m reading aloud one of my favourite recent pieces, “They Lied About Magenta.” It’s a strange, funny, slightly mind-bending story about colour, perception, and how easily we accept things as truth without ever questioning them.

If you’ve ever picked up a paintbrush, stared at a colour chart, or just wondered how much of what we see is real… this one’s for you.

I made this podcast because I know a lot of you are busy. You’re painting, making, walking the dog, driving somewhere, or just trying to get through the day. Reading isn’t always possible. So this is the audio version. Same thoughts, same stories, just in your ears instead.

If you want the full experience, including images and the original article, you can read it here:
https://www.diaryofanartist.co.uk/p/they-lied-about-magenta

In this episode:

• Why magenta technically doesn’t exist

• How your brain invents colour

• The weird gap in the visible spectrum

• Why artists should question everything they’re told
  
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About this podcast

This is Diary of an Artist.
I’ll be reading my articles out loud, once a week. No fuss, no overproduction. Just ideas, stories, and thoughts about art, creativity, and the strange world around us.