I’m not sure if we’ll reach the stage when Asian parents will gladly push their children towards becoming artists because as far as money and stability goes, it’s probably one of the most uncertain fields to go into. But that would be a shame because it’s also one of the most satisfying things you could do.

Think about it. On average, most of your life is spent working, so wouldn’t you rather do something that makes you happy from the moment you wake up in the morning?

The beauty of art is that it chooses you, not the other way round. You can try and ignore it but eventually you’ll succumb to it. And it sounds blase to say, but it isn’t like maths or physics where you can strive to be better at it, you’ve either got it or you haven’t.

Take me for instance. Painting was always a hobby for me; my day job was working as a graphic designer. But there were so many constraints and I wanted to do what I was passionate about, not what some customer wanted.

One day I was watching a talkshow where this group of women had radically changed their lives by taking the plunge and pursuing their one true passion. That made me think: why not? I enjoy painting, it makes me happy so I’m going to do it.

I’m lucky because my husband was completely supportive of me and I don’t need to depend on the sales of paintings to survive. But while I do empathise with other artists who aren’t as fortunate as I am, I still think I’d be a painter regardless of whether I had money or not. I’m not just doing this because I don’t want to do a 9 to 5 day job.

One of my most satisfying moments in fact, was when I painted the Umaid Bhawan Palace, which the Maharani of Jodhpur liked so much, it’s now hanging in her bedroom in the palace.

Inspiration can strike at any time. I travel a lot, so new landscapes and stunning scenes of natural beauty can open my mind to new avenues of thought, but I can also get an idea from something simplistic like sitting in the garden. An idea will pop into my head and I’ll start sketching away like mad. For me it’s not so much about what is literally there before my eyes because when I watch the world I see everything in the form of colour.

I don’t see why I can’t turn something I love into something wonderful that can help other people, which is why I organise a lot of charity exhibitions. In the past I’ve organised the Future Hope, which was part of a project in Calcutta to educate homeless children, and a charity funding the restoration of the Golden Fort city of Jaisalmer.