What constitutes success and failure, particularly in the creative industries? And who gets to make that judgement anyway? Rosie Millard has reported on people following their dreams and striving for success in the unpredictable world of the creative arts throughout her 30 years as an arts journalist and broadcaster. She says in many cases there is the same narrative arc, that luck and persistence will win the day. All you need to do is follow your dream, and success will be yours. But this is just a fairy tale, surely! So what does success and failure really mean in the artistic world? Many people don't ever achieve the success they wanted or expected, for others it’s just a long hard slog, and then there are many whose ambitions are reframed as they go through life.

Rosie Millard has reported on people following their dreams and striving for success in the unpredictable world of the creative arts throughout her 30 years as an arts journalist and broadcaster. In the background, there lurks the same narrative arc: that luck and persistence will win the day. All you need to do is follow your dream, and success will be yours! But nothing's ever simple. Many people don't ever achieve the success they wanted or expected, for others it’s just a long hard slog, and then there are many whose ambitions are reframed as they go through life.

Rosie explores what constitutes success and failure, particularly in the creative industries. And who gets to make that judgement anyway? In this programme, she asks author Debbie Bayne, who is in her early sixties and still unpublished, how and why she keeps on writing.

Produced by Jo Dwyer for BBC Audio in Bristol

18 year old Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl is a very keen birdwatcher having seen over half the world’s’ birds in her global travels. What she doesn’t see as a British Bangladeshi are many like herself in the forests, fens, mountains and other rural landscapes in the UK. In recent years she has run Nature Camps to actively encourage Black and Visible Minority ethnic people outdoors. In this, the second of two programmes, she shares her experiences and challenges with Zakiya Mckenzie: postgraduate student, writer in residence with the Forestry Commission in 2019 and Ambassador for Black and Green- a group which works to connect Bristol’s African and Caribbean communities with the city’s environmental sector. Producer Sarah Blunt

In the first of two programmes exploring how we can increase diversity outdoors in the rural landscape, 18 year old Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl talks to Rhiane Fatinikun about Black Girls Hike which she founded about a year ago to enable black women to benefit from the comradery of other black women and enjoy the tranquillity of rural areas. Mya-Rose Craig is a very keen birdwatcher having seen over half the world’s birds in her global travels. But what she doesn’t see as a British Bangladeshi are many people like herself in the forests, fens, mountains and other rural landscapes in the UK. In recent years she has run Nature Camps to actively encourage Black and Visible Minority ethnic people outdoors. The two women share their experiences and views about how we can remove the barriers, challenge stereotypes and reinforce the message that the outdoors is for everyone. Producer Sarah Blunt.

Poet and runner Helen Mort talks to retired Olympic track and field athlete Anyika Onuora about body image in sport. In the last of three programmes about body modification and the relationship between how we present ourselves physically to the world and how we feel, Helen swaps experiences with Anyika about striving for ’the perfect image‘ and the effects training and competitive sport have on the body’s shape. Anyika reveals her lack of confidence about her body and how she managed this whilst living her life in the public eye in front of vast crowds and TV cameras. Producer Sarah Blunt

How significant is our hair when it comes to projecting an image of ourselves and how we feel? In the second programme about body modification, poet Helen Mort talks to hair stylist Niamh Kavanagh about the role of hair in expressing our personality. Throughout her life Helen has changed the colour and style of her hair and also had her head shaved. She is fascinated by people’s responses to hair and what it says about them and us. Niamh has also experimented with her own hair as well as cutting and styling clients’ hair, which involves trust, empathy and skill. Producer Sarah Blunt

Tattooed poet Helen Mort talks to Tattooist Lou Hopper about “getting inked”. In the first of two programmes about body modifications, Helen explores the body as a canvas and tattoos as an art form. Why do people choose to decorate their skin with tattoos? How do they make the wearer feel? What responses do tattoos evoke ? Are tattoos a way of projecting our personality? What do visual modifications reveal about an individual? Producer Sarah Blunt

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure.

Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other.

In this third and final interview, Russell talks to fellow comedian Angela Barnes about playing the extrovert for work. Is there a disconnect between her on-stage and off-stage versions of self? And if so, are both authentic?

Producer: Becky Ripley

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure.

Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other.

In this second of three parts, Russell talks to author Jessica Pan about her year of "living dangerously" as an introvert pretending to be an extrovert in order to open up her world. What did she learn? How did it change her? And what advice does she have for other naturally introverted people?

Producer: Becky Ripley

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure.

Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other.

In this first of three parts, Russell asks psychotherapist and author Mark Vernon about the origins of the terms "introvert" and "extrovert" as coined by psychoanalyst Carl Jung in 1921. How have Jung's definitions been interpreted over the last 100 years? And can his theories help us better understand ourselves?

Producer: Becky Ripley