Alistair McGowan tinkles the ivories

Master of mimicry Alistair McGowan is not just an impressionist, but also a comic, actor and writer.

He is perhaps best known to British audiences for The Big Impression which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA.

He has also worked extensively in theatre and appeared in the West End in Art, Cabaret, The Mikado and Little Shop of Horrors (for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination).

With so many talents we asked Alistair what he does to get creative when he's not working.

How do you get creative outside of work?

I itch to play and learn more. It's a wonderful outlet for emotion

Playing the piano. I took two exams as a nine-year old and then abandoned the instrument - the biggest regret of my life. I tried to re-learn for a few years in my 30s and mastered a handful of my favourite short classical pieces by Satie and Chopin. Last year, I started playing again after a 15-year gap and now play for about an hour a day.

How does it make you feel?

It's a huge challenge. When I feel even the smallest improvement I am thrilled and excited. I itch to play and learn more. It's a wonderful outlet for emotion. I have to keep my watch by the keyboard as I lose all track of time when I'm playing and am still late for everything. I record myself from time to time on my iPhone and am always surprised that I play better than I think. I have a long way to go but can't believe I am now playing music that I love and am entering into a whole new world.

Why would you encourage other people to get creative?

Being creative means being challenged. You feel alive. You feel a new kind of love. You're learning. You're expressing yourself. You feel a great sense of satisfaction and, with an instrument, a huge emotional connection between you and the music - between you and your inner self. It gives me - and (some of!) the people who hear me - a huge amount of pleasure.