Actor, poet, musician, writer: it would be easier to list all the things Luke Smith can’t do. Raised in a creative family in Northwest London, the Smiths are no stranger to the creative industries: his sister Zadie is one of the nation’s most lauded novelists, and Doc Brown one of our most celebrated comedians (among other pursuits.) “I came from a household where creativity wasn't frowned upon,” explained Smith when we spoke to him around his Exceptional shoot. “Being able to express yourself was nurtured and championed.”

He may have been stimulated creatively from a young age, but his confidence took a huge hit when he was hit by a truck at 12 years old. “I was in hospital for three months, I had to learn to walk again. It was a massive, massive physical and emotional trauma.” Afterwards the bright, creative child was left shy, broken and lacking in confidence. “I didn't know how to express myself, and my teachers helped bring that back out of me. They helped bring my essence back out.” Essence, he believes, is something you have inside yourself: “it's just about unveiling it, uncovering what we're hiding.”

Rediscovering his creativity in college, Smith went on to travel the country with his prolific artistic output before he was even old enough to drink. Below, he talks us through his early life, the peaks of his career so far, and how he uses a focus on health to make art that blows us away.

When the wind dial spins.

When the hourglass receives what the other half once was.

When the moon is at the highest point in the sky, all we have is a moment in time.

All we have is the light to awake to, and the night we embrace too.

If tomorrow brings us life?

We will journey forward through peaks and valleys, we’ll climb, we’ll dive deep, not knowing what we’ll find on the other side.

If there’s nothing there’s family, and when we feel that spark?

It’s the human spirit in frequency.

And that’s when we move.

In a rhythmic flow with self love at the helm, guiding us, trust in the process.

Human ingenuity is what gave us the edge. The desire to be the best version of ourselves.

Now wisdom is the pledge for our survival.

Natural engineering: where technology meets nature with open arms, meaning and doing it, no calm.

Now, watch me dance in the warmest embrace, we’re coming back home, we’ve been lost for a while.

We’re coming back home. Soaring, exploring, endless possibilities, experiencing wellness.

It starts with belief.

And the day we plant the seeds is not the day we see the tree, look beyond the shrubbery.

There’s a mystical orchard, majestic, the fear we’ve neglected and magic awaits on the other side.

And there’s no exceptions because we’re exceptional with our perfect imperfections.

The fighters, the writers, the lovers, the sisters, the lovers, the brothers, the mothers, the fathers, the heroes in crisis.

All sharing this experience of life, celebrating the beauty and the wonder.

A toast to humankind.

I grew up in northwest London, which was a real multicultural area of London, and it added a lot of flavour to my experience. I got to be around different cultures and experience different things, just through friends and the people I went to school with.

I grew up with my mother, and my father until they split when I was around six or seven. Then I spent the rest of my time with my mother and my two older siblings. To be honest with you, I came from a household where creativity wasn't frowned upon; just being able to express yourself was nurtured and championed.

In my house, there was always music playing. My mom would be playing some reggae music, or my sister would be playing some Prince, some 80s Classics. That made me feel like I want to express myself in a musical way. My brother, he got into hip hop in the early 90s. Every time he got an album, he would pass them on to me. Then he would start making me mixtapes. Actual mixtapes, physical cassette tapes, a mix of hip hop classic songs and songs that had just come out. So I was hearing some of the classic music when it first came out, and that was a massive inspiration for me, hearing the way these people were rhyming words together.

So I started penning lyrics. I started writing lyrics down on pieces of paper, any moment I could get.

My professional career started at a pretty young age: at 17 I was touring the UK with a friend of mine who was signed to a label, and then off the back of that I started making my own music. I dropped two albums, many mixtapes, and it's just progressed from there. I got the opportunity to write songs and lyrics for a kids TV show for many years, which I got nominated for a BAFTA for. It was great to write professionally and have that pressure on me to deliver. That was a real learning curve.

More recently, I actually wrote my own show: we made a pilot for it, which was really cool. The fact that I went through that process of actually getting a pilot funded by a major network was a massive achievement for me. To have an idea come from nothing and turn into something helps you remember thoughts can become things.

What excites me is the fact I'm still learning. To have professional people around me and get professional support, getting to develop ideas, it really does something for me. It’s the same with developing my acting and trying to get better at it. I’m still learning, and I think as humans we need to remember we’re always learning. You might become a don at one thing, but there’s always more to learn. It’s always about being a humble student of life.

I have inspiring conversations with people very close to me. Like my partner, she inspires me, my close friends, and my family: these are things that are very important to me, sitting down and sharing thoughts with the people that you love.

Then it's all about creating: whether it's writing, whether it's music, an acting workshop, doing a voiceover, or exercise. These are all things that are super important to me.

If I didn't have the training, and if I didn't have good nutrition in my life, I wouldn't perform at my best because my cognitive function wouldn't be as good. I know my mood wouldn't be as good, and I'm someone who feels everything: I'm a Cancerian, I'm an emotional type, so it's all about getting our emotions in check.

I know that eating right, living right, and exercising are all things that release endorphins and make me feel good. It's a very important part of my daily routine to hit the gym, or if it's nice weather I'll go to the park and create my own flow. Health and fitness is not something I can live without, to be honest with you.

When I first found out about LYMA, I was really intrigued. I'm someone who takes supplements already, and I'm always looking for the next supplement to add to a well-balanced diet and see how it can improve my performance. LYMA really did do that: it helped me to sleep better, I felt better in my mind, I felt more calm.

Say positive affirmations. Reaffirm positive beliefs about yourself. That has really helped me.

And, of course, take LYMA.