The last Saturday of
March, this artist set out on a solo date in an attempt to feed her creative
soul. I drove to the local college
campus, and enjoyed a lovely walk there (all the trees, shrubs and springtime
flowers were in full bloom!). I
even stopped and took a few photos of the sights I saw. I then immersed myself
in a visit to an onsite art museum, which was displaying Master’s Thesis
exhibits from select students (many of them having received awards for their
work!). Afterwards, I set out on a
jaunt to the student union (where I dropped in for tea at the Starbuck’s). While sipping my tea, I pulled out a
book/journal I’m reading. I read
and explored my own creativity by journaling to the prompts provided within the
text.
March’s artist’s
date was truly what I needed to refuel my spirit! I returned home creatively refreshed, energized, inspired
and brimming with a sense of true accomplishment.
Artist’s dates are
an essential part of my overall self-care strategy. I strive to take myself on no less than one artist’s date a
month in an effort to replenish myself creatively. I first learned about artist’s dates when reading Julia
Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” about 10 years ago. Cameron defines an artist’s date as “a festive, solo
expedition to explore something that interests you.”
Even though I
discovered artist’s dates some time ago, I have only engaged in them
sporadically until about three years ago.
It was at that time that I vowed to take no less than one full artist’s
date (two to four hours) a month and no less than one mini artist’s date a week
(mini artist’s dates could easily be taken over a 30-minute lunch break). Cameron
encourages taking no less than one full artist’s date a week. Although I’m not there yet, it’s
certainly something I hope to achieve…someday.
Do you partake in
artist’s dates? If so, I’d love to
hear about one you’ve recently experienced. If not, I would highly recommend you schedule one soon. And, if you do, I would relish hearing
about your plans for your very first excursion! Looking for ideas?
I discovered this blog post, a few months back, containing 101 ideas for
artist’s dates! To view it, click
here. This resource has provided
me with scads of fabulous thoughts for my own future adventures. Joy + peace, T.
