Weekend-Artist Date
I’ve been a big fan of Julia Cameron for years. Her books are beautiful tomes of creative tools to support and encourage your inner artist. One of the first tools she recommends is Morning Pages which I wrote about here. Another tool she espouses is an Artist Date. It’s a solo playdate where you take yourself to a place that sparks joy or engrosses you in an activity that interests you. Its sole purpose is to replenish your creative toolbox by engaging in activities you’re curious about. It should be about two hours in length but could vary depending on your mood and season. It could be a quick hour or a whole weekend if you have the means. Ideally, you carve out the time weekly and the main requirement is that it be SOLO. No taggers on. While exploring new places with your lover or bestie is great, you need time to listen to your own thoughts and opinions, not someone else’s. Although I am making it sound like there are a lot of rules, it is actually supposed to be fun and a way to nurture your inner child which in turn can open your heart and mind to inspiration all around you.
Some of the Artist Date ideas I’ve made in the past included
-Spending two hours in my favorite bookstore
-Turning off my phone and wandering around the West Village
-Walking a new path in Central Park
-Laying in the grass under the cherry blossoms
-Fashion Exhibit at a museum (Scott usually passes on these)
-Spending an hour coloring
-People watching in a coffee shop
-Taking a pottery class
-Puttering around Michael’s looking at art supplies
Think back to the things you loved to do as a kid for inspiration. Did you love to play outside, riding your bike or building forts or fishing? Did you love to read or play Barbie (raises hand) or dance? All of those childhood interests can be incorporated into a weekly playdate with yourself that brings a little levity to otherwise mundane weeks. If you need more ideas head over to this great blog post from Kristen Wandering, filled with some really creative options. If you need me, I will be wandering around the Museum of Natural History today, specifically the Hall of Gems and Mineral, getting inspired by Cosmic Splendor, an exhibit by Van Cleef and Arpels. This girl loves all of the sparkly baubles.
