Today I want to talk about one of my new favorite activities: the artist’s date. If you haven't heard of them, an artist’s date is time you set aside that is all about nourishing your creative self. At its root, the concept of an artist's date is about reconnecting with your inner child. The point is to explore, be and receive inspiration rather than working on your art or career. I have never believed that there are creative people and non-creative people. If you are human, you are creative. You have the right to express yourself. So, as far as I’m concerned, pay no mind to that daunting word, artist. I heard about artist’s dates when I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron around Christmas. Whether you are an artist or just want to live a more creative life, this book is a wonderful read. I’m also forewarning you that you will surely hear it referenced again in the future, perhaps many times. It teaches you how to thrive as an artist and offers encouragement for all types of creative humans. It’s also chock-full of processes and exercises for putting the advice into practice. Artist’s dates, along with so many other tenets of this life-changing book, changed the way I choose to both make things and treat myself on a daily basis.
If you’re still not sure about artist’s dates or why people need them, allow me to explain. An artist’s date is essential for inspiration and linking your spirit to the greater universe around you because it encourages you to vacate your usual surroundings and do things for yourself that feel inspiring, fun, interesting or joyful to you. The artist’s date is about asking yourself what really sounds good to you, preferably getting out of the house, going somewhere new and creating moments of inspiration that are reserved just for you. That brings me to one of the only and most essential rules of artist’s dates: you have to go it alone. The point is to connect more deeply with yourself, not others. If you’re having trouble identifying a good activity, I have been known to use artist’s dates for shopping, going to a museum, park, bakery, coffee shop, art exhibit or even a cemetery. I also love looking at plants or even baking something. The possibilities are endless.
I wanted to share how I decided to spend my last artist’s date with you. I always set an intention to be present on my artist's dates. Along with the rule about going solo, this intention is another must. Even if you have 30 minutes to walk around the building and drink coffee on your break at work, soak that shiz up. You deserve it. You deserve to give yourself the gift of time and you deserve to put yourself in the way of things that will dazzle you every once in awhile.
On my last artist’s date, I decided to visit a beautiful area in my town, Roebling Point. It’s named for the Roebling Bridge that connects Covington to Cincinnati.
I stepped into Roebling Point Books, a cozy bookstore and coffee shop near the river.
After browsing the stacks at the bookstore, I walked around the Licking Riverside Historic District, stared at the lovely homes and strolled by the riverfront.
Last stop: Chardonnay and onion rings on the patio at The Gruff, an eclectic little cafe on the river. Yum!
During my date, I tried my best to avoid my phone (except for pictures!) and stay as present as possible. I walked beneath canopies of trees and saw a bird taking a bath in someone’s garden. Freaking adorable. I noticed so many things. Even if this seems silly or like a total non-activity, it's likely you could use a little more time to marvel and pay attention to the state of your heart. Is there something in your life like artist's dates? And, if you decide to embark on your own artist's date, I would love to hear about it. Wishing you peace, love and a happy Thursday, dears.