When is the last time you went on an artist date?

The Artist’s Way

To purchase The Artist Way, click on Image.

You may be thinking what is an artist date? According to The Artist Way, Julia Cameron explains that “An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist…You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist, a.k.a. your creative child”* There is something to be said about spending at least two hours a week of your time, tapping into your inner artist, just focusing on what brings you joy. Keep in mind that the two hours do not have to be spent in one block. If you prefer to break it up during the week instead of one time, feel free to do it. You need to find out what works for you.

I know you’re thinking it’s been so long since I played that I don’t remember what I like to do.Think back to your childhood and try to remember what things you use to play with as a child. Re-visit some of those items.

You may not want to invest a lot of money in your artist date, and that is okay. It’s not about the money; it’s about the time. You can go on a walk in your neighborhood or a place that inspires you. Imagine yourself as someone else and you are seeing this place for the first time. While you are visualizing, you can observe the beauty of your surroundings and discover all the creative things around you. There is art around all of us.

You can also usher or volunteer for an arts organization. If you have a white shirt and black bottoms, you can usher for a variety of events and see the production for free while enjoying time with your inner artist! Check out your local theatre and dance performance organizations and volunteer.

Why go through all this trouble to spend some alone time with your inner artist? It is important to get in touch with your creativity. It is a creative exercise to get you motivated and it is a spiritual experience to spend some time alone and nurture yourself.

Do you have any ideas on other types of artist dates you enjoy? Please feel free to leave a comment on this blog.

Here are some other suggestions for your artist date: jigsaw puzzles, knitting, listening to music, dancing, creative writing, painting, and sketching.

If you are in the Atlanta area, click here to find out more about Artist Way classes at the Open Mind Center, http://theopenmindcenter.com

*From the book, The Artist Way by Julia Cameron.

Don’t have the book, click on the link at the top of this blog to purchase through Amazon.com