The “Unofficial” Artist’s Date?

Julia Cameron author of “The Artist’s Way” recommends we go on one artist date a week to “fill the well” of creativity.

Here are the official Artist Date rules:
1. Once a week, go somewhere “creative” that sparks your inspiration for a couple of hours.
2. It is better to go alone. You want to get in touch with your inner creative!
3. FUN. Find something that appeals to you and do it.

The Artist’s Date is all about giving yourself permission to PLAY.

The first time I read “The Artist’s Way” the official artist date concept. It sounded great, but I was working more than full time in my own (just about to make it) business, had 2 very active and hungry teenage sons, and a house that looked like someone had stirred it with a stick. This woman wants me to “go play”. “The Artist Way” tools that included this artist date idea and 20 minute daily morning pages writing (that I had originally balked at, also) were biting into my schedule, how was I going to manage all of this?

2 consecutive uninterrupted creative fun hours…are you kidding me???
Yikes!
I have responsibilities!

In my artist way experiences, the 2 hour artist date has been the most difficult idea to wrap my head and my time around.

Finally, I have succeeded in warping this original idea to fit my creativity but still get the desired results. If this (or any) creative concept does not resonate with you…break the rules, consider the desired outcomes, apply your creative thinking and make it your own!

The artist date lesson is, creativity!
The result is, inspiration!

The methods that get you to this are irrelevant. If the official artist date rules work for you, terrific. But if they don’t, do not give up on the artist date concept, bend the rules and make the artist date your own. However, I do believe there is 1 non-negotiable (and perhaps the most difficult) ingredient in the artist date formula.

TIME!

You must make a commitment to you and your miraculous creativity for 2 hours, once a week!

Routines and responsibilities deplete natural internal creativity. Over time, we lose our creative spark. Life easily becomes stagnant, creativity creeps into a repetitive routine and being stuck in a rut becomes comfortable.

An artist’s date is any activity that breaks this cycle and provides inspiration, resources and ideas for the future.

So, here are my unofficial Artist Date non-rules:
1. An artist’s date is anything that reconnects you with your inner child and your inner creative.
2. An artist’s date helps you see the world as a beginner again-when you notice and experience everything to the fullest.
3. An artist’s date takes you away from your routine and puts you in touch with YOU.

Follow the official artist date rules or create your own unofficial artist date, just celebrate and keep artist dates a part of your creative life!