Artist Date Ideas
If you’ve landed here, chances are you’ve heard of Julia Cameron’s - The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. You may be about to embark on the journey, or perhaps you’ve dabbled in it already. If you haven’t heard of it yet and this is your first introduction to it, trust that you’ve landed here for a reason. I hope this blog helps share Julia’s work because I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, not just artists and creatives. I believe everyone will benefit from her writing and tools in some way.
What’s The Artist’s Way?
It’s a 12 week course, in the format of a book written by Julia Cameron, first published in 1992! The multi-million-copy bestseller is designed to help you discover and recover your creative self, get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.
It aims to transform your life, by overcoming any artistic blocks you may suffer from, including limiting beliefs, fear, shame, self-sabotage, jealousy and guilt, and replace them with self-confidence and productivity.
On 1st May 2023, I re-started the course immediately after finishing it for the first time earlier in the year. I enjoyed the process and tools so much the first time round that I decided to continue my experience and do it again, but this time with a group of other women in a Creative Cluster.
What does it involve?
It involves a time commitment of about 10 hours per week.
One of the primary tools used in this course is Morning Pages, where you handwrite 3x A4 pages worth of journaling each morning. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. You can write whatever you want. These pages are private and aren’t shared with anyone.
You are also required to:
Read the weekly chapter,
Complete 5-10 additional tasks per week. These are usually questions or journal prompts,
Complete a 20 minute weekly check-in, and
Take yourself on a 2 hour solo Artist Date each week. An Artist Date is time for you to nurture, woo and enchant your creative consciousness, your inner artist. Think of it as an excursion or play date that you preplan and commit to. Julia advises that “when choosing an Artist Date, it is good to ask yourself, “what sounds fun?” — and then allow yourself to try it…. Think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery.”
Artist Dates
During my first round of The Artist's Way, deciding on and fulfilling the weekly Artist Dates wasn't easy for me. I found myself putting it off, leaving it until the end of the week, where I'd then feel overwhelmed and panicked by the decision “what should I do?”.
For some reason I felt pressure, like it needed to be ‘really good' and not a waste of time, whatever that means. But as the weeks went on I came to realise that anything that was fun, felt good for my soul and/or delighted my senses was a ‘good’ Artist Date.
When it comes to Artist Dates, Julia Cameron says “You are likely to find yourself avoiding your artist dates. Recognise this resistance as a fear of intimacy - self-intimacy.”
My fear manifested as self sabotage and procrastination; ie me leaving the decision to the last minute and then feeling like I didn't have time to do the fun things my inner artist yearned for, for example to go on a spontaneous drive or adventure.
I wanted to share my experience here and leave you some Artist Date inspiration, so that you can start brainstorming ideas of dates to take your inner artist on. Whether you’re doing The Artist’s Way or not, Artist Dates are a great way to invite more creativity, fun, play and joy back into your life.
My Artist Dates from Round 1:
I packed a picnic and went to see a movie at the moonlight (outdoor) cinema
I took a beach walk at sunrise and took loads of photos
I hand wrote a letter to a friend, with a candle lit, while sipping a herbal cup of tea and listening to soft, relaxing music
I received a full body massage
I explored a waterfront cafe that I hadn't been to before, ordered a chai and did some journalling
I did a jigsaw puzzle while listening to a juicy thriller novel on Audible
I took a walk (without headphones) down some streets in my local area that I hadn't been down before, while taking in my surroundings and snapping photos
I spent an afternoon drawing nude self-portraits with different mediums eg charcoal and oil pastels
I baked a chocolate banana cake
I took a bath with epson salts, rose petals, music and candles
I paid for an oracle card reading
I took myself out for an alfresco breakfast in the sunshine
I explored my local newsagent, bought two magazines, drove to a nearby National Park and read them while sitting in the sun
I took myself to a 5 Rhythms dancing event
My Artist Date Ideas for Round 2:
Take burlesque dance classes
Go apple / berry picking
Take myself for scones and tea at the Megalong Valley Tea Rooms
Go to the perfume section of David Jones to find a new signature scent
Create with an at home pottery kit
Create with an at home candle making kit
Visit the Japanese Bathhouse in South Bowenfels
Go to Vivid
Check out White Rabbit Gallery
Go to see Steve McCurry's photo exhibition ICONS
Visit Catmosphere Cat Cafe in Surry Hills
Visit the Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore in Paddington
Go on a hike in the Blue Mountains
Paint by numbers
Create a new vision board
Gardening session to repot my plants
Go to the Tea Pot Museum in Leura
If you’re about to undertake The Artist’s Way, I highly recommend brainstorming ahead of time and writing a long list of exciting and inspiring ideas that you can choose from over the 12 weeks. Better yet, write your list and choose times and dates to do them, ahead of time.
It may sound uncreative to schedule the dates into your diary ahead of time, but that's the advice I'm giving myself second time round, because I found it really overwhelming in the beginning.
When it comes to Artist Dates Julia says: “think magic. Think delight. Think fun… Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery…. I encouraged my students to go outside of their comfort zone - trying their hand at festive outings that were new to them…. The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art.”
If you’d like to share your Artist Date ideas with me, send me an email hello@jaynemartin.com I love getting inspiration from others and I’d love to hear from you. x
If you’re interested in joining the next Creative Cluster starting in September 2023, click HERE.