Date Your Creative Spirit
I am so excited for this month. I am not usually one that gets excited for February. Even though it’s the shortest month, it seems long, cold and blah. I start getting really antsy for spring. But so far, this winter hasn’t been too bad. We’ve had cold streaks, but last week was in the mid-high 50s and felt like spring. Having a warm reprieve in the middle of winter will help me make it until it’s actually spring!
Besides the sunshine, another thing helping me get through February is my commitment to creative play. I thought it would be fun to focus on Artist Dates this month. It is the month of love - what better way to celebrate love than to commit to our creativity and curiosity through Artist Dates?!
If you’re not familiar with an “Artist Date”, Julia Cameron introduces them in her amazing book the Artist’s Way. Here’s how Julia explains Artist Dates:
“The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic” - think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration.”
That description gets me so excited! I used to be very good about weekly solo excursions to places that I was interested in and intrigued by. After an adventure, I would head to a local coffee shop and let all the inspiration pour out of me onto the page before heading back to “real life”. It was an activity I cherished and I let it slip away along with many other creative practices when I was too overwhelmed with responsibilities to take time for myself.
Gratefully, I found my way back to creativity and now I am reintroducing Artist Dates to my weekly schedule. They don’t have to be elaborate, although I beg of you to make at least one artist date a month something really BIG. Take all afternoon indulging your curiosity, try on a new persona, wear a feather boa and explore your town as if you have never seen such an amazing place. Remember our Five Senses exploration?! Put those tools to use on your Artist Dates!
Trust me, you will not regret taking this time for yourself. Your creative spirit deserves to be loved on. What better time to nurture that spark than during the LOVE month?! Pick a day of the week and mark it on your calendar right now! Commit to at least 30 minutes of playful exploration. I’ve pulled together 24 Artist Dates to try in 2024. Use these as inspiration - a jumping off point - but tailor them to your interests. I’d love to hear about your Artist Dates! Email me or DM me a pic of you in your feather boa!
Click the image to download your free list of 24 Art
I hope this Whimsical Wednesday helps you through a mid-week slump. I am really enjoying this time with you! Have a whimsical week. Until next time…