The Artist's Date

A Way to Refill My Creative Well

Curious how other writers refill their creative well, I asked the people in the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop I’m taking. Responses included walking in nature, reading unrelated genres, gardening, knitting, consuming art forms without words, and people-watching at cafes.

However, one response surprised me. Alisa Alering, author of Smothermoss, asked if I knew about the ‘Artist’s Date,’ which comes from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. I’d never heard of this concept, but I was intrigued because I don’t always think of writers as artists.

Although writers don’t create visual art, writing is still a creative process. Writers are artists. I am an artist. I’m trying to embrace it and step into that identity, so I decided to learn more about the Artist’s Date.

The Idea Behind an Artist’s Date

Basically, an Artist Date is setting aside an hour a week to play. The date is intended as a fun, solo activity that allows the brain to rest. While it’s resting, the brain can make connections or resolve problems. It’s similar to receiving breath throughs in the shower. Letting your mind relax allows ideas to spring forth.

It’s also kinda like having a consistent writing practice. Having a designated time to write each day, even if it’s only for a few minutes, signals to your brain that this is the time we write. This is the time for ideas to burst forth on the page. Similarly, the date is meant to be a time of being open and receiving.

However, it’s not a transactional exchange. If I go to the museum today, it doesn’t mean that my writing tomorrow will be better or that I will resolve an issue. The magic will unfold over time, and the experiences from the date may inspire future writing.

Why I Tried It

I wanted to refill my well. It’s the time of year when it’s nice to be indoors. Plus, I’ve been into art lately, so I came up with a list of dates I could go on.

The dates can be anything from going to the pet store to visiting a children’s book store. It’s supposed to be a fun activity that you look forward to. If anyone has any ideas for me, feel free to share! I want to continue this throughout the winter.

Date 1: Kohler Arts Center

On my first date, I visited the Kohler Arts Center and saw the new exhibit, “Is It Art Now?” Tyree Guyton, the artist, uses polka dots as an imaginative spark, invoking potential.

The exhibit brought back memories of middle school, where I painted my bedroom walls with hot pink, orange, and lime-green polka dots. Fun times. After I walked through the gallery and browsed the gift shop, I sat down to journal. It was harder than I thought to just hang out for an hour. Hopefully, I’ll get better at this.

Date 2: Kohler Art Preserve

On my second date, I went to the Kohler Art Preserve. The three floors of art have tons of creepy creatures that I love so much. I also enjoyed checking out the cool bathrooms.

When I was done roaming, I sat in the sun and just journaled. No divine inspiration struck, but I’ve a feeling an idea for a book is at this museum. I’m going to keep returning until the story emerges.

Book Talk

I love B.K. Borison. I was so excited to read her Christmas book. I know it might be a little early to start celebrating the holidays, but I put up my Christmas tree the day after my birthday this year. It was snowy, and I needed some Christmas cheer.

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison brought the Christmas cheer. The Ghost of Christmas Past, Nolan, haunts Harriet because she needs to see the error of her ways and make amends before Christmas. However, Harriet thinks there must be a mistake because she’s not a bad person. She’s a people-pleasing, candy cane-obsessed antique shop owner. Each time they visit her past, they uncover tidbits about her, but it’s nothing horrible enough to warrant the haunting. The more time they spend together, the more they fall for each other, and the more Nolan’s magic starts to go wild. They try to figure out why they were brought together before their time is up.

Conclusion

Going on Artist Dates has been fun. It makes me feel like I’m an artist indulging my creativity. I haven’t met God or had a stroke of genius, as others have claimed happened during their dates. However, I want to continue playing around with this and see what happens. You never know.

Sending you good spirits,

Liza