Julia Cameron calls them Artist\u2019s Dates. Sarah Ban Breathnach calls them Creative Excursions. Whatever you call them, they are worth making a regular event in your life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Artist Date need not be overtly artistic,\u201d says Cameron, \u201cthink 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The purpose of such solo events is to take time every week to make a visit to a new place to gather ideas or just feed your imagination. Although it\u2019s easy to find new destinations, it\u2019s equally easy to find excuses not to do so.<\/p>\n
When people tell me they have no idea what they want to do with their life, I\u2019m pretty certain that creative excursions have not been on their agenda.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, here are a few idea starters to get you thinking about potential excursions of your own.<\/p>\n
\u00b0 Visit a Japanese garden or arboretum.<\/strong> You don\u2019t have to be a gardner yourself in order to find pleasure in beautiful landscapes.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Spend a couple of hours browsing at a flea market or community festival and imagine yourself as a vendor.<\/strong> What kind of booth would you have? How would you welcome visitors?<\/p>\n \u00b0 Go to your public library and explore an area that you don\u2019t normally browse in.<\/strong> Read a couple of unfamiliar magazines while you\u2019re there. See what resources are housed in the reference section.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Explore the scrap booking aisles at a craft store.<\/strong> Start a scrapbook of favorite cartoons so you\u2019ll always know where to go when you need a laugh.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Slip off to the movies on a midweek afternoon.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 Gather travel brochures and pictures of destinations still to be visited.<\/strong> Make a collage for your office.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Make or buy a card of congratulations and send it to yourself.<\/strong> Then send another to someone in need of encouragement.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Take a nature hike.<\/strong> Gather seashells, if you are near an ocean or wildflowers or weeds for a bouquet if there\u2019s a woods nearby.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Visit a place like Home Depot and investigate gadgets you\u2019ve never seen before.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 If you haven\u2019t visited your local museum or art gallery, it\u2019s time you paid a call.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 A great junk store or antique mall is a perfect place to stroll.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 Pretend you\u2019re an investigative reporter and visit stores secretly making notes on their customer service…or lack thereof. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 Start a new collection and begin a treasure hunt.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get going and find all the treasures hidden in your own neighborhood.<\/p>\n And if you have a favorite creative excursion that’s not on this list, feel free to share it in the comment section below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Julia Cameron calls them Artist\u2019s Dates. Sarah Ban Breathnach calls them Creative Excursions. Whatever you call them, they are worth making a regular event in your life. \u201cThe Artist Date need not be overtly artistic,\u201d says Cameron, \u201cthink mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since…<\/p>\n