Julia Cameron calls them Artist Dates. Sarah Ban Breathnach calls them Creative Excursions. Whatever you call them, they\u2019re 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 away regularly to visit a new place, gather ideas, or just feed your soul. 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. For several years, I lived within walking distance of a Japanese garden and I visited it whenever I needed a lift.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Spend time browsing at a flea market or community festival.<\/strong> Imagine yourself as a vendor. What kind of booth would you have? What catches your eye? What turns you off? How would you welcome visitors?<\/p>\n \u00b0 Go to your public library and explore an area you don\u2019t normally browse in.<\/strong> Read a couple of unfamiliar magazine while you\u2019re there. See what resources are housed in the reference area.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Explore the scrap booking aisles at a craft store.<\/strong> Consider starting a scrapbook of favorite cartoons so you\u2019ll always know where to look when you need a laugh.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Slip off to the movies on a midweek afternoon.<\/strong> It\u2019s almost like having a private screening if you catch the first showing on Tuesday. You may also feel slightly decadent.<\/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\u2019re near an ocean or wildflowers or weeds for a bouquet if there\u2019s a woods nearby.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Visit a hardware store and investigate gadgets you\u2019ve never seen before.<\/strong> Imagine having a project to use one of these tools.<\/p>\n \u00b0 If you haven\u2019t visited a local museum or art gallery, it\u2019s time you paid a call.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0 A great junk store or antique mall is another perfect place to stroll.<\/strong> Talk to the folks working there and find out what kinds of treasures are popular.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Pretend you\u2019re an investigative reporter.<\/strong> Visit stores secretly making notes on their customer service\u2014or lack thereof.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Start a new collection and begin a treasure hunt.<\/strong> You could begin by finding all the treasures hidden in your own neighborhood. It\u2019s not unusual for folks to overlook things in their own backyard that visitors come to see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Julia Cameron calls them Artist Dates. Sarah Ban Breathnach calls them Creative Excursions. Whatever you call them, they\u2019re 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 art…<\/p>\n