Explore The Artist Date

The Artist's Way is a ubiquitous book in the world of creatives. In that book, Julia Cameron discusses the concept of the Artist Date. She describes this as "a once-weekly, solitary, festive expedition targeted at enticing our inner artist into exploring new realms. As we all know to well, carving out time for ourselves is much more difficult than it seems. Even when we are alone, it seems our phone is ringing or we're checking emails or text messages or perhaps scanning our social media sites. When do we take time to just absorb art or observe the world.

This is the idea behind the Artist Date. It's just you taking a some time for you. "But I wouldn't know where to begin," you might be saying. Well that's why we're here. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination, but we'll give you five date ideas to get your started.

Peruse an art supply store
Sure, Genesis Art Supply at 2525 N.Elston Avenue in Chicago would be our first suggestion (or you could even take some time to peruse this website), but the idea is to just do some browsing for no good reason. You don't necessarily need anything in particular. You might not even buy something. But just take some time to look at the supplies and imagine the creations you could produce with the materials that you see. Perhaps you would like to try a new medium. Perhaps you'd like to go to the next level in your usual medium. Do some dreaming.

Art in the park
Take your sketch pad or even your easel out to a local park or other natural setting and draw or paint what you see. Are children playing? Is it a broad view of the landscape that catches your attention? Perhaps you want to sketch your own dog that is sitting at your feet. Again, the possibilities are open to pens, pencils, charcoal, and an array of paints and brushes. You might even take some clay to mold your own sculpture of what you see. Be sure to take some time, though, just for yourself: breathe in the fresh air and let your mind relax.

Go to a movie
So many of us are afraid to be alone, especially at a place traditionally recognized as a go-to place for couples or groups of friends. It's actually quite liberating to attend a movie alone. You don't have to share the popcorn and you can really focus on the art of the film.

Go to a movie
So many of us are afraid to be alone, especially at a place traditionally recognized as a go-to place for couples or groups of friends. It's actually quite liberating to attend a movie alone. You don't have to share the popcorn and you can really focus on the art of the film.

Visit a few local galleries
Seeing the work of others is always a good place to gain inspiration. Perhaps seeing some works will make you think, "Hey, I can do that." Other works might make you say, "Hey, I want to do that!" Either way, it can push you toward getting out your art supplies to actually create something.

Visit an art museum
Similar to an Artist Date to some local galleries, a visit to an art museum is an excellent place to find inspiration. You're by yourself, so you can take all the time you want. Soak everything up: the colors, textures, techniques, subjects, and even the meaning of the works. What moves you? What doesn't? And when can you start on your own masterpiece?