Is an artist date with yourself the key to unlock more creativity?

How was your date this weekend?

You know. That date with yourself that gifts you time to reconnect with yer own fine self?

Julia Cameron’s work in her book The Artist’s Way defines it as:  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.

I have to say I instituted my own artist date LONG before I even heard of Julia Cameron. Maybe before she discovered her own way to such a program based on the small meetings of wild women writers seeking – something – together in her home?

My date night was on Wednesday. I referred to my Wednesdays as my own religious night. The irony of the phrase was not lost on Peter Warren, the highly rated morning host of a civic rabble rousing radio show at CJOB. Peter knew I was married to an atheist. Maybe he saw the value of my staking out my own time out to rediscover my creative self beyond all the roles I fulfilled.

He encouraged me to write about it then, but where to get it published and read? Solicit big and established magazines on long term schedules? Beg for space in one of Winnipeg’s dailies? The easy access platforms were not available then. I felt out of my league.

I chose Wednesday because that is when my then super busy and important personage of a husband zoomed in from his office. We were a pit stop to change pants and pull on his South Side Boomers baseball shirt and head out, not to be seen again till after pub grub and drinks were had after by the aging boys of baseball.

Since I had some live in coverage for childcare then, I chose to go out too. Like most women of the 1980s, I assumed many roles including that of building a public relations practice and  business-writer-for-hire enterprise.

I had very specific rules for how my dates with myself were spent. I’ll share those with you another time.

This post is about YOU. My experiences are just the catalyst for the conversation I want to have FOR YOU.

Let’s just have a lookie here at your own creative dance card, shall we?

On Friday did you maybe head out for drinks with the team as a T.G.I.F round of drinks to celebrate some success?

On Saturday – date night for singles to mingle or committed couples to hear and see each other anew?

And oh, Sunday – a day my favourite cousin, Judy, used to say should be removed from the calendar because a lack of work or school schedule and too much togetherness put everyone at odds with each other.

Maybe you did make  date on Sunday. A live game – peewee or professional? A time to fit in one side or the other of family – perhaps over a standing date with a rib roast, a veggie feast or games night before prep for the new week ahead?

See? You’ve got everyone covered on your calendar. Do you carve out time for yourself?

Who says creativity can ONLY be crafted in a crucible whose fires are stoked by deadline tensions, the pressure and the promise of future work IF we get this one done – faster, cheaper, better – now?

Taking time out is good for everyone.

The designer-maker-creator-writer-artist and the clients. Building in some rest time is a good thing. Look what it did for Martha Stewart! Granted it was imposed by external forces of the law – but she seemed to come back stronger and better and I hear from some close to her, happier. Much happier.

So, what kind of date will you have? Gonna spring yourself out of ‘indentured to restrictive habits jail’ and give yourself some time to be more productive and maybe even happier?

Love to hear about your spring free for a few hours plan. Let me know, eh?

I’ll be back in a bit to read it.

Helena