On a glorious June morning, I had a" why not" moment. I had been constrained by schedules and promises to others for so long that I felt like the proverbial mouse who runs through a maze. Feeling parched, I thirsted for something that was lacking in my life. That particular Saturday morning I put aside my list of things to do and drove up a winding tree lined highway. My destination was the botanical gardens. A place that I've spent a lot of time doing plein air. That day I just walked around drinking in the sounds, the light, the feel of the gardens. A week later, I brought along my sketchbook to a sprawling park that hugs the Huron River. This, too, was a place where I have been painting for years. This day I sketched the park and the people along the bank of the river who were fishing. Later that week I was caught in a snarl of traffic because of construction and the Farmers' Market. Now this called for a detour of plans. Luckily I had enough change to feed the parking meters. I found my favorite vendor at the Market and had enough time to slip into a few of my favorite shops. I left with bits and bobs of things I can incorporate into my art.
Julia Cameron would call these experiences, "Artist Dates". If you don't already know her writings start with THE ARTIST'S WAY. It's the book that probably saved my creative life. I am by nature a people pleaser and by experience, a dutiful person. Unlike the current pop psychology, I see the value in these traits. The problem happens when you never make it onto your own "To Do" list, when you shirk the duty to be the person you were created to be. It's called artist block. I fought my way out of just such a block with the tools and techniques that Cameron writes about. One is journaling, which she calls "Morning Pages". I have been doing them for a dozen years. This alone is a gift to self. Another is the "Artist Date".
This "date" is with yourself, your thoughts, your dreams and wishes. It's about spending a least an hour a week with yourself. We seem to lose this ability in the service of being responsible adults. Remember when school was out for the Summer and after you made your bed, had breakfast and brushed your teeth the rest of the day was yours to "puddle about"? For me that would have been sitting under an ancient lilac bush heavy with scented blooms or riding my bike as fast I could up a hill so I could coast down the other side with my feet in the air. An Artist Date is just that simple. It's whatever feeds your soul , tickles your fancy. It's the opportunity to dream with your eyes open.
