In her book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron suggests that artists should schedule a weekly artist’s date. This includes any type of artist who desires to build on the relationship between her work and her soul. Potters, sculptors, painters, and wordsmiths like me.
The artist takes a break from a current project and does something else creative: a stroll through an art gallery, a visit to a fabric store to feel the different textures, a visit to a lawn and garden nursery, an afternoon with your journal in a quiet spot. When the artist returns to the current project, the creative juices are revived and ready to pour forth again.
I’ve tried the artist’s date, and I like it.
After several hours of wordsmithing, my brain, my fingers, and my inner voice grow a bit weary. My soul needs a pause. My body needs a recess. My brain needs a change.
One Friday, I took myself on an artist’s date. I wrote for a few hours in the morning, then met a friend for a leisurely lunch at Chipotle (love that vegetarian bowl with lots of guacamole!). Then I took some of my books that I do not want to reread over to Half-Price Books. To share printed words with other readers. To share the joy. I browsed through the Clearance section to find more words to read and added three to my vacation reading list. Except I could not wait and started reading one of them as soon as I checked out and drove home. Good Grief by Lolly Winston. She is my new best author, and her book was on sale for $1.00.
What a treasure! An artist’s date and a bargain on the same day. After my artist’s date, I was revved up and ready to write again. Refreshed. Rebooted. Revived.
So if you are an artist of any type or a crafter who just likes being creative, try taking an artist date. It’s a great way to get away for a while and connect with your creative soul. And if you need more incentive, read The Artist’s Way and connect with Julia Cameron.
©2026 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: Congerdesign / Pixabay
After several artist dates, my latest novel was birthed. Check out Seeking the Land of Grace, available on Amazon.