What Is This Thing Called an Artist's Date?
Confronting the biggest challenge of the book "The Artist's Way"
If you explore Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” as I have been doing for the past few months, you will inevitably confront the challenge of the Artist’s Date.You are supposed to do one a week. It is supposed to be something you find fun and interesting, and something you do on your own.
Back in February when I got started with this, I was more organized with these Artist’s Dates. I can name you the first few. I went to Cazenovia Park and took pictures and sketched. That was my first outing. It does not sound like much but it was. I had to change my routine. And I realized that routines do not like changing!
There followed an Artist’s Date to the Burchfield Nature Center, which stands in memory of the great artist Charles Burchfield, and to a couple of nurseries in historic Gardenville. I still have all the plants I bought on that Artist’s Date. I just watered them all this morning. Well, one of the plants, the Frosty Fern, is I am afraid no longer with us. However the rest of them are!
Where else did I go? Oh, a big Artist’s Date was my first trip to the zoo, once I became a member. I still go to the zoo several times a week to walk and draw. And I purchased a Sailing Club membership for the Moondance Catamaran and went on my first sail solo as an Artist’s Date.
Continuing down memory lane, I went for a haircut at a beautiful salon and counted that as an Artist’s Date. That was my first haircut since Covid, gulp. I had been growing my hair and it was fun — but comes a time.
That led to my next Artist’s Date. had never had a manicure and I decided that my first manicure, in addition to a pedicure, counted as a dandy Artist’s Date.
After that I rejoined the gym, where I had not been for several years. I loved my first Artist’s Date there, swimming in the pool and soaking in the hot tub. I even sat in the ladies’ sauna for a couple of minutes, and I liked it aside from that an oik was in there wearing loud headphones and singing along. No social graces, you know? However I will return to the sauna one of these days. That was a new experience I think I would enjoy, if the situation were just a little bit different.
What else? I went to one of the nation’s largest bookstores, the Old Editions Bookshop. It happens to be in North Tonawanda. It really is a wonder of the world. The nation’s largest art supply store, Hyatt’s, is just a five minute drive from my house. That would count as an Artist’s Date except for I go there all the time.
One of my best Artist’s Dates was a solo sail on the Moondance Catamaran. I mean, there were other people on board, but I went on my own. That was so beautiful and relaxing. I couldn’t get over it. Two hours of watching the waves and the sky. I will never forget it.
Right about this time the book made the suggestion that I attempt a more complex and challenging Artist’s Date, maybe take a whole day. This threw me off a little. I just couldn’t imagine what would fulfill that requirement. What should I do, go to London or something?
Maybe I could spend the whole day at Hyatt’s, the art supply store. Just tell them: “Look, I’m going to be here all day.” Seriously, I could do that. I could blow two hours just in their fountain pen department.
Maybe I could do an overnight somewhere, in a park cabin or who knows what. I see somewhere with a porch where I could light a candle and sip a glass of wine and look at the stars and think about things.
As I puzzled over what I should do, I grew defensive. I have looked for Artist’s Date ideas online from people who have worked their way through this course or are doing so. And next to what they come up with, my Artist’s Dates are pretty darned impressive. These people never seem to move beyond bookstores or walks in the park. Mostly they stay home and do something there. I do not think staying home should count as an Artist’s Date. I mean, unless you are stuck at home for some reason.
However, I have to remind myself, this is not a competition. People do what works for them. I should mind my own business and do my own thing.
With which, here is a random list of other Artist’s Date possibilities I have come up with.
A trampoline park. I love bouncing on trampolines!
Go to the movies. I never go to movies any more.
Follow up the Darwin Martin House with a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff.
Take a long car ride into the country.
Stay overnight some weird place.
Rent an electric car and learn to drive it.
Participate in a piano master class. Play Beethoven for some old legend.
Visit a couple of wineries, check out their gift shops (I love gift shops) and have a picnic.
Drive along that highway that runs along Lake Ontario.
Fly to New York City in the morning and fly back at night.
Take an Amtrak train trip.
Take a long bike trip somewhere.
My cute Harvard Limited Huffy. Can I find a spa with hot springs? I love the idea of hot springs.
Go swimming at a beach or a creek, somewhere I haven’t been before.
Sketch in Chautauqua. Go on a day they don’t charge admission.
Visit the Isabelle Stuart Gardener Museum in Rochester. More a fall thing, but keep in mind.
Go kayaking.
Rochester has the Seneca Park Zoo and my zoo membership gives me reduced admission.
Tour a cave. I used to love going into caves when I was a kid, and my brother George and I had a great time in Mammoth Cave.
Well, that is a list to get me started.
Suggestions are welcome!
There are spas with Hot Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas - I was there in March of 2020 right as the world was shutting down from COVID - it's the cutest bathhouse row with a ton of old bathhouses - several are still in operation. The spring itself is beautiful and its at the base of a mountain with hiking trails, and the street is lined with magnolia trees - it's so picturesque and would be a great artists date adventure!