60 Artist Date Ideas To Inspire Your Writing Practice (even in the midst of a pandemic)

“Artist Dates are assigned play.” — Julia Cameron

In the amazing book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron shares two basic tools to amplify your creative life. The first is Morning Pages and the second is the Artist Date. Both are powerful practices to confront resistance, face writer’s block, and serve as a way to be present with your true longing. No wonder we resist, right? We often avoid that which serves as a reflection showing us who we truly are and what we really want in life. Are you ready to take the risk and show up to yourself? This Artist Date practice is for you.

So, what is the Artist’s Date? It is a weekly solo date with yourself doing something that brings you joy. Simple right? Yes, it is beyond simple. That is the point. The Artist Date is meant to awaken something in you akin to how you would play as a child. Consider that, what did you love to do? Maybe that is launching point for you to begin.

Why do we do the Artist Date? Simply because we have lost our imagination and need to get it back. These weekly dates with ourselves are not meant to be fancy artist to-do’s, but a way to clear space for ourselves to be present, happy, and connected with our desire. So often we measure ourselves by how productive we are, this practice is meant to disrupt that idea and plunge you into you worthiness by simply being YOU.

Here are some general rules around the Artist Date:

– Put it on your calendar. Treat it as an essential just like you would your work, your dinner, your exercise…
– Make it fun. This needs to be simple and playful for you. When considering what your Artist Date will be, as yourself, What do I want to do that would be fun for me? It’s really that easy and that hard.
– Do it alone. This is meant to be just for you, so that you can have time with yourself. You will feel tons of temptation to invite someone along for your date. Fight it and enjoy you.

Check out this video from Julia as shares more about this beautiful practice.

Okay, that’s pretty much it. Below I have added 60 Artist Date ideas for you to begin your practice. Most of these work even amidst a pandemic. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to connect with your inner artist.

1. Spend some time outdoors with your journal, sketchbook, craft supplies, etc.

2. Go for a walk and take your camera with you to document the experience.

3. Set a timer and spend an hour working on something you’ve been putting off.

4. Create an artist’s workspace in your home.

5. See an Oscar-nominated movie or a foreign film.

6. If you don’t have a creative blog, start one.

7. Grab a stack of magazines and clip whatever looks interesting or cool to create your own inspiration board.

8. Plant something. Start your own herb garden.

9. Spend an hour going through your books. Pick ten to read or re-read.

10. Take a walk on a nature trail.

11. Write a letter to an old friend.

12. Give yourself a beauty treatment.

13. Go sit at outside and draw in your sketchbook.

14. Do something you enjoyed when you were a kid.

15. Listen to your favorite songs when you were a teenager. Dance?

16. Lay on the ground and look at the sky.

17. Send a sweet package to your best friend or to a family member for fun.

18. Choose a writing mentor. Read their work and consider why they inspire you.

19. Go cloud watching.

20. Try making your favorite dish.

21. Try an all-day writing retreat.

22. Draw a self-portrait.

23. Move your body.

24. Write a poem.

25. Write a letter to the person you plan to be in ten years.

26. Take a self-portrait and then draw it.

26. Make a list of one hundred things you love about yourself.

27. Make a list of one hundred things that make you happy.

28. Mix a playlist of songs that inspire you.

29. Go listen to a favorite podcast.

30. Find a fun, new creative blog to read.

31. Have a complete day of silence.

32. Have a technology-free day.

33. Watch a movie you have been wanting to see.

34. Create a joy jar filled with kind things people have said about you.

35. Go surround yourself with flowers.

36. Make a bucket list.

37. Buy something for yourself.

38. Go watch a sunset or sunrise.

39. Organize your closet.

40. Get a hammock and go to your favorite spot.

41. Go for a bike ride.

42. Create a vision board for this year.

43. Fly a kite.

44. Take a hike.

45. Read a children’s book.

46. Read poetry aloud to yourself.

47. Drive for fun while listening to something inspiring to you.

48. Walk the historical part of your town and write about it.

49. Take yourself on a picnic to the park. (Dogs can go too.)

50. Go to a free museum (virtually) if you’d like.

51. Create an account at Pinterest. Mark pictures that inspire you and make you want to create.

52. People watch.

53. Read an old journal.

54. Watch a documentary (or read a biography) on your favorite artist.

55. Finger paint.

56. Hug a tree and write about it.

57. Buy a box of 64 crayons and a coloring book. Have fun!

58. Play at a park. Swing. Slide. Hang from monkey bars.

59. Buy cute cards you love and send them to friends.

60. Read a book you used to love, but haven’t read in years.

Feel free to add top this list any ideas that come up for you and keep this list close by whenever you need some inspiration for your Artist Date. Okay, now go ahead and mark your calendar for your amazing dates this month. I hope it leads you to all the inspiration you have been looking for.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT IN WRITING YOUR BOOK, THEN CHECK OUT MY 1:1 BOOK COACHING WHERE WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO TAKE YOU FROM BOOK IDEA TO COMPLETE DRAFT.

Megan Febuary is an author, trauma-informed book coach and creative mentor. Helping women write their books, heal their stories, and understand their unique human design. You can learn more about working with Megan at yourbookyear.com