When is the last time you planned a date for yourself? Whether it was just taking a bath and doing a face mask, or going shopping at your favorite store? Self-care is one of the most important things we can do to keep ourselves productive and thriving.
Sometimes, self-care happens as an impromptu treat when we finish our work early or just can’t take the stress anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for following your intuition and giving your body and soul what it needs in the moment, but there is something incredible about deliberately scheduling your self-care.
This idea was coined by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way, as the artist date. Artist dates are intended to be weekly events in which you take your inner artist child on an adventure. They should always be done alone and should involve doing something that sounds like fun. The purpose of the artist date according to Cameron, is to fill the well of inspiration so that creativity can flow more easily through you.
As we go through the week, we assert energy through work, school, and our creative endeavors. It only makes sense that we need to take time to replenish this energy and inspiration, which is why the artist date is so effective. It is all about you! It can involve visiting the nearby forest your professor mentioned or finally stopping into that store you pass in your car everyday but never have the time to check out. Artist dates grant you permission to follow intuitive pulls that you typically ignore and thus, can fill you with inspiration.
The beauty of planning your artist date is that it is somewhat of an act of self-care itself. I find it so relaxing to take the time to schedule out a few hours to do whatever my little heart desires each week. I believe the deliberateness of the artist date is part of what makes it so effective. It teaches you to listen to the artist within and prioritize your desires.
The weekly artist date combined with the daily morning pages, has been life changing in my creative life. Since I started incorporating these practices into my life, I have found inspiration and motivation to create coming to me constantly. I find inspiration not only in my personal artwork, but in my school work and fitness routine as well.
The power of self-care has become mainstream in recent years, but I think it’s time people ought to become more methodical about it. The act of planning an artist (or self-care) date is not only fun, but it has the power to improve multiple facets of your life, including your productivity and overall happiness.
To learn more about Morning Pages check out my previous article here.