Last fall, I read and journaled through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Her book is a twelve week process of diving into an artist’s creativity with an accompanying journal with prompts as a guide. The purpose is to write in your morning journal every morning for the twelve week period. I decided to go on this journey to generate some new ideas, but I ended up learning so much about my creative self.
The book also encourages the reader to go on weekly artist dates. These adventures are meant to be alone time within creative spaces such as museums, concerts, galleries, and studios to expand on the artistic mindset. I’ll share a recap of my artist dates below.
I’m writing this over three months later as I want to reflect on impact that journey has lead me in the time that has passed.
The Journaling Experience:
The TLDR Thoughts
The daily practice. I appreciated the early mornings so that I could get through the rest of the tasks of my day. I forgave myself if I didn’t have enough time, and relied on the prompts when my mind went blank.
What worked really well for me
It got me to dream bigger and I learned more about what I am capable of. I also noticed how my energy shifted when I became more conscious of my daily work. The early mornings allowed more time for me to get through my usual tasks of the day and made my evening routine much more relaxing.
I loved the concept of siting and writing about the things I wish to do in life. I surprised myself with the kinds of affirmations and goals to manifest that came out of my mind at such an early hour of the day.
What I did not enjoy
Digging through an empty mind first thing in the morning is a mind-numbing experience. I went blank on writing many times, causing some frustration and wasted time in my morning. Some days, I cheated and finished the required pages at the end of the day when I had more time.
Outcomes
The journaling also guided me into developing on an idea for a new venture with potential ideas to grow my business using my skills. I improved organizing my thoughts. I improved my time management. I got creative with my writing by leveraging the prompts to guide me. I generated many ideas of things I’d love to explore in my life. I also gained a stronger understanding of my health, how to prioritize it, and define who I’d like to surround myself with.
The Artist Dates:
Pastel Drawing at Happy Medium
Happy Medium is an art studio that offers classes and an art cafe space you can book time to use their materials or your own art supplies. I took advantage of their oil pastels offerings and spent a couple hours improvising drawings with inspiration from nature and the upcoming winter season.
https://happy-medium.co/art-cafe
Outdoor walk/Photography
I regularly go on walks throughout different neighborhoods in NYC. It’s my way of relaxing and for the purpose of artist dates, I took in more pauses to appreciate where I was and used my phone to photograph interesting things, and street art along my path.
I also spent some extra time walking through Grand Central Terminal before a brief trip upstate. Highly recommend as a place to people watch in what I consider as an art gallery/museum.
Candle Making at Lanterne Candle Lab
On a whim, I signed up for a candle making session at Lanterne Candle Lab. This happened to be on a day that I intended to relax and the choice of aromas definitely helped. They allow you to customize your candle with a choice of two scents and selecting your container, and mix-ins of confetti and glitter.
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