28 Feb 5 Good Reasons to Prioritise an Artist Date This Week
In the whirlwind of daily life, creativity often takes a backseat. Work, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists seem to demand our attention first. But what if tending to your creative self wasn’t a luxury, but a necessity? Especially when our inner well might be running dry, we have lost our spark, or are feeling stuck.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, defines an Artist Date as a solo, playful, creative excursion designed to refill your well of inspiration.
It’s a date with your inner artist—a chance to step away from routine and reawaken your sense of wonder. This isn’t about productivity or output. It’s about input: beauty, joy, play, and exploration.
And just to be super clear, Artist Dates aren’t just for artists—they’re for anyone who wants to live a richer, more creative life. Creativity isn’t limited to painters, writers, or musicians; it’s a way of thinking, problem-solving, and engaging with the world. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, a business owner, or someone simply navigating daily life, you are creative. Artist Dates are for all of us—because life itself is a creative act.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, uninspired, or just plain exhausted, here are five reasons to prioritise an Artist Date this week.
1. Neuroplasticity: Rewiring Your Brain for Creativity
Our brains are shaped by what we repeatedly do. Neuroscientists like Ian McGilchrist and Jill Bolte Taylor have shown that creativity, intuition, and deep connection come from the right hemisphere of the brain. But modern life often keeps us stuck in left-brain thinking—analytical, structured, and linear.
An Artist Date helps shift this. When you engage in novel activities outside of your usual routine, that spark curiosity and play, you activate new neural pathways, strengthening your ability to think creatively. This is the science of neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to change and grow at any age. Want more inspiration? Feed your brain something new.
Example: Visit an art gallery or museum. Wander without an agenda. Let colours, shapes, and textures speak to you.
2. The Importance of Beauty (Especially in Difficult Times)
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “We do not want merely to see beauty… we want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see.” In tough times, beauty can feel frivolous. But in reality, it is essential.
Beauty lifts us out of survival mode. It reminds us of possibility, of something beyond the immediate challenges we face. Even a small act of engaging with beauty—a sunset walk, a visit to a botanical garden—can shift our mood and open us to inspiration.
Example: Buy yourself a single flower or a plant. Sit with it. Observe it closely. Perhaps even sketch it.
3. Play Calms the Nervous System
Play isn’t just for children. Research shows that engaging in playful activities reduces stress and regulates the nervous system.
When we play, our bodies shift out of fight-or-flight mode and into a state of ease. This makes it easier to take creative risks, trust our instincts, and enjoy life more fully.
Example: Walk in nature, visit a woodland, or go for a swim and allow yourself to just float.
4. Stretching Your Comfort Zone Builds Creative Confidence
If we want to create more freely, we need to get comfortable with discomfort. Creativity asks us to step into the unknown, to risk looking foolish, to make things without knowing if they’ll work.
An Artist Date is a safe way to practice this. Brene Brown talks about leaning into discomfort—choosing to step outside our comfort zones in ways that feel manageable. The more we do this, the more resilient we become.
Example: Go to the cinema, a spoken word poetry night or live music event alone. Notice what it feels like to be there, just observing.
5. New Experiences = New Ideas
Creativity thrives on novelty. When you expose yourself to new experiences, you give your subconscious new material to work with. The best ideas don’t come from sitting at a desk willing inspiration to arrive. They come from living.
In her 12 week programme, The Artist Way, Julia Cameron describes Artist Dates as “assigned play” for the creative soul. They are not optional extras. They are essential fuel. She assigns them as a weekly task, essential for recovering our creativity.
Example: Take a train to a town you haven’t explored before / for a long time. Walk around. Don’t plan—just explore.
Make Time for Your Inner Artist
If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to prioritise an Artist Date, this is it.
Your creativity (and I mean this in the broadest possible way) doesn’t need more discipline—it needs more delight. This week, give yourself permission to play, to explore, to see the world with fresh eyes. Your inner artist (and yes, we all have one!) will thank you.
Looking for ideas of what to do for your Artist Date? Read this blog post: Artist Date Ideas in Brighton & Hove.
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