Set the Stage: Take Artist Dates to Break Out of Your Funk
Ever notice how your best ideas come when you're in the shower, not when you're staring at your canvas or computer screen? Or how a solo walk through the local botanical garden suddenly unlocks the solution to that problem that’s been bugging you for weeks?
If you're feeling creatively stuck, uninspired, or just plain cranky about your art practice (or your life in general), you are definitely not alone. Julia Cameron has the perfect prescription, and it’s more fun than you might think—it's called an Artist Date.
When I first got back into art, I was desperate for a specific plan to show me how to do it. I stumbled on Cameron's 12-week program in her famous classic book, The Artist's Way, and let me tell you, the Artist Date concept was both the hardest and most transformative part of the journey. Today I'm sharing why these solo creative adventures are like CrossFit for your right brain, plus some neuroscience background that explains why they actually work.
Ready to get unstuck? Let's talk about why putting everything down for just one hour might be the most productive thing you do all week.
Finding your sense of wonder…
it’s simpler - and more important - than you think.
Why Your Creative Brain is Throwing a Tantrum
Here's the thing about creativity—it's like a toddler. It needs play, it needs attention, and it definitely needs snacks. But most of us treat our creative selves like that responsible older sibling who's always doing homework and never gets to have any fun.
After 20 years studying brain function and vision rehabilitation, I can tell you that our brains are literally wired for novelty and play. When we get stuck in routines (studio time becomes production time, every pottery session is about finishing commissions or checking off tasks), we're essentially putting our creative neural pathways on autopilot. The brain goes, "Oh, we're doing THIS again? Cool, I'll just use the same old neural highways and zone out." You find yourself thinking about which kid you have to pick up after school, what’s for dinner, what you have to do tomorrow…
That's where the funk sets in. You're going through the motions, but the spark is gone. Your work feels mechanical. You start avoiding the studio because it feels more like obligation than joy. Sound familiar?
This isn't just about making art, by the way. Whether you're a teacher designing lesson plans, a parent planning birthday parties, or an accountant solving problems—we ALL have an inner artist. Your "art" might not be a Monet, but it's making the world better in a way only you can. And that creative part of you needs attention. I let mine just about snuff out over years of grinding, pushing, forcing my way through what I thought I had to do every day at work and home.
Cameron understood something profound: our creative self needs to be courted, wooed, and taken on dates. Not with other people—just you and your inner artist, exploring something new.
The Artist Date Solution: Your Weekly Creative Adventure
So what exactly is an Artist Date? Cameron describes it as a weekly solo expedition to explore something that interests or enchants you. No partners, no friends, no kids—just you and your creative consciousness going on an adventure for about an hour or two.
When I first read this, I thought, "Great, another thing to schedule." But here's what really matters: it's not about WHAT you do, it's about the energy you bring. Playful. Childlike. Curious. Full of wonder. Like you're seven years old and someone just handed you a magnifying glass.
The solo part? Non-negotiable. And honestly, it's the hardest part. When people catch wind of what you're doing ("Wait, you're going to a rock shop just to look at rocks?"), they want to tag along. Your partner suddenly thinks it sounds fun. Your kids want in. But this isn't about them—it's about putting everything else down, just for one hour. The guilt, the to-do list, the conversations, the caretaking. Everything.
I know, I know. It feels impossible to rationalize. Selfish, even. But stick with me here.
Your next Artist’s Date…
Spending an hour just wandering, appreciating beautiful things, something that puts you in a state of child-like awe, simple pleasures, with no productive agenda.
My Artist Date Journey: From Eye Doctor to Rock Shop Explorer
When I was still working in healthcare, seeing patients all day, solving complex vision problems, I was drowning in responsibility, reports, and decisions. I needed to feel lighter. I needed to feel a new identity emerging—one that wasn't just about fixing things and helping others, and getting to the end of some ever-shifting finish line, but about play and possibility.
Enter the Artist Date.
One of my all-time favorites? Bey's Rock Shop. I saw in on someone’s Instagram, and looked it up. A 35-minute drive! I took my next open afternoon to go check it out. I wandered through all of the gems and rocks for what felt like forever. No one rushing me. No conversations to attend to. Just me, enthralled that nature actually makes these colors over time, holding rough garnets up to the light, getting lost in the patterns of agate slices. I didn’t know anyone there, I didn’t have to say hi, or catch up, or explain what I was doing. Something in my brain lit up that hadn't surfaced in years.
Another time, I took Cameron's advice and hit up the craft store—but here's the kicker: instead of my usual aisles of paint and paper, I went straight to the kids' section. You know, that aisle you rush past to get to the "real" art supplies? I bought that weird plasticky stuff you can blow into bubbles using a little straw (you know what I'm talking about!), rainbow stickers, pipe cleaners, and other little gems from the bargain bin. I spent maybe eight bucks and had the time of my life.
That afternoon, sitting on my living room floor making bubbles with joy of my 8 year-old self, I accessed a part of my brain that had been dormant for decades. The part that doesn't care about outcomes. The part that just wants to see what happens if...
Here's the neuroscience bit that blew my mind: when we expose ourselves to novel experiences, our brains release dopamine and create new neural pathways. It's called neuroplasticity, and it's like giving your brain a playground upgrade. It’s never encountered this before, so it doesn’t have a file of automatic responses to follow - it has to forge a new path through. Those random Artist Dates—watching clouds, visiting a hardware store, attending a random lecture about water gardening—they're actually rewiring your creative circuits.
Making It Work: Real Talk from a Reformed Task-Master
After fumbling through this process (and, confession time: I haven't done an Artist Date in probably over a year—yikes!), here's what actually worked when I was consistent:
Schedule it like a doctor's appointment. Put it in your calendar. Tell people you have an appointment. Because you do—with your creative health.
Keep a running list of possibilities. I started a note in my phone called "Artist Date Ideas" and added to it whenever something caught my eye. Weird museum? Added. Free lunchtime concert? In there. Tour of a local brewery? You bet. So much easier than trying to figure something out and your mind goes blank in the moment.
Embrace the weird. My most powerful Artist Dates were often the most random. Pet stores. An odd little antique shop.
Remember: It's medicine. When that voice says "This is silly" or "I should be doing something productive," remind yourself this IS productive. You're literally rewiring your brain for innovation and joy.
Some other unexpected Artist Dates that shifted something in me:
Sitting in a the grand hotel lobby of The Hotel Hershey, where I worked as a teenager
Spending an hour walking in and out of shops in a small tourist town nearby
Going to a library book sale and only browsing the children's section
Rollerskating!
The magic isn't in doing something "artistic"—it's in giving your creative brain new input to play with. It's in remembering what wonder feels like.
SUMMARY
Artist Dates aren't just another self-care trend or creative exercise—they're a fundamental practice for keeping your creative spirit alive and thriving. By taking yourself on weekly solo adventures, you're literally rewiring your brain for increased creativity, pattern recognition, and joy.
This practice helped me transition from healthcare professional to full-time artist, but here's the truth: creative thinking is part of ALL our lives. We all have an inner child and an inner artist, whether we acknowledge them or not. Your art is how you move through the world, solve problems, connect with others. It's uniquely yours, and the world needs it.
Yes, it feels weird at first. Yes, you'll resist it. Yes, it's hard to justify putting everything down for just one hour. But try it once—just once—and let me know what happens.
Your Creative Prescription:
Quick Win: Right now, pick ONE hour next week and write "Artist Date" in your calendar
Solid Solution: Make a list of 5 places you've been curious about but never visited
Treat Yourself: Order Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way or check out her website for more inspiration
As for me? Writing this post has been the wake up I needed. I'm scheduling an Artist Date for this week. I promise I’ll post about it on Instagram - my accountability! Maybe I'll even pick up the book and work through the whole 12-week program again. (Have I mentioned I'm a rule-follower at heart?)
Who knows? Maybe I'll see you at the rock shop. Just don't talk to me—I'll be on a date.
With Enthusiasm for LIfe & Art,
Heidi
What's your first Artist Date going to be? Drop me a comment or send me an email—I'd love to hear about your solo adventures!