Refilling Your Creative Well with Artist Dates

Monica Cox popped in to share several ways to refill your creative well.

As writers, we mine our experiences and observations, pour our emotions into words, and fill up the blank page with story. If we aren’t careful to replenish all that we exert in our writing, we run the risk of our creative well running dry. When we have nothing left to give creatively, we may experience writer’s block, avoidance, frustration, and procrastination. 

Bestselling author Tayari Jones was stuck during her work on An American Marriage. Despite knowing she wanted to write a particular topic and years of research, the story was not coming together. The answer to her story problem wasn’t revealed in a craft book or by continued brainstorming, but rather a trip to the mall. She overheard a snippet of an argument in the food court that sparked her imagination and ultimately revealed the novel structure to her. 

Despite the perennial advice of butt in chair, sometimes we need to get away from our desks to find the solution to our writing frustrations. Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way recommends just that with her concept of Artist Dates–weekly, solo outings doing something that intrigues or enchants you. 

These dates aren’t necessarily writing related, in fact, the best ones aren’t. An Artist Date outing should, however, engage your senses, employ your observation skills, and make space for a creative spark. 

When to Use an Artist Date

Artist Dates can be used during any part of your writing process. 

• Going on regular writing dates as part of your creative life will spur new ideas before you start a story. 
• When you find yourself running on empty and in need of a creative boost in the middle of a draft, you can take advantage of an Artist Date that is specific to your work in progress. 
• If revision has you feeling stumped, stepping away from your desk and out into the world of your story by visiting a setting in your novel or spending the day as your protagonist would, can reconnect you to the emotional heartbeat of your manuscript. 
• Between projects is also a great time to go on an Artist Date to rest your writing mind while still engaging your creative muse. 

How to Incorporate an Artist Date Into Your Writing Routine

While the weekly timeframe Julia Cameron recommends may be a strain on your schedule if you’re also balancing a day job, caregiving, and a multitude of additional responsibilities on top of your writing, consider scheduling regular outings at a pace that works for you. 

Pick a class or activity with a firm date that you can put on your calendar for accountability. Or perhaps brainstorm a list of activity ideas that you keep on slips of paper in a jar. Designate one day a month for a random outing based on your blind pick. 

The act of deciding on your Artist Date is a creative endeavor itself. Lean into it and let your creative juices flow. 

5 Ideas for Your Artist Date

Here are a few ideas of activities that would make great Artist Dates: 

1. Visit a Cemetery – Historical cemeteries are full of forgotten stories. On one of my outings to Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, I came across a gravestone that read, “He was a fool, but Julia loved him.” There is so much story in that epitaph! Wander the grounds of an old cemetery and look for interesting engravings, sayings, or anything else that catches your eye. 

2. People Watch – Like Tayari Jones at the mall, people watching is a great source of inspiration. Go to a coffee shop, museum, or my personal favorite, the arrivals area of an airport. Note interesting mannerisms, practice writing descriptions, imagine the dialogue between the couple at the corner table, create backstories to fill in gaps of overheard conversations. Don’t worry about making it a story, just play.
3. Museums – Art, history, and science can spark all manner of creative questions to activate your muse. Spend a day in front of a favorite painting or learn about a certain time period. Wander a science museum and keep a list of what if questions. 
4. Cooking – Engaging your senses can be a wonderful way to fill your creative well. Watching how a list of ingredients can be turned into a delicious meal is also like how writers take elements of craft and create a story. Take a cooking class or check out a cookbook from the library for a cuisine outside your normal routine. When you make the dish, think about the story the dish tells.
5. Music – Whether it’s your favorite artist in an arena concert, a small quartet in a jazz club, or an amateur line-up at an open mic night at the local bar, live music can speak to our emotions. Listen to music outside the genres of your normal playlist. Journal on the emotions various songs elicit for you, or imagine the artists your characters might have on their playlist.  

Whether the results of these dates are used in your specific story or not isn’t really the point. Instead, the act of adding to your experiences and appreciating the creative effort of others in unlikely spaces will sow seeds in your creativity garden. Experiment and find the activities and places that fill your well and watch your stories bloom. 

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Monica Cox is a writer and Author Accelerator Certified book coach who firmly believes the real writing happens in revision. She loves helping writers through the thorny process of revision to find the rose of their story. She shares weekly craft and writing mindset tips in her weekly newsletter. Explore her website to learn more about her revision course and one-on-one coaching services and additional ways to connect with Monica. 

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