Ten Free Artist Date Ideas
Plus: The latest episode of Too Niche? is dedicated to us Bravo fans
I’ve been wanting to write more about the creative groups I lead and the core practices we use. So today, let’s talk Artist Dates.
An Artist Date is a fundamental concept from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and can be defined as a solo outing designed to spark delight, curiosity, and creative momentum. I heard Julia on a podcast once describe it as an exploration of the senses (something to see, smell, taste, listen to, touch)—I quite like that framework. These dates are not about being productive, they’re about showing up for yourself and your creativity like you would a dear friend.
One of the most common challenges I hear from people doing The Artist’s Way is actually committing to and doing the Artist Date. I think this is for two main reasons. The first being: it’s surprisingly hard to keep plans with ourselves. We show up for others, but when it’s just us, things get moved around, postponed, or dropped altogether. On top of that, there’s often a financial barrier—when we think “date,” we might also think “spending.”
So in the spirit of removing friction (and this being a much requested topic from some Club Artist’s Way members), I’ve compiled a list of some favorite free Artist Date ideas. Additionally, I’m including a few personal notes of how I have put these suggestions into practice.
Take a walk in nature and note the interesting leaves, stones, or flowers that catch your eye.
*I love a visit to the Theodore Payne Foundation grounds here in LA, they are a non-profit organization founded to promote the preservation of California native plants. You can visit the grounds, take tours, and also shop at their nursery (this last part is not free but is worth the mention).
*Another fave is the Descanso Gardens which offers free admission on the third Tuesday of each month.
Visit a local library or bookstore and spend an hour exploring a section you don’t usually visit—or, attend a book talk.*My local bookstore, Skylight Books, has a monthly calendar of free book talks.
Photo adventure at Quarton Lake in Birmingham, MI Have a photography adventure in your neighborhood, use your phone to capture what catches your eye from little details to landscapes.
Take yourself to a fun location to sketch or doodle, letting the environment inspire you.
*Planning to do this at the Silver Lake Reservoir next week.
Write a short story or poem just for fun.
Explore a free, new-to-you museum, exhibit, or art gallery in your city.
*For my fellow LA residents, here’s a list of the free days for many of our local museums.
Create a vision board or mood board using Pinterest or old magazines, newspapers, and other recycled materials.
* Big fan of this practice
Have a DIY craft night at home using materials you already have.
*If you’re one who usually has music, a podcast, or the TV on in the background, I recommend trying this type of Artist Date in silence (and vice versa if your tendency is the other way around). All this to say, gently stepping outside your comfort zone is a core tenant of this practice as a whole.
Been deep into a Madonna catalog revisit lately Listen to a new genre of music or a new-to-you artist while taking a walk on a new route, alternatively revisit an all time favorite album that you haven’t listened to in years.
Find (and participate in) a random class/tutorial on YouTube.
*I’ve discovered some amazing meditation, stretching, and rebounder videos on YouTube through this prompt that I end up returning to time and time again.
As I wrap up this list, I want to add one more piece of encouragement: if diving into solo Artist Dates feels daunting at first, try starting out with a friend. Share a creative adventure together to get comfortable with the practice, and then gradually ease into going solo. The most important thing is to do something creative, a little out of the ordinary, and just for you. Over time, you’ll find that these moments of play and exploration will become second nature.
And now for a pivot into my own persinal bi-weekly Artist Date, Too Niche? and its most recent episode. My dear friend, wellness expert (and former Club Artist’s Way member), Kelsey Patel, joined me to have a very specific conversation around her appearance on season 6 of Vanderpump Rules. Coined the “Reiki Master,” this one act of saying yes to an opportunity to appear on a reality show (that she admittedly knew very little about), turned into a wild ride into the Bravo-verse—met with fan discourse, meme-ification, and surprise, surprise…alot online cruelty.
It’s the first time she’s ever spoken about this rather niche situation publically, and I felt honored that she agreed to let me go full Barbara Walters for my most hard hitting episode of Too Niche? yet.
For my fellow Pumpheads, I’ll leave you with this playlist I’ve compiled consisting of all of the VPR related Too Niche? episodes to date.
This post is sponsored by my friends at OSEA. I have a long term seasonal obsession with their Undaria Algae Body Oil, it’s my go-to for summer. Use code NICHE for 10% off at oseamalibu.com.
Love these suggestions! I recently started listening to Lana Del Rey again and found out her birthday is coming up soon. Even though her music is a little sad, it has always pushed me to feel my emotions (or at least the taboo ones) and feel inspired to express myself creatively. Can we get a paid version of artist date ideas? Like does a facial count as an artist date haha