Artist's Dates

Romance ii (ii of ii ) dyptic

Emerging Series

(c) Deb Chaney 2006

36 x 24 x 1 1/2 " Mixed Media & acrylics on canvas

The original paintings (there are 2) are available, and for view at

Java Station Coffee House in Santa Barbara, CA

Feng Shui Recommendation: This painting supports love, relationships and marriage. Place the original or its image in the back right hand corner of your room or home to further support this area of your life.

Something that really surprised, actually pretty much shocked me, when I interviewed artist and illustrator Brandy Masch was the she had ever heard of an artist's date. We were sitting on her studio floor chit chatting about this and that and I casually asked her what she liked to do for artist dates and she said "what's that?" So, Brandy, and all other artist that have not heard of this term, here it is the official Artist Date blog! Artist's dates explained, 101. :)

An artist date, by my definition is a scheduled date with yourself and yourself alone (no boyfriends, husbands, buddies, kids or anyone is allowed to be with you for this time!) where you have SCHEDULED time to do something that nurtures your inner creative spirit. An activity or non- activity that in essence fills and recharges your creative well.

This term comes from Julia Cameron's The Artist Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity and as part of a world wide following of a way to life that nurtures the healthy co-existing of living and making art. A way that recognizes we are spiritual beings and not just human do-ers.

If my mother was here over my shoulder while I type this, and thank you God she is not, she would say in her way that I could live in a perpetual artist date mode myself - alone, doing things that nourish myself and my soul. And at this point in my life I'd rather agree.

I crave time alone to play and be and have fun and certainly have found the balance and demands of work, single parenting, family and making art to take its toll on my emotionally. But that fact is that in our fast paced society I believe we all need time out, time to breathe and play and be. Time to remember that being happy comes from connecting within and that when we stop all the mindless doing and go to the place and re-connect we get back to our wholeness and become happier more peaceful beings. I wish my mother would go on an artist date. For her and for the rest of us who have to be around her when she has not taken time out to care for herself!

The concept of the Artist's Date is that we plan for it once a week and it serves as a sort of preventative medicine, if you like, to prevent us from reaching that point of break down we sometimes do when we are trying to 'do' it all.

So, what would I consider an artist date? Always with myself... A long beach walk, making crafts ( I'm currently addicted to making Artist Trading Cards), getting my nails done, a long bath with epsom salts and lavender, going and getting a massage, visiting a museum or gallery, seeing a movie, going to a coffee shop and hanging out - writing, sketching, sitting, sitting and journalling - collaging & free writing, people watching, lying in the sun, meditating, yoga class, visiting a book store, a nice long nap, window shopping, going for a bike ride...

If you have ever caught a glimpse of my "Breathing space" blog posts ( photos I've taken in nature) these are from artist's dates!

Bottom line on your artist date is this:

schedule it,

write it down

and go and do it!

Because it'll never be urgent but it sure is important.

I'd love to hear about you artist's dates...please do leave your comments.