I started reading the Artist’s Way about 6 weeks ago. It’s a workbook to help you get in touch with your creativity. Each week has a different series of tasks to focus on. Every week, the author asks you to go on an “artist date”. It’s a very simple concept where you take yourself out on a little solo date. Explore a new part of town, go to a museum, take a writing class, etc. My reading of this book coincided with my new team at work doing Summer Friday’s where we stop working around 1pm every Friday during the summertime. This has led to some of my favorite outings and I feel so grateful to have this time for myself.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been able to go to The New York Transit Museum, The Morgan Library & Museum, as well as MOMA PS1. I’ve found that museums tend to be fairly empty (and sometimes free) on Friday afternoons in New York City. With every museum I go to, I try to walk around the neighborhood a little bit. I’ve been able to explore Brooklyn Heights, and Long Island City because of it.
Regardless of whether or not you do have the luxury of Summer Fridays, I’ve found that this concept of taking yourself out on a date is so calming and relaxing. I used to do it a lot more when I first moved to New York and I didn’t know a lot of people and the pandemic was still in full steam. I used to do it back in college when I had some free time and wanted to be by myself.
Recently, life has been moving really fast and I find that carving out intentional time to be by yourself, experiencing something you are interested in, is so valuable and fulfilling. These days, a lot of my alone time is spent scrolling on the internet, which can be calming, but I feel like it stifles any sort of creative thought in my head. There is something very powerful when you get to go out and experience something you really enjoy by yourself.
I don’t know how sustainable this practice is, but I am going to try to keep up my weekly Artist Dates. I hope I can inspire you to go spend some time by yourself doing something you really love.
