Today I want to share some ideas and inspiration for Fair Weather Artist Date Ideas.
A while back, I shared Forty Artist Date Ideas and it’s a well visited post on this blog. So I thought it was about time I come up with some more! Here are some new Fair Weather Artist Date Ideas. (I have also shared some Cozy Artist Date Ideas for when the weather isn’t so fair!)
What is an Artist Date?
The idea of an Artist Date is from a book by Julia Cameron called The Artist’s Way. I’ve blogged about the book HERE.
Here’s what Julia Cameron has to say about Artist Dates:
“The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic” —think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration. When choosing an Artist Date, it is good to ask yourself, “what sounds fun?” — and then allow yourself to try it.”
Twenty Fair Weather Artist Date Ideas
- Beach-combing – look for shark teeth, seas glass, shells, crabs, sea pottery, seaweed and other ocean treasure. Bonus points for finding a message in a bottle!
- Forest-bathing – get out amongst the trees, hug them, gaze up at them and breathe in all the beautiful oxygen they produce
- Lay on the grass and make up stories about the shapes in the clouds
- Build sandcastles
- Draw pictures and messages in the sand
- Build a cairn ( a man-made stack of stones) – how high can you go? I find this really meditative.
- Buy an ice-cream or ice-lolly you remember from childhood (ideally from an ice-cream van that you chased down the street!) and enjoy it
- Rent a boat, canoe or pedalo (this may be easier with a friend!)
- Attend an outdoor concert or movie
- Send a postcard to yourself from a distant land (or the next town!)
- Stop everything to listen to the dawn or twilight chorus
- Take art outside – drawing, watercolours, poetry – the addition of a breeze, fresh air and insects may have interesting results!
- Visit an open garden or somewhere not always open to the public (my county has a special weekend where places are opened up and you can apply for tickets)
- Play or practice a summer sport – tennis, boules etc
- Create a summer nature journal documenting (drawing or photos and words) flora and fauna you have encountered
- Create a garden ornament or a place for wildlife (e.g. bug house or bird house)
- Try tie-dye or another fabric dying project (it’s good to do this outside in buckets)
- Sit on a bench in the park and watch the world go by. What inspires you?
- Try your hand at cocktail or mocktail making – remember the gaudy accessories! (& enjoy your drink in the sunshine)
- Create a fairy/miniature garden to tend – let your imagination go wild.
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I’ve fallen out the habit of regularly scheduling artist dates lately but coming up with this list has motivated me to get back into weekly whimsical dates with myself!
Do any of these ideas inspire you? I’d love to hear your own ideas for outdoors and Fair Weather Artist Dates.