February 01, 2015

Artist’s Date by Sandi Somers


“Any extended period or piece of work draws heavily on our artistic well. Over-tapping the well, like overfishing the pond, leaves us with diminished resources.” So writes Julia Cameron, who says that the way to fill our artistic well is to go on a weekly “Artist’s Date” which will stimulate our senses and feed the artist in us. We must go to a movie, a play, an art museum, the library, the park, the beach—anywhere that will recharge, energize and inspire us.

Prompt: Do you have “artist’s dates”? Do you have a regular system for becoming recharged for your writing?

Oxygen to My Spirit

This last November, my mission trip to Bolivia took extra twists and turns. Due to luggage that got left behind, two of us had to wait in La Paz for several days for our luggage to arrive. On one of the days, we travelled to the beautiful Lake Titicaca, the highest freshwater lake in the world.

Now La Paz and Lake Titicaca are at altitudes of over 4,000 m (13,000 feet).  I experienced for the first time what it was like to live with a diminished supply of oxygen.

As soon as we stepped out of the plane at La Paz, we had to breathe harder to get enough oxygen in our system. The next morning, I forgot about the rarified air and walked up four flights in our hotel. Suddenly I was puffing hard and my heart was pounding. When we walked up the hilly streets of La Paz, I had to stop frequently to catch my breath; I felt more depleted than I had on a strenuous hike in our Rocky Mountains.

Exertion in La Paz was much harder on my system than at lower altitudes.

There’s a meaning here for our writing life. Sometimes our writing can leave us with a diminished supply of ideas and creativity. Our ideas don’t flow as easily. It’s harder to write.

We need life-giving oxygen to our spirits.

For several years now, my weekly artist’s dates have provided that oxygen of sensory impressions and relational experiences. Although I have a variety of “dates,” my most common ones include:


  • Browsing through quilting shops. As I browse through the fabrics and explore colours and designs, brush my fingers along the textures of fabrics and absorb the displays of finished quilts, I breathe in rich oxygen of beauty and ideas for my own quilting.
  •  Visiting my brother’s farm. I participate in seasonal changes of seeding, growing and harvesting times. I watch or help with cattle needs. As I work in the flower beds, I absorb the country air and the grand view of fields and neighbouring farm sites. I breathe in the oxygen of connection with my brother and an alternate lifestyle to my city living.
  • Connecting with other people. Because I live alone, people times are important artist’s dates. A family gathering or a special lunch with friends, or a walk along the Bow River with my friend Jeanie and her dog Dallas, all fill me with the oxygen of relationship and a knowledge of how God is working in other people’s lives.
  • Absorbing nature. I watch majestic sunrises on my morning walks, catch sight of mountains as I drive along Calgary’s streets, listen to a vesper sparrow as I walk along a country road in the evening or revel in the grandeur of the mountains on a hike.  The language of landscape flows into me and fills my spirit with the oxygen of God and His creation.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us your experience with artist’s dates.

13 comments:

  1. Do I have Artist's Dates? I've never thought about it before. When do I get recharged? Walking the dog in our Millcreek Ravine trails is one place. Another, not quite so poetic, is driving to work in the early morning hours. The roads are empty, soft music on the radio, and my mind is free to let go of concentrated thought and, as you say, take in Oxygen! I'm going to have to be more conscious of this. Great post, Sandi.

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  2. Such an important thing to do. I connected with the quilt shop example

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  3. I really appreciate your post Sandi. It reminds me of the need for self-care as we tend to our own emotional and spiritual health. A few years ago I experienced "burnout" as a result of neglecting myself. I love your expression of
    Artist's Dates". There is a water body near where I live. all I have to do is walk across the highway and I can watch eagles, ducks and geese. I can view the surrounding mountains and wonder at the creation around me. I guess my walks are an example of an artist date. Thank you so much for this life-giving reminder. This post in itself is an inspiration!

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  4. You have eloquently described our need to breathe in AND out both for our physical bodies and our writing. An important aspect, for sure, that I suspect most of us tend to neglect. Shallow breathing is just not healthy. I look forward to this month's posts, to find new ideas to oxygenate my creative soul. Great start to this topic, Sandi!

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  5. Thank you for your thoughtful and inspiring comments. They've challenged me to look for moments, not just hours, to breathe in fresh oxygen and rejuvenate my spirit.

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  6. This is a great idea, Sandi. I don't intentionally take artist dates, but I do feel refreshed after having spent time with my grandson :) , reading my bible, exercising, and time spent at the farm in the quietness and solitude. However, I will have to grab a couple writer friends an plan an artist date with them.
    Thanks for the idea!
    Pam

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  7. Breathing in, breathing out ... how important oxygen is to our mind, body and soul. Thanks for the words.

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  8. Breathing in, breathing out ... how important oxygen is to our mind, body and soul. Thanks for the words.

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  9. Sandi,
    I like your usage of metaphor: diminished oxygen, diminished creativity. Yes, we do need life-giving oxygen to rejuvenate our spirits. The idea of an artist date sounds wonderful. I will have to think about this one.

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  10. Sandi, I enjoyed all your descriptions--of Bolivia (I felt out of breath just reading about it!) and your visits to various scenic and inspiring places in town. The Bow River? I'm about a block or 2 away from the Bow River. We'll have to do that together sometime! Here's to breathing the oxygen with you :)

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  11. Thanks again, Sandi, for setting the stage for the new blog topic. You make us aware of how life-giving, how breath-taking, and how necessary writing dates are for our souls, our sanity, our bodies, and our writing.

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  12. Thanks again, Sandi, for setting the stage for the new blog topic. You make us aware of how life-giving, how breath-taking, and how necessary writing dates are for our souls, our sanity, our bodies, and our writing.

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