Artist date #1

Beauty isn’t something we can put off, defund, or ignore. It’s a necessity. It sustains our spirit. It keeps us alive when everything around us is crumbling.

I first read Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” several years ago. Honestly, her work is confrontational. Both tough love and eternal cheerleader, Julia encourages blocked creatives to do at minimum two things. 1) Write three pages of free-flowing, unedited journal entries every morning, and 2) Go on one artist date per week. 

I soon got the hang of the morning pages but have always struggled with artist dates (even though I have a whole list of ideas in my “Notes” app). With the holidays in full-swing and me playing hostess to seven adults, one baby, and three dogs in my home for a week (why not throw in a partridge in a pear tree?) I decided I desperately needed an artist date. Already feeling low energy, I’m slowly learning to refill my cup before it’s empty. 

Hubby agreed to watch little one for a few hours and I made a hasty plan before I could change my mind or start cleaning the house, instead.

Here’s how my date went.

First, I stopped by Artist & Craftsman Supply to pick up a gift certificate for a friend. It wasn’t technically part of my date but I allowed it since it was for another artist’s benefit. Plus, I saw this cool mural next door. 

Next, I went a little bit out of my way to check out Blackhole Bakery, on my list to try for a while. I picked out an apricot and pistachio pastry, grabbed an extra one for hubs, and a coffee to go. Next door, I made note of Willa’s Books- KC’s largest collection of African-American books and vintage vinyl, and Reggae Kitchen, adding them to my list for future dates.  

From there, I headed toward the Nelson Atkins museum, which I hadn’t visited since before the pandemic. (It’s always free but until January, they still require online reservations to allow for social distancing). I only had about an hour left, so I focused on the European art collection, revisiting some of my favorite artists.