When was the last time you did something just for you? A creativity date, inspired by Julia Cameron’s “artist date”, is time that you intentionally set aside for a solo adventure, doing something that interests or excites you. Unlike a night out with friends or a traditional date, there are no compromises required; you and you alone choose what you want to do!
A creativity date is a wonderful way to engage in self-care and have some time to yourself, while also bringing life back into your business.
During this “creative” time, you give the logical side of your brain a break from paperwork and routine and provide the opportunity for yourself to react and think more spontaneously. Oftentimes our best, most innovative ideas arise when we are doing things we love or stimulating new parts of our brain; not when we are feeling the pressure to create or deliver something specific.
Regardless of what activity you choose, there are two key things to remember:
- Be fully present on your creativity date– take in every aspect of the activity you choose with all your senses;
- Release expectations – let go of any pre-conceived idea you may have about the activity you are about to engage in, and be open to how the experience may unfold for you.
Here are a few creative date ideas you can try or use as inspiration to come up with some ideas of your own:
- Purchase art supplies and a canvas and re-create your favourite painting; focus on the process not the outcome
- Take a walk-in nature (choose somewhere you haven’t been in a while or somewhere completely new to you); if you can, allow yourself to wander freely without a map and see where your intuition takes you
- Try a new type of cuisine; either make it yourself or find a restaurant and indulge in the flavours and aromas that accompany this new experience
- Volunteer for a local event or organization
- Pack your favourite foods, head to the park and find a quiet space to have a mindful picnic
- Attend a local concert or theatre production
- Wake up early to watch the sunrise
- Take a drop-in class for something you have always wanted to try (e.g., yoga, dance, crafting, cooking, etc.)
- Go to a coffee shop and observe what’s happening around you as you enjoy your beverage
There are so many other ways you can spend your day, find an activity that excites you!
Afterwards, I highly encourage you to take some time to journal about your creativity date. This will help you to further reflect on the experience and capture the inspirational moments for future use.
Planning a creativity date with yourself once a month can be a great way to ensure that you are always bringing something new and fresh to your business. Once you see the benefits, you may just want to make this a regular part of your weekly routine.
Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”
-Bruce Garrabrandt
Danielle D’Souza is a yoga and meditation teacher focused on helping women bring more self-love into their life through movement, meditation, and mindfulness. She is the host of Release and Restore – Guided Meditations and also recently launched Yoga and Mindfulness for Stress Release a Facebook community for women to free themselves from stress, improve self confidence and find more joy. You can find out more about Danielle and her company Yes and Yoga by visiting her website www.yesandyoga.com
Looking for guest contributor opportunities? Please email me at: catherine@catherinenikkel.com with a brief introduction to who you are and, how your topic of expertise relates to Mindful Media.
