Julia Cameron Is Right About The Power of Artist Dates To Enchant and Inspire Us

And her definition of an artist date and what she did for one of hers shocked me

Photo credit: Wendi Gordon. “Swing Me Higher” sculpture by Dominic Benhura.

I was shocked to learn that Julia Cameron (author of The Artist’s Way) went to a bird store and “met with finches, cockatiels, lovebirds and parrots of all sizes, colors and descriptions” on one of her artist dates.

I had assumed that “artist dates” were visits to art galleries, museums, or paint your own pottery places. Each of those is indeed an artist date, but according to Julia so is any “expedition to explore something that enchants or interests” you. That opens up a whole new world of possibilities; she mentions trips to children’s bookstores or flower shops.

My artist dates are often visits to outdoor art exhibits that feature sculptures of animals or to parks where I can watch and photograph live animals.

The photo above is from my visit to Houston’s Botanic Garden. The purpose of my expedition was to see two special exhibits. The first was ZimSculpt, an incredible collection of stone sculptures hand-carved by Zimbabwean artists. In addition to huge sculptures like the one pictured above, there were smaller ones for sale on tables.

An added bonus was the presence of two sculptors on site; I got to watch one of them work on a new creation.

And I was happy to learn that the sculptures “are bought directly from the artists in Zimbabwe. The money from their sculptures pays their rent, food and … goes a long way in their local communities.”

Photo credit: Wendi Gordon. Stone sculptures hand-carved by Zimbabwean artists.

The other exhibit I was eager to see at the botanic garden was “Glass in Flight,” giant steel and colored glass insect sculptures by Tucson artist Alex Heveri. As she says, “There’s nothing like coming eye-to-eye with huge, happy bees and zooming dragonflies and massive, colorful butterflies that brings those creatures into focus for people in a wonderful way.”

As wonderful as those art exhibits were, though, I still prefer to admire nature’s art. I love to watch the herons and bunnies at a local park, along with the gorgeous sunsets and flowers. And when we lived on Maui the undersea world was my playground. I snorkeled near sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and other awesome marine animals.

Many of my best photos from both places are included in my “Nature + Nurture” ebook. I was ecstatic to read health writer Maggie Aime’s recent description of it:

It’s a beautiful piece of work that combines Wendi’s gorgeous nature photos (she’s a skilled photographer, too!!) with wisdom inspired by the great outdoors.

… A bold reminder to shed that suffocating mold of conformity. Chase authenticity. Let your true, unapologetic self shine, quirks and all ('cause we all have them).

… So, join me, and let's show Wendi some love and support for her groundbreaking work. It’s that good!

I’m a fan! Bravo, Wendi!

Of course, I couldn’t fit all of my favorite photos in the book, and I’ve taken more since I published it. Here are a few from the last few days that I especially like and think you will, too:

As you can see, leaves in Texas don’t wait until fall to change colors. They seem to change whenever they think the time is right! I photographed these a few days ago, but have seen others in January and other months.

I’m sure there’s a scientific explanation for why the leaves here change colors at various times. But I prefer to think they’re just rebels who refuse to conform to others’ expectations. I like the idea that they choose to do what’s best for them and don’t care what anyone else thinks!

I want to do what’s best for me and not care what others think. You probably do, too.

I’ve started to, and it’s liberating. It’s also scary as hell. The cultural values that I consider toxic are seen as normal, if not admirable, by most people. My society measures success in terms of wealth and professional achievements; by those standards I’m not very successful.

I consciously reject those standards and believe that things like how we treat other people are far more accurate and important ways to measure success.

But I also feel the pressure to do what most people do: get jobs they hate but tolerate in exchange for health insurance, the illusion of a “guaranteed” income, and the hope that they’ll eventually be able to retire and do the things they wish they could do now.

I’m not willing to do that. I’ve tried to, more than once, so I know that kind of life doesn’t work for me.

Can you relate? Both in person and online, I’ve met many people who recognize how unhealthy our culture’s obsession with wealth and productivity is. We know there’s a better way to live; other countries (and the number of U.S. citizens moving to them) are proof of that.

Let’s figure out ways to make life better here, not just for us but for everyone who will live here after we’re gone. And artist dates may provide the inspiration we need to come up with ideas about how to do that. If nothing else, they’ll provide a welcome respite from the bad news and an escape into a world of beauty.

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