How do you fill your creative well? According to Julia Cameron, author of the best selling book, The Artist’s Way, “Art is an image-using system. In order to create, we draw from our inner well. This inner well, an artistic reservoir, is ideally, like a well-stocked trout pond. We’ve got big fish, little fish, fat fish, skinny fish – an abundance of artistic fish to fry. As artists, we must realize that we have to maintain this artistic ecosystem. If we don’t give some attention to upkeep, our well is apt to become depleted, stagnant, or blocked,” Filling our creative well means that we are constantly replenishing it with creative images. One of the ways to do this is by taking yourself on an Artist Date once a week. What is an Artist Date? In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron describes it as “a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.” Artist Dates are done alone spending time with your inner child, your creative spirit, your imagination. Time spent in solitude is key to nurturing your artist child. When planning an Artist Date, think magic, mystery, fun, adventure, exploration, curiosity. Think of yourself as an explorer setting out on an adventure to unexplored lands. What will you see, hear, taste, touch and smell? Engage as many of your senses as possible to make this a sensory experience. Filling your creative well requires repetition. There are a plethora of activities which can fill your well. Cooking, needlework, writing, doodling, painting, gardening, quilting, walking, swimming and the list goes on. Focused attention is key to filling your creative well, so keep feeding it images on a daily basis. What about you? How do you fill your Creative Well?

Filling Your Creative Well
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