Autumn Artist's Date

I think many people are now familiar with the idea of an "Artist Date" as originally outlined in The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron. I'm a firm believer in this concept of taking regular time out to create space for inspiration and new ideas. Thus, I recently had an extended artist's date on the East Coast.  I first attended an art and yoga retreat hosted by Kimberly Wilson out in the woods of West Virginia. We did yoga outside in the crisp autumn air, collaged what we'd like to see manifest in our lives in the upcoming months, and generally relaxed away from the hustle and bustle of city life. After the retreat, I drove back into Baltimore and caught the train to New York City. My trip included a ballet class at the Broadway Dance Center, visiting MoMA, a ticket to Avenue Q, meandering through Central Park, treating myself to afternoon tea, studying belly dance with Kaeshi Chai of Bellyqueen, a Jake Gyllenhaal sighting while dining at Balthazar, pursuing the 18 miles of books at the Strand, and generally eating and drinking my way through the city. I'm returned to Seattle now and feeling relaxed and renewed for the holiday season ahead, and wanted to share a few pictorial highlights of my trip.

Even if your schedule or budget doesn't allow for an extended Artist's Date such as my own, I highly recommend taking at least an hour out of your schedule to nurture yourself. Head to an art gallery or a coffee shop, or just generate some white space in your own home to disconnect from the outside and reconnect with your inner guide.

 Van Gogh's The Starry Night at MoMA.

A romantic balcony nestled in the middle of the city.

Enjoying a walk through Central Park.

The Bow Bridge in Central Park.

Afternoon tea at Alice's Tea Cup.

Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror at MoMA.

The Central Park lake and surrounding foliage.

Doing yoga in the woods of West Virginia.

Brownstones on the upper west side.

 

Myself and Kimberly Wilson at the cabin that was our retreat headquarters.