Inviting yourself on a date

Last week I listened to the best selling author of 'The Artists Way', Julia Cameron giving her experience on how to access our creativity. When she first wrote her words of wisdom, she self-published the book and mailed out photocopied pages to her customers. This is a book that has sold over 2 million copies (no longer photocopied!) and been followed by many other best sellers and movie screenplays – so I took note of what she says.

She recommends three key tools to access your creativity:

1. Morning Pages - three pages of 'stream of consciousness' writing each day.

2. The Artist's Date - you take yourself off on a solo, fun date for an hour or two each week to do something that calls to you.

3. A Walk in Nature - a daily walk in a park or natural place.

I’m no fan of short days and dark evenings; so when we change the clocks, I feel myself dipping in energy, losing motivation and preparing to hibernate. If my creativity levels drop I know this affects the quality of my work, so I started doing Morning Pages again and increased my quota of walks in the woods near my home.

Julia warns us that taking time out for the Artist’s Date is the thing people are most reluctant to do, yet it’s what we need the most to fill our ‘creativity well’. Noticing my own reluctance, I booked my date with myself where another meeting had been cancelled. It felt self-indulgent when so many tasks called me to my desk.

On the recommendation of a friend, I set off to visit the tiny Watts chapel in the village of Compton, near Guildford. After all, I told myself, I could find somewhere quiet to do some book revisions. The autumn morning was spectacular and my walk through the quiet village took me past a small gallery, tea shop and horse stud farm. The views were peaceful and nourishing.

The unusual terracotta chapel was the contribution of George and Mary Watts, an enlightened pair of artists who designed and built it at their own expense. Dedicated supporters of the Arts and Crafts movement back in the 1890s, they epitomised the Victorian preoccupation with social improvement through creative enlightenment.

I opened the heavy, carved chapel door anticipating a gloomy and dusty interior. Instead I was hit by a kaleidoscope of soft reds, greens, blues and golds, which took my breath away. The stunning interior is modelled in gesso, felt dipped into plaster and glue. It’s an amazing mix of Art Nouveau, Celtic, Romanesque and Egyptian influences.

Mary Watts believed that anyone with an interest and enthusiasm could learn to produce beautiful decoration. She opened her home to everyone, regardless of social status, to learn clay modelling; welcoming the local farm boys as well as the Lady of the Manor. The decorations and clay tiles in the chapel were created by these novice students.

Passion for art exudes from every inch of the little chapel with its Tree of Life, flowers, birds and winged messengers. When the chapel was complete, her students were so adept at clay work that they went on to form a potters guild, which in turn became Compton Pottery which survived for 60 years after those first classes.

All of this was just 30 minutes drive from home. I returned enriched, energised, relaxed and inspired from my Artist’s Date, with another story about what can happen when you follow your sense of purpose as Mary Watts did. Our creativity depends on making space from which we get back to our core, our most confident selves.

In ‘Building Self-Confidence for Dummies’ we suggest that confidence is about taking action regardless of how uncomfortable you feel inside. Maybe you’ll need a dose of courage to make space for yourself. Trust me; the world won’t end without you. Try it for yourself this month; I’d love to hear what you do and how you get on – who knows where your space will take you.


Kate and Brinley