"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, I loafe and invite my soul....." - Walt Whitman

I love the above quote for it's simplicity.  Mr. Whitman seems like a merry ole'  soul who was comfortable in his own skin.  I'm only guessing, since I don't know him personally, but I think if I were to meet him, there would be a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step, and I'd instantly want to be his friend.

As I've come to know him through his poetry and prose, I've deduced that he enjoyed being alone with himself and the grand outdoors.  Not always, since I can tell he loved people too.  But he loved to take little excursions, noticing the song of the Rolling Earth, or the Open Road, or in America Singing...

Perhaps Mr. Whitman knew the secret to something I've just recently discovered for myself.  A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon a tool that has helped facilitate my song writing.  Julia Cameron writes about the idea in her book, The Artist's Way.  It's called the Artist Date.   It is most easily defined as a solo excursion that allows me to make my heart light and my spirit sing.  Sound weird?  I'll try to explain a little more.

What do I do for an artist date?   I go see a movie, I browse a used book store, I go for a walk by the duck pond, I hike for leisure verses exercise, I pet the neighbor's horses and feed them some apples,  I go to Starbuck's and order a hazlenut steamer with lots of whipped cream (and give myself a white mustache, trying to keep a straight face as I make small talk with a stranger who looks like he could use a smile,)  I go to a concert, or I take a yoga class, and the list goes on and on...... the point being, to have some fun by myself.  It usually only takes two hours of time to invest each week.  If I rationalize and put off the artist date, I can get pretty frazzled.

I've noticed at my concerts, there's always one or more ladies who want to talk to me after the show.  A common question I'm asked is, "How do you find time to write songs and be a mom and do all you do?" My answer is something to the tune of this: It's so easy to become too busy to carve out some time and nurture our imaginations, pay attention to our inner artist.  If I get too serious about things, then I need to reconsider my personal priorities.  As I listen to my authentic self, I notice there will be more to give to my loved ones.  The Artist Date is a tool I've found to replenish my well.

For a long time my guitar lay buried under my bed, waiting for the resurrection, or for that perfect...... "Let there be all the time in the world......" moment when I could sit down and teach myself a new instrument.   A couple of years ago I realized the elusive "perfect time" wasn't going to present itself unless I made it happen.   I'm so thankful I listened! It's frivolous, superfluous, rediculous, and ludicrous.   Suspicious, unjudicious........ hmmmmm, sounds like a song I know.........  But the truth is, it's not frivolous.  It's an essential gift you can give to yourself to help your creative dreams take flight.