You don't have to be an artist, but you should definitely go on an 'Artist Date' [The Artist's Way]

In this post, I would like to introduce the content of the famous book "The Artist's Way" and share my own personal method for practicing it.

Along with the "Zero-Second Thinking" I mentioned the other day, practicing this is exactly what allowed me to dig up the things I truly wanted to do that I had almost forgotten.
Furthermore, as a result, it also led to work in the fields I wanted to pursue.

If I only gave you the conclusion, it might sound a bit suspicious, so I will explain it step by step.

By the way, if you are curious about "Zero-Second Thinking" and wondering what it's actually like, I recommend checking this out as well!

0. A Review of the Book

It is a book about fulfilling forgotten dreams using two main methods: "Morning Pages" and "Artist Dates".
A sequel titled "Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity" has also been released.

Morning Pages is a habit of writing down thoughts, ideas, things you want to do, and the person you want to become in an A4 notebook every morning, which helps resolve worries and boosts self-esteem.

What I want to share in this note is about the other method, the "Artist Date".

1. Write down the things you want to do that aren't part of your daily routine

An Artist Date is described as going on an exciting field trip with the inner child inside you, but since that might not click, simply put, it means writing down exactly "the things you have always wanted to do".

By the way, since the original title of this book is "The Artist's Way," it is written more from an artist's perspective rather than being a book strictly about fulfilling dreams.
However, it became a bestseller with this Japanese title because it helps anyone, not just artists, focus on what they truly want to do.

However, thoughts that have sunk to the bottom of your heart, like "Oh, I remember I wanted to do that back then," can quickly become invisible when you are busy with daily life.
But the bottom is surprisingly shallow, and if you stir it up a little, you might find that they are easier to scoop up than you thought.

This has had a huge impact on me.

For example:
・Going to a Monet exhibition for my first museum visit
・Creating and starting new note and X accounts under the name Tomoshibi
・Buying Faber-Castell colored pencils
・Buying a sketchbook and trying outdoor sketching for the first time
・Participating in a tea ceremony experience (nodate) for the first time
・Going to a pottery festival for the first time
and so on, the list is endless.

However, even if I just say that, I think it might be hard to see how to apply it concretely, so from here on, I would like to introduce my own arranged method of application.

2. Zero-Second Thinking × Artist Date, occasionally with Morning Pages

The reason I've been mentioning 'Zero-Second Thinking' here and there is actually for this; I practice both Artist Dates and Morning Pages using A4 paper from Zero-Second Thinking.

In Zero-Second Thinking, I use A4 paper horizontally to organize problems and reflect, but if you use the same paper to write down what you're thinking, it also works for Morning Pages.

Also, the same goes for Artist Dates. At first, this term didn't quite click with me, so I renamed it 'Activity 10' and decided to regularly write down 10 things I want to do'. When you actually write them down, you notice various things, such as how the level of abstraction varies by genre or how to adjust so you don't lean too heavily into one category.

Don't just stop at writing down your wishes

Another point is to actually research them and increase the resolution to a realistic level. Thanks to this, I was able to learn about the Monet art exhibition. Or, when I thought about going to see Izumo Taisha, I was able to plan for it by checking how much the Sunrise Izumo train costs and how much I should save in total.

This part is what makes it different from just writing down desires.
It has personally become a very good habit, so if you're interested, please give it a try!
I'd also love to hear your thoughts after trying it!

👤 For those meeting me for the first time
　I share perspectives from my own experiences that help lighten feelings of unease.

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