If you’ve been following me on social media, then you know that I’ve been working my way through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I started my 6th week yesterday.
Every week I’m supposed to do what’s called an “Artist’s Date”. This is basically a couple of hours where I take my artist (the writer in me) on a date and do something just for me. I’m not allowed to take anyone with me and I’m not allowed to “work” during these dates (meaning no writing/editing or reading my writing to other people). It’s purely for enjoyment. I will probably recap my entire experience with The Artist’s Way once I’m done with the 12-week program, but for now I’m just going to recap Saturday’s experience.
During my 4th week I was supposed to go on an “Extended” Artist’s Date. This is where you take a full day (instead of just a couple hours) to do fun things. I didn’t realize I was supposed to do it until it was too late to do it on Sunday and I have no time to do it during the week because of work. On the following Saturday, we were spending time with my stepdaughter and that time is really precious to me so I wasn’t going to skip it. I decided to modify the plan a bit and push it back a week. That meant that Saturday (during my 5th week), I had an extended Artist’s Date.
I started out the day by going to the Butler Institute of American Art. I’ve heard amazing things about this museum but have never been there myself and have always wanted to go. More on this to come. Although I spent about 2 hours in the museum, I cut my perusal short because I wanted to make it to the 2:00 show at the Ward Beecher Planetarium. After a trip through the stars that extended to the universe, I took myself out for what I like to call “Lunner” (a meal kind of between lunch and dinner). Then I headed over to the theater to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home in 3D…in Luxury Loungers of course! In total I was gone for about 10 hours.
In all honesty, I could have come home at about the 6-hour mark (shortly after I finished eating), but I had already paid for the movie ticket, popcorn, and drink, so I went. I’m one of those people…I missed my husband. Weekends are usually our time to spend together and I just plain old missed him. Not to mention I’d already seen the movie (just not in 3D). I just couldn’t find any other movies I wanted to see and it was worth seeing again so I went with it as something to fill the rest of the day. Loved seeing my favorite Spider-Man again (for those of you who know, you know 😉…I hope.)
Below are some highlights from each stop.
Butler Institute of American Art
I cannot emphasize enough that if you are in town and have time, you need to visit this place!! There is so much to see and so many amazing artists on display! It’s phenomenal how photorealistic artists can paint. I didn’t capture the most realistic pieces because I was mostly capturing the pieces that I will use in the future to inspire stories or characters, but damn if there weren’t some paintings that made me do a double-take because I thought they were blown up photographs. I’m definitely going back for other Artist’s Dates and no, I am not including all of my pictures here. That would be way too many.
I would love to say this was the 1st piece I saw and also my favorite. But in reality, it was the 3rd (but it IS my favorite). The faces of the models are haunting to me. Their eyes say so much.
At first I thought this installation (forgive me if it’s not considered an installation. I took a drawing class in middle school and that’s as far as I got with art) wasn’t very interesting, but then I looked closer. The more I looked, the more intrigued I became. Inspiration began to strike. I began snapping photos.
Legit started to ask this guy a question before realizing he wasn’t real. I think the mask really sells it. 😂
I am in LOVE with this painting. From the colors to the forms to the expressions to the guy with the glasses. I’m intrigued. I have questions. I want to write the answers.
Inspiration for the twins in The Shining maybe?
I honestly don’t even remember hearing the sounds of this room until I actually looked at the first machine. I was so transfixed by the artwork in the gallery before this room that I completely blocked out the noise.
There is an exhibit dedicated to the West. It’s such a beautiful exhibit. I hope it continues to grow and that people have the same experience viewing the art as I did.
Ward Beecher Planetarium
Not much to show for this excursion because we’re obviously not allowed to use cameras during the show, but they displayed some cute riddles and facts while we waited. It was cool learning what to look for in tonight’s wintery sky and that the North Star is NOT the brightest star in our sky (the brightest star is actually Sirius). We also watched an animated film called Beyond The Sun that talked about exoplanets and the search for other habitable planets outside our solar system.
Lunner
I enjoyed an Old Fashioned and The Tender Bar while I ate (along with a short conversation with an older gentleman about the decline of paper books and he encouraged me to continue reading them before he left).
Spider-Man: No Way Home 3D
Great movie. Second time seeing it. Recommend it, but only if you’ve seen all the other Spider-Man and MCU movies. Pretty sure the little kids in the theater did not get the majority of the references in the film, but hopefully they still enjoyed it.
Home
Finally coming home to this happy face jumping up to give me hugs and kisses.
Love it! What a day. I would have been BEAT! I went to the Butler for the first time in October and was so impressed. Such a range of years and styles. The sound exhibit wasn’t there when I went–fun. Yes, a jewel of a museum, and just as pretty on the outside as in.
I was beat. No doubt about that! I can’t remember if I’m tasked with doing another one in the 12-week period, but if I am, it will definitely be much shorter than this one. 😆
[…] You can read about my Extended Artist’s Date here. […]