The Biggest Lesson I Learned from 52 Artist Dates
Artist Date #52
If you’ve liked this Artist Date series but haven’t subscribed to Set Your Muse on Fire! yet, you can do so here to get access to all my posts on writing and the creative life:
I wanted to do something fun and different for my final Artist Date in this series. I had a whole list of activities I could pick from.
But then… the whole last-weekend-before-Christmas thing happened. Last-minute shopping. Wrapping presents. Grocery shopping. Helping my aunt get ready for Christmas. And what I really needed to get done was…
Baking.
I know I’ve done baking as an Artist Date several times. As I mentioned, I really wanted to do something different. But I’m hosting a Christmas Day family coffee/tea and cookie party at my place, and I have cookie gift boxes to put together, and we need Christmas Eve dessert, so - baking it was. I put on the Christmas music and went to town:
My final tally:
Gingerdoodles (a cross between gingerbread cookies and snickerdoodle)
Orange-Cranberry-Pecan-White Chocolate Drops (so much better than I thought they would be)
Chocolate Mint Oreo Truffles (made ultra-decadent by using Trader Joe’s chocolate covered peppermint Joe-Joes as the base)
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
My favorite Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs recipe, which has a hint of almond
Plus, leftover pecan pie bars from Thanksgiving (they’ve been in the freezer, they’ll still be delicious)
This year, I told myself, I’ll at least learn how to decorate my cut-out cookies with royal icing. Nope, going with my old standby of buttercream frosting. It isn’t as pretty but has color, and lends a richer flavor to the cookies. Maybe royal icing will be an Artist Date next year.
I loved everything I made except for the Gingerdoodles. I think a different recipe would work; this one tastes a little dry and sandy.
I opted not to go for a big “showstopper” dessert this year. I’ll make popovers for Christmas morning. I like the idea of having something a little less sweet.
So, that’s a wrap on my 52 Artist Dates. Did I do them in a year? No. Will I 52 next year? Also no. I will plan to do at least one per month, though.
To me, the biggest lesson that Artist Dates give us is intentional presence.
An Artist Date is something you plan. You deliberately have that experience. You set aside time for it. You pay attention to what’s happening. The sights, sounds, smells, taste, feel of it. What emotions it brings up in you. What thoughts you have about it.
An Artist Date is something that connects you with your inner self. It may challenge you by being something you’ve never experienced before, or it may be an old favorite activity that evokes feelings of comfort or warmth.
It’s not just another thing to tick off the list, but a chance to step out of the daily race of “busyness” and appreciate what you’re doing, seeing, feeling in that moment.
Whether you’re doing something creative yourself, or appreciating other people’s creativity, doesn’t matter. It still feeds your creative soul in some way. What matters is that you are deliberately making the space in your life to say, “this matters to me.” To stay connected with that ineffable part of you beyond ego. Reveling in the presence of this very moment. It’s creative meditation, without the crippling judgement that can affect our “real” creative work.
And that is worth doing, however many times a year you can do it.
(Have you made your list of Artist Dates for 2026 yet? If not, you may want to take some time this coming weekend and write down some ideas to make the most of next year).