When you’re desperate for story inspiration, artist date ideas can help you step outside your comfort zone. This blog is all about stepping away from behind your desk and getting out into the world. But where exactly would you go? In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron claims that taking yourself on a weekly solo expedition is the best way to replenish your creative cup. For me, this has resulted in a constant motor of new novel ideas, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. I’m sharing 7 ways that helped me find endless story inspiration by taking myself on regular dates exploring.
1. Visit a prison (or any historical site)
The best artist date ideas are probably the ones you don’t even realise you’re on. I was just having a fun day out when the inspiration for my first book series came to me while I visited a historic prison that now functions as an escape room. And I didn’t see this coming at all. I already had a vague idea of a story premise and how my main character would interact with her villain, but it still had to fall into place.
The idea came to me when, in one of the cells, I noticed a prisoner had scribbled stripes on the wall to count each day. And I realised: being imprisoned must feel as if time stands still. It was in the simplicity of that thought that my entire story world took shape. For as long as I’ve been writing this book series, I keep visiting prisons all over the world. And every time, the well of novel ideas refills itself. It’s always in the little details that I make certain connections to a scene or a chapter I’m writing. Or a character detail that makes them feel more alive and real, grounded in reality. Of course, any historical site can be your potential artist date. There’s so much to discover in buildings and history.
2. Spend a day at the beach
When I was in Western Australia’s Broome last year, I pampered myself with a day at the beach, only I’d forgotten to bring a book, and without Wi-Fi too, I was forced to do absolutely nothing and just be. I went for a swim and jumped into the waves, and as I childishly had fun, a stream of ideas came to me. Thankfully, I still had my phone to rush to and jot down all the ideas.
3. Book a weekend away
Among my artist date ideas, you often find tips to book a trip. Because in my experience, different places unlock different parts of the brain. Australia has always had a specific way of immersing me in the land and story world of my dystopian fantasy series. But when I still lived a predictable life in the Netherlands, I made regular trips around Europe that always led to new ideas.
On a trip to Norway, I basically crafted the whole idea for this blog, and during a trip to London in 2019 to meet my writing bestie for the first time, I found the confidence to write the first chapter of my original. When you’re stuck, whether that’s on a chapter you’re writing or lacking the inspiration for novel ideas, going away for a few days can be all you need to find that breakthrough.
4. Take a bus or train ride
Artist date ideas lead to novel ideas, and a simple bus or train ride can already do the trick. During my first solo trip to Australia, I spent ten days in one of the remotest places on earth: the Kimberley. I booked an organised tour that had me spend hours and hours in a bus, facing the rocky unsealed roads. I had all the time in the world to scribble in a notebook as I looked out the window, copying details that reminded me of the landscapes where my story takes place. And jotting down one idea led to another, and another, and before I knew it, I had crafted the scenery of one of my story world’s regions.
You don’t have to book a 10-day organised tour to get this effect. Just look at J.K. Rowling. She invented her idea for the Harry Potter universe on a train ride to London! Take the first bus or train that crosses your mind, bring a notepad, and see what it brings you.
5. Visit a museum
You want artist date ideas? Go to a museum. A weird one, preferably. Like CORPUS, in the Netherlands, which is an experience that leads you through the human body. I find the interaction of modern-day museums fascinating, and they always tickle my senses, evoking novel ideas and writing inspiration. For my next trip, I’ve clocked a museum in Darwin with an interactive cyclone exhibition to learn more about cyclones, which is a crucial part of my story world.
If you already have a story idea, look at the elements you usually Google for, then try to come up with a real-life alternative for your next artist date.
6. Meet other creatives
One thing that has been incredibly inspiring for me throughout the years is meeting other artists and writers. I take myself on a variety of artist dates, just to be among them. This can be anything: a painting or writing workshop, or a music gig. I’m fortunate enough to have a writing bestie who lives in the United States, so sometimes my artist date takes me to another continent. Writing together, brainstorming and discussing our weird ideas always leads to more inspiration. There’s never been a time I didn’t return home or wave her goodbye at the airport without jumping with excitement to work out my newest novel ideas.
You don’t need to fly across the seven seas to find that sort of inspiration, though. My writing bestie and I only see each other every 1.5 to 2 years, and in the meantime, we share our ideas daily. We test our most bizarre ideas through WhatsApp and often meet on Sundays in Google Docs to swap our latest ideas while working on our novels, or to write crazy one-shots together. For my birthday last year, she wrote me a one-shot that brought together the characters of both our novels. It was hilarious, and in the days after, I was keen to continue writing the piece I’d been stuck on.
7. Write morning pages
Never underestimate the power of your own unconscious. Apart from having your weekly artist date, Julia Cameron emphasises the importance of writing your unconscious thoughts every morning. While I often lack the perseverance to do this every single day, I do like to bring a notebook somewhere random and apply a similar technique. A few weeks ago, I took a walk to the beach, sat down in a nearby park, and just wrote, longhand, whatever came to me. This resulted in a whole other angle on my villain’s motivation in the second book, which later helped me tweak a part of the plot I’d been stuck on.
Finding story inspiration doesn’t have to be complicated
A day at the beach, visiting a museum or simply meeting with a creative friend. Finding inspiration or ideas for your next book is more straightforward than you think, as long as you keep taking yourself out on a regular basis. Be curious, go out and explore the world, and write down your artist date ideas as they come to you. That way, whenever you’re stuck, you can just go through your list and pick the one that calls to you.
If you got excited about finding inspiration, also read: A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Novel Ideas by Exploring the World Around You.