How to Plan the Perfect Self-Love Day + Artist Date | Artist of Life Workbook Series

Hello my beautiful royals and welcome to JGC Blog!

I previously talked about how to stay motivated and how to be driven, using the Workbook created by Lavendaire.

This is the third post in my “Artist of Life Workbook Series“!

Today, I want to share with you how I planned the perfect Self-love / Artist date.

• What is a Self-Love Day / Artist date?

For those who are new with the concept, a self-day is pretty self-explanatory (pun intended!) It’s a day by yourself, for yourself meaning no one else is allowed, the entire day is about you.

Here comes the concept of Self-love day: Dedicate the entire time into doing something you love, something for yourself and most importantly, something that you truly want to do, with no shame or abstinence about it. That day is for you to indulgence and treat yourself to whatever you want. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

OK, but what is an Artist date?  Why do I need it? 

An Artist date is a productive tool to help you boost your creativity and encourage self-discovery. I discovered the concept thanks to Lavendaire one of my favorite blogger and Youtuber. The idea came from Julia Cameron’s Book “The Artist Way“, and she describes it as a weekly solo date, to explore one of your interests and spend quality time with yourself. This is meant to stimulate your creativity and spark light into your artist soul.

That is exactly why I feel like including an Artist date in your Self-love day is a winner recipe!

Taking a day off is always a great idea, especially if you tend to neglect yourself on a daily basis because of work, stress or life in general.

Unless you truly need to chill for a day, why not squeeze an Artist date in those 24 hours of pampering?

Cameron said it eloquently “Creativity requires activity, and this is not good news to most of us. It makes us responsible, and we tend to hate that. You mean I have to do something in order to feel better?”

“Note carefully that food, work, and sex are all good in themselves. It is the abuse of them that makes them creativity issues.” 

Let me share with you my pieces of advice on how to plan the perfect Self-love day / Artist date:

• Do what you want

If, aside from going to your Artist date, you want to spend the entire day at home, feel free. This is a day for yourself, to do whatever you want. There should be no shame, no frustration, no obligations, no rules to stand in the way of your desires.

Spending three hours watching Netflix, journaling in your bed, singing loudly and dancing around your apartment… or just chilling on your couch, catching up with your favorites series,  finally reading a couple of books forever unchecked on your bucket list…

Do what you want because you deserve it.

• Eat what you want

Today is not the time to track calories! It is not the time to worry about your sugar intake or the numbers on your weight digital scale. Today is the day to indulge!

First thing first, if you have a “no breakfast in bed” rule, why not chuck it away now? Second of all, chocolate is your life here… Just kidding! Personal weaknesses aside, if there is food you want to eat but always avoid because of your lean-and-mean-look obsession, today is the day to go for it!

I particularly like the idea of eating out in a restaurant you never went before, and trying dishes you always wanted to try but never had the time (or the fortitude) to do so.

Russian food, African food, Iranian food… the choices are endless in terms of novelty, especially if like eighty-five percent of the population, you are used to Japanese, Chinese, Indian take-outs or pizzas and burgers.

That been said, if you want to indulge in those kinds of food, don’t hesitate, it’s all about what you want, not what others think you should eat. No one is here to judge you anyway.

One cool thing you can do, if it falls under the Self-love umbrella: you could cook your own meal, try new recipes or stick to your favorite dishes! Just be happy with the food you are consuming for the day, it’s the most important thing.

• Wear what you want

 

If you’re not planning on going out and want to chill at home, wear what you want! It can be your comfiest pajamas or just your birthday suit, no one is here so just do what you want!

Now, if you plan on going out, remember: this is Carpe Diem day! Is there a dress or a skirt you never dare to wear? Is there an outfit you always wanted to strut around in?

Favorite shoes you never get tired of? Sexy outfit stuffed in your closet, hidden but never forgotten?

Wear it, wear it, wear it!

Self-love implies courage especially when there are insecurities and doubts to overcome. Imagine how freeing and wonderful it is to live one day without thinking about your body issues, your appearance, what other people think….

A day to be true to yourself, authentic and audacious because this morning your dressed up not to conform or to hide but to please yourself. This is what a Self-love day is about.

Here are my two tips:

• Plan your day during spring or summer, get as much warm and sun as possible, happiness is often found in the simple things, great weather for exemple!
• Being bold and authentic with your outfit is great but don’t force yourself to wear something you are not ready to wear. No one will be here to judge you anyway and you should not judge yourself. If you are not confortable and happy, the whole day is ruined.

Otherwise, slay it!

• Go where you want

 

What’s wonderful about people is that we are all different. Our tastes and interests diverged from one another and it’s a great thing because it means sharing, experimenting and learning.

Unfortunately, people are often shamed for their interest, whether they like unconventional sports, historical places or “geek” and “nerdy” events.

Well, today is not one of those days. Go where you want to go and if possible, go to several places.

I recommend going to places you always wanted to visit and explore but never had the time to do so.

If there is something you specifically wanted to do for a long time but never had the courage to do so or if you never ask friends to come with you in fear of ridicule or derision, now is the time to go!

Museums, Cooking classes, conferences, movies, debate groups events, spas, art shows, parcs… there is so many things to do out-there and all of them are available to you, what do you need to do? Enjoy yourself.

 

• Don’t stress yourself out

 

No work (or homework) is allowed during a Self-love day/Artistic Date!

The day is meant to be stress-free. Healthy mental health and emotional wellness are of paramount importance to the concept of Self-love day and Artist date. It’s a day to unplug, so to speak.

Any negativity or anxiety should be left behind. If your workplace has a channel you follow on social media, mute it for the day. Don’t check your emails, don’t think about your next exam or the paper you are planning to write. Don’t think about social obligations and responsibilities because there is always tomorrow to worry about being responsible, adult and hardened.

Today, you are soft, light and free. If you must only pamper yourself once a year, you better do it right.

My tips:

• If you know you won’t be able to unplug, don’t bring your phone or computer with you. 
• If part of your Artistic date involve technology, like using your phone to wander through the city and take fabulous pictures, then do so, this is always about what makes you happy, remember, it’s a guilt-free day!

 

• Don’t bring anyone to your self-date

The ability to give back to yourself is very important and unfortunately, it can be hard to do, especially if you are used to ignore your own needs and wants.

I can’t stress this enough, a Self-love day is supposed to be solo time. Some people, extroverts for example, might prefer having a friend or a lover with them but that feeling might stir from the fact that being alone is not something they are used to. Spending time on our own can be disconcerting and even off-putting, especially when you go out of your way to avoid it.

However, I believe in trying things at least once and not let fear or discomfort stop you from new experiences.

While a Self-love date is supposed to be about what you want, the experience loses all meaning if you invite someone in the time you are supposed to dedicate in self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-care.  “For yourself, by yourself.” that is the motto and mojo of this!

You can always do an artistic outing/date with friends later!

•••

That’s it! I’ll see you in the next post for “The Artist of Life Workbook” series.

Cheers & thank you for reading,

🙂

 

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• Featured Image Header: Credits and Copyrights: Irène Lazarova – Please support the wonderful artist on their page.