Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away! ~ Dr. Seuss

If you read the Basic Tools in your Artist's Way book, you have Julia Cameron's advice about your weekly artist date:
Go alone. Don't not go because it seems frivolous or somehow weird and scary. Go some place that feels like fun to you -- or to you when you were 10 or so.

Although I've invited you to share your plan here, don't let that be an obstacle. I'm just looking for ideas for myself. It's your date and you don't have to tell anyone a darn thing about it.

That's Rule #1. (Well, if you're going to try to swim the Channel or climb El Capitan, it might be a good idea to file a flight plan, but basically, this one is between you & you. If it makes you embarrassed to talk about it to your significant other, don't.)

Here are places I've gone or know that other people have tried:

• The Cleveland Museum of Art (No brainer, but don't feel uncreative if you choose something obvious.)
• The movies. I saw Finding Nemo all by myself, no child in tow. Excellent fun. And I put my feet up on the seat in front of me, too.
  
• There's a labyrinth at Ursuline College and I went and walked it. You essentially follow a path that weaves around a very small space. When you get to the middle, you're supposed to "offer up" a worry, a hope, a plan. Sometimes it's very useful to do something that feels both momentous and silly.
• Big Fun on Coventry. It's freaky toy store. So fun. Big fun.
• A paper store. Don't remember where it was but I got all kinds of cool paper for very little cash.
• Botanical Garden. Would be excellent at this particular season for you Clevelanders. Tallahassee, sit in your fridge and pour ice water on your head and then go to the Botannical Gardens.
  

Right now, I'm looking at paying a visit to Arts Collinwood up on Waterloo. Waterloo is a funky, cool street right in my neighborhood and I've never wandered around there. There's a big mural that says KABOOM! in honor of Danny Greene and the first time he got blown up, while he was a denizen of Waterloo. The last time, was more permanent.... My other option is to go to The Apple Store for a how-to Mac class.

Maybe Julia hits the nail on the head when she talks about refilling your store of images, of sights and sounds, smells and tastes, ideas and dreams with new stuff. Stock up!

If you want to read the Dr. Seuss poem -- which he obviously wrote with our artist date in mind -- in its entirety, go to http://www.teamhope.com/seuss.htm

But anyway, I'll give him the last word. Of warning. Don't go here:

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Where the Boom Bands are playing, folks. That's sounds very fine.