I'm reading a book titled "The Artist's Way" which boils down to a cognitive behavioral approach to unleashing inner creativity.  So far I've written 750 words a day known as "morning pages", made a list of heroes and monsters who either fueled or stifled my creativity and turned creatively negative thoughts into factual statements.  And it has only been a week. 

The challenge for me is the task of taking an artist's date each week. Ideas range from visiting a museum to making your own collage using children's scissors.  People take creative bubble baths (??), take photographic montages and use a lot of glitter. 

I'm being somewhat facetious because it is an awkward challenge.  I don't like art very much and I can discount 90% of the suggestions I receive as silly or awkward without much thought.

The point is to make time for art and creativity on a date with yourself at least once per week. No time limit, no parameters except that you do it by yourself and you actually try.

I got stuck this week. I intended to go to West Park and look at the statues, but time got away from me and I had to improvise. I don't like to give up.

Sooooo .... I'm stting at Amani International Coffeehouse and Cafe and realize there is an array of artwork on the walls.  I get up, stretch and begin to look at it.  There's a set of tiles with photos emblazoned on them, titled "Wanderlust"  There's a beautiful piece called "Cosmic Butterfly" that does make me think of painting paper buttlerflies when I was a child.  Suddenly, I remember that I used to doodle butterflies and can't remember the last time I did that.  The paper butterflies were held together with red yarn.  I can't remember where we made them -- camp? summer program? school? -- but they were bright and pretty. 

In the front, there is a series of photos that appear to be shots of a coffee farm family.  I took a peek into the new meeting space and saw the beginning of a series of black stars mounted on the wall.  What could that mean?

So my artist's date was abbreviated, but nice.  I typically don't notice coffeehouse art because I don't like art.  I come to coffeehouses for socialization and blogging purposes. I don't like art.

Except butterflies.

sdf