the artist’s way – a date

the date i took myself on started early. normally i allow myself a few non-verbal hours to adjust to the day – i drink my coffee, listen to public radio, and watch the sunlight move across my hardwood floor. but today i simply pulled on jeans and my favourite sweatshirt (the one i dumpster dived in tagish, yukon) and slipped out the door before my mind could make any objections.

after i’d dropped off the essay i needed to, i went to the campus library and borrowed some books – i’m still in a timothy findley phase, so i got a few of his novels – then went to a quiet cafe to read while the waitresses played their favourite billie holiday record.

from there i went down the street to the metro station, but before i could slip through the doors a tiny voice told me to duck into a magazine shop. so i did – when the ‘tiny voice’ speaks up i try to listen, and i’m usually glad when i do.

today was no exception.

wandering through the aisles, i found a copy of this book:

for significantly less (less than half, actually) than the listed price. the women artists that it profiles - like lee krassner, frida kahlo, georgia o’keefe, and mariko mori, to name just a few – are intense, and the reproductions of their art are fabulous.

from there i made my way to the paint store, where i picked up 8 gallons of paint – apricot, for my kitchen; four cans of green valley, for my hallways and the three remaining white walls in my livingroom; and 3 cans of a sassy shade of purple that calls itself ‘courtesan’ (how appropriate ) for my bedroom boudoir.

i am now in my eighth month of living in this apartment, which, if you don’t count the 6 weeks i spent in b.c., equals the maximum amount of time i’ve lived in one place in the past 10 years. my gypsy bones are a bit tired, and, as virginia woolf has said,  “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”.

i tend to agree. i told myself that i was bound and determined to give myself one, and i think i’m finally accustomed enough to the idea to want to fully spread my wings and feather this little nest.

once i got back to my apartment i promptly changed into my overalls and undershirt and started painting my kitchen.
tomorrow i will get at it again, and before i go to sleep tonight i will read my books and light a candle and thank the world for this day, which was sunny, warm, and soul-nourishing.