The blizzard this week was hot
5 Artist Date ideas for the winter
Before I share this week’s story, some news: I’m launching a pay-if-you’re-vibing subscription for Referential. In the future, I may bring some additional features to paid, but for now, if you’re enjoying what you read, I appreciate any support, which will help me focus on speaking with interesting people about what they do.
Since completing The Artist’s Way last summer, I’ve struggled to keep regular artist dates. I knew this would be a bigger challenge for me—I have an easier time committing to the rigid, daily practices and don’t always know how to make room for fun and play. I have had some wins in the last few weeks, though, and want to share five artist date ideas that are free or cap at around $50.
5 Artist Date Ideas for the Winter
1. Go to a reading
Depending on your attention span, listening to a writer read their work can either be the best or worst thing. Last week, I heard both Grant Ginder at Greenlight Books and Richie Hofmann at McNally Jackson—both were excellent readers, and Richie Hofmann said how he wants the atmosphere to change when you’re encountering poetry (Beautiful! Amazing!). My favorite part of a bookstore launch tends to be the Q+A with the author, as I love listening to how they think about writing and how they view the work as it enters the world. (Typically free, but buy from local bookstores)
2. Interview with an artist in the park
Getting as much sunlight as possible has been changing winter for me the last two years (still my least favorite, but Vitamin D and time outdoors can help). I also love listening to interviews with writers and will dip into the archives of Otherppl or The Sewanee Review Podcast if I want inspiration. One of my favorites is this conversation with Danielle Evans, who’s such a short story genius, about The Office of Historical Corrections. (Free, but don’t zone out and step in dog poop)
3. Go to the movies and ball out
Say what you will about this year’s Oscar nominees, but my current obsession is going to the movies at BAM. I found it very informative that in a packed theater, nobody really laughed or reacted much at all to Wuthering Heights, which helped me realize it wasn’t very good. Meanwhile, Nadja, a 90s vampire movie set in New York had people cracking up over the ennui. BAM is also great because their concessions are reasonable enough that you can get a tall boy and a bag of peanut M&Ms and not spend crazy money. ($15-30 depending on how hard you go)
4. Visit a stationery store
What a good stationery store can’t fix! There’s such a unique high to testing a million pens, looking at cards that are cheeky and maybe dumb, and encountering stickers and tchotchkes that are 2015 coded. In Brooklyn, I always like A.Mano because I can smell their inventory from Brooklyn Candle Studio. In Portland, the Post Supply has some pretty things, but I typically consider it sightseeing because of the price point, though the Ana Inciardi mini-print vending machine is a little thrill. (Typically free, unless you have a problem buying pens)
5. Get sweaty
In my pursuit to be outside as much as possible in the winter, I've been totally blue-pilled on saunas. In Portland, the Washington Baths are great because of their courtyard. With the relaxation room, you can read and listen to some relaxing to slightly off-putting stern music. In New York, the offerings are pricier, but Othership is most reasonable. I’m always kind of awestruck by the vibe here—vaguely cult indoctrination, social and provides cards for people to pass their number to a stranger they meet, but it’s simultaneously a “flirt-free facility.” (Single entry at Washington Baths is $36, Othership goes for $66)
Reference Section
Currently reading: I just finished Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. It’s much darker than the film adaptation, Pillion, which I loved, and I was so impressed by how he’s able to envelop time, space, and memory within such a slim novel.
I had two addresses, two very different ways of life, though the distance between them on the map was only small—five miles, if that. I didn’t become two people, but I suppose I did become a person whose life had two different sides to it.
The movie is surprisingly tender, and also cute?
I’ve also had some work publish in the last few weeks. I wrote about a staging program at a restaurant in New Hampshire for Northshore; a Passive House, also in New Hampshire for NHH; and noctourism and a White Lotus S3 style resort in Lanai for Organic Spa Magazine.
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