Why Every Creative (and Collector) Needs a Solo Artist’s Date: Visiting My Muses Helen Frankenthaler and Vincent van Gogh in Auckland

Pretty Gorgeous, 2020, Cassandra Gaisford

If you’re an art collector, creative professional, or someone who simply cherishes soulful encounters with art, there’s one practice I return to again and again to renew my inspiration and deepen my connection to creativity: the solo artist’s date.

Tomorrow, I’m taking myself on a special one—to visit two of my long-time muses: Helen Frankenthaler and Vincent van Gogh. Their works will be side by side in a major international exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. (You can read the official announcement here: Auckland Art Gallery exhibition).

As both an artist and a lifelong admirer of fine art, this feels less like a casual outing and more like a creative pilgrimage. You may also enjoy my blog How Helen Frankenthaler Inspires Me. We also appear together in the following book Sacred Gestures: Women Abstract Expressionists, Spirituality, and the Intuitive Power of Art

What Is an Artist’s Date—and Why Does It Matter?

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, introduced the concept of an artist’s date as a weekly solo adventure to refill your creative well. She writes:

“The Artist Date is assigned play. You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist.”

Over the years, I’ve come to see this simple practice as one of the most powerful tools for rekindling vision, clarity, and even joy in the artistic process.

The last time I intentionally took myself on an artist’s date was when Hilma af Klint’s luminous works visited Wellington. We were still masking. A family member came along—well-meaning, but disinterested. Which was incredible given the scale of Hilma’s works and how pioneering she was. I write more about this on my blog>>

And as I stood before Hilma’s spirit-infused paintings, all I wanted was silence. Stillness. To listen to what the art was trying to say. Because I once read a book—one I picked up in New York—that changed the way I look at paintings forever. It said that paintings can speak to you. If you choose just one and sit before it quietly, you’ll receive guidance—an insight, a whisper, a reminder. As though the artist channeled something through the canvas that continues to transmit across time.

I believe that.

But the magic only arrives when you’re alone.

That moment in Wellington stayed with me—not because it was perfect, but because it taught me the importance of protecting sacred space for creative communion. And so, tomorrow, I’m heading into the gallery on my own. No distractions. Just me and the energy of two extraordinary creators.

Why Helen Frankenthaler and Vincent van Gogh?

Both artists hold a deep, emotional place in my heart—and in the hearts of many art collectors and visionaries across the world.

Frankenthaler’s lyrical abstraction taught us to trust the unknown. Her soak-stain technique opened the door to new ways of seeing and feeling. As a painter myself, her intuitive flow and bold experimentation remind me to stay curious, stay brave.

Van Gogh, of course, is more than a post-impressionist master. He is the original wounded healer. His letters, his brushstrokes, his sunflowers—all pulse with raw feeling. He painted his longing, his inner vision, his reverence for beauty. To stand before his work is to be reminded: creativity is soul work.

You may enjoy Vincent’s Sunflowers: A novel, and my blog The First Time I Met Van Gogh and Are you extremely sensitive, or is life unbearable?

You may enjoy my blog Artist’s talk: Joan Mitchell, Vincent Van Gogh and Orange: transforming hate into love

Why Artist’s Dates Matter for Art Collectors and Creatives

As a creative—and especially as an art collector—it’s easy to get swept up in trends, markets, logistics, or productivity. But art isn’t just about acquisition or output. It’s about communion.

A solo artist’s date creates space for direct connection—between you and the artwork, between your soul and the muse. It reconnects you to why you fell in love with art in the first place.

And that clarity? That emotional resonance? It changes how you create. It changes how you collect. It deepens your discernment. It awakens your vision.

So tomorrow, I’ll walk quietly through Auckland Art Gallery, maybe write a little, sketch, take photos (if they’re allowed), and just be. I’ll let their work speak to mine. I’ll fill my cup again.

And I’ll come home, not just inspired—but changed.

Like I was when I saw this painting in Wellington, Madonna and Child, Zanobi Machiavelli, which spoke to me through time and space and challenged, “What are you waiting for? You’re freer than me.”

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Have you ever taken yourself on a solo artist’s date?
Who are the painters that move you most deeply?
If you’re an art collector, when was the last time you let the art choose you—not the other way around?

I’d love to hear your reflections.

P.S. I’m excited to be visiting Grace Wright’s exhibition at the Gow Gallery and listening to her artists talk and then taking a workshop! What a gift! It’s been over a decade since I’ve taken a class with anyone. The last one was with Max Gimblett in Maui. I’ll be sharing more about that in a future post—so stay tuned.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY

Looking for inspiration? Explore my books on creativity—a collection designed to ignite your imagination, boost your creative confidence, and help you live a more joyful, artistic life.

Cherish Silence: A Pathway to Joy and Creativity

Flow Gracefully: The Power of Grace Over Hustle

The Exquisite Taste of Solitary Freedom

Anchor The Light

How art can console those broken by life

Dancing Through Fields of Flowers

The Painter’s Garden: Life Lessons from Vincent van Gogh, Flowers, Art, and Nature

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