Sometimes it’s a challenge to get away from the normal routine of work, family, household chores and all the other things we fill our time with. But stepping outside that routine can kickstart your creative juices.

Take out your calendar and pencil in a date with yourself. If you can manage it, take a full day or a whole evening, but even a long lunch is fine. You’re going on a date with yourself.

Now, what to do? Plan your date just like you would with a friend or lover. Maybe you’d like to do something actively creative: strum your guitar, write a letter, take photos, make paper, sketch flowers. Or maybe you need some outside input: visit a museum, watch a movie, walk in the park, read a book. Or perhaps something indulgent is what you crave: put on a face mask, paint your toenails, sit in a bubble bath.

Whatever you choose, treat yourself nicely. Enjoy. Take note of what you’re doing…drink in the details. What you put into your date will come back in your creative output later on.