Harvest festival
On my new Autumn Sketchbook Retreat online course I invite everyone to start the course with a day totally for themselves. A day to unwind, to regain balance. A day to touch base with yourself and to rekindle passions. I invite you too to set aside a day as the wheel of the year turns, as the season shifts our thoughts inwards, to recalibrate your soul.
On your day, you might like to make a cuppa, sit with a blanket on your knee and ponder awhile. You could ask yourself what you have harvested this year? What seeds you planted have come to fruition? Which of these fruits are you taking into the winter to nourish yourself with?
I am of course talking metaphorically and encouraging you to meditate on your creativity, about what has worked for you, about what it is you have tried at, perhaps failed at and what you can be proud of bringing forth. As the year winds gently inwards and we look towards the last three months, what will you focus in on? Because you cannot do it all. Take heed from the season and let some of what you have been working on go. Focus on something that has been successful, that has brought you joy in the process, and do more of that.
The other day I watched a squirrel, busying itself hiding nuts in my garden, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, whilst planning ahead. As autumn takes hold and my energy ebbs, I too like to plan ahead. I like to think of projects for the winter, to prioritise what I want to work on, both in the studio and in my wider creative output. It’s a good time to put together a basket by the sofa with the start of a making project or a sketchbook and pen. As the nights draw in, having that at hand will keep you in creative flow. But remember it’s okay to slow with the energy of the season, it is not wrong to be creatively slow, so long as you keep on feeding your artists’ soul.
“Autumn in nature is a season of shedding and releasing, drawing energy back into the roots. In Herbalism Autumn is also a time for harvesting roots and using their beautiful grounding and calming properties. Autumn gently ushers in a time of transition and reflection….” Emily and the plants
Let me know in the comments if you take a day for yourself to recalibrate. Where will you go? What will it take to find your balance?
How are you celebrating your creative harvest? What will you focus on?
Find out more about my courses for Autumn:
Autumn Sketchbook Online Retreat
Nourishing Sketchbook online course
In-person Autumn art retreat Derbyshire, UK
In-person Autumn drawing day, Nottingham, UK
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