Welcome back Autumn
Unpopular opinion: I love Autumn & Winter. I couldn’t be any happier than during these dark rainy cold days. How can one love summer in a world where spiced pumpkin candles & cosy sweaters exist? Maybe it’s because I’m a September baby or maybe it's the back to school mood, but I’ve always felt that Autumn is a kind of ''slow down'' season. As the light slowly decreases, nature slightly changes colors whilst we’re getting closer to the end of the year. Autumn feels like a time to breathe, to see things in a new light and to take care of oneself.
I’ve already begun to read the Harry Potter books again, lighted my spiced pumpkin candle and cooked my first sultana & apple cake! Besides, Autumn & Winter are the seasons when I feel the most creative, fully inspired and I've decided, as I’m currently not working as a librarian, to postpone the job hunting until January, just to spend the last four months of 2022 drawing, improving my skills and see what’s going to happen. I’ve always wanted to be an editorial illustrator, so let’s achieve this for my own newsletter and see how I feel about working according to deadlines.
let’s talk about that
What do you think: is Autumn the perfect time to slow down and change one's daily routine? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and we will discuss that!
Finding time for creativity
I’m aware that not everyone can afford a four-month break and I feel grateful for that (but anxious at the same time) but as Autumn is the best time to take control over your time and, as mentioned earlier on - slow down, how can one find time to be creative with a never ending to-do list?
Getting rid of time consumers
Time consuming habits can be anything from binge watching Netflix to scrolling on Instagram or swiping on Tinder when you’re tired instead of going to bed, or just doing things that don’t nurture you in any kind of way. I used to spend my weekends playing The Sims from dusk till dawn, sometimes from dusk to dusk, getting more and more exhausted and feeling low. Then I realised that the problem was not the game but doing something that didn’t nurture me. Every now and then, I allow myself a set time frame to play if I need to relax, knowing that I’ll no longer have that “time wasted” feeling.
Keep things/habits that fulfill you and do your best, when possible, to ditch the rest, then see how much time you have left each day, even if it’s only 10 minutes! Even that small amount of time will clear your head and add space for new ideas to emerge.
Enroll in a course
I think curiosity is the mother of creativity. “Whaf if” or “Let’s try” are also a good start if you want to be more creative in your daily life and, enrolling in a course can help. No matter if it’s going to an actual classroom or online, there’s a way for any budget or time constraint.
If you cannot afford it, there are some “pay what you can afford” online arts classes. I’ve recently took life-drawing online classes with Brixton Life Drawing and London Drawing Group and tried two free trial classes with Jake “Inktober” Parker‘s School of visual storytelling.
If you don’t have time, Domestika & Skillshare give you the opportunity to buy a lesson (or subscription on Skillshare) and follow it at your own pace. It's all about using short moments like waiting for the bus or erm...poop time :) and use them to learn things instead of playing Candy crush or watching Reels.
Keep a sketchbook
I said keep a sketchbook but I'd rather say keep your eyes & ears open.
What we call creativity is our ability to see, hear, feel things and generate ideas that will hopefully turn into a creation, a book, a drawing or even a bowl of pasta. Being creative doesn’t mean creating a masterpiece, it’s more about ideas and experimentations.
Having a sketchbook wherever you go allows you to note or sketch any idea that comes to your mind when you’re busy. If you want to create something, you need to make sure to keep it somewhere safe before losing it among your many other daily thoughts. It’s a good habit and if you need proof, I recommend you read Mason Currey’s newsletter called Substel Maneuvers about artist’s daily habits..
let’s talk about that
How do you find time to be creative ? How could you do that ? What does it mean to you to be creative ?
Thank you for reading, for your support, comments and emails, this is so heartwarming <3
Talk to you on October 9th!
Love - BC
J'adore !!!
I love summer, AND I love autumn (october baby here). Back to school season, picking the school supplies... not anymore, but I loved that so much :D Wool sweater, tea, getting cosy at my office to work, and reading cosy newsletters haha !
The slow season has started, to recharge for next year. And by "slow" I mean less social fun events and more behind the scenes work. Which is equally great.
Looking forward to the next edition !