Autumn & New Beginnings
Autumn leaves.
Today is The Day. I can feel it clearly. The Snap. It’s as though a switch has been flipped. There’s a crisp lining to the day, a chilly backdrop, it’s the first day of autumn.
Autumn holds the promise of new beginnings for me. The glorious display of autumn leaves. Change. A fresh start. I think part of it comes from my childhood, from going to school. A new school year, new books, new subjects, new teachers, pencils and notebooks… Sometimes a new school, and a new route each morning and afternoon.
My theme for the autumn is to connect with my friends, inspiring artists, places and creativity. And to give myself some creative challenges.
The Creative Every Day Challenge is a fantastic, fun and simple way to infuse your life with a daily dose of creativity. It’s a low-pressure and freeform challenge to bring some focus and inspiration to your day-to-day life. Highly recommended! October’s theme is “Connect” – which also happens to be my theme for the autumn!
Next, I’ll be connecting with my senses in Unravelling Further: Exploring the Senses, a workshop where you stop to smell the roses. It’s about living a rich and enchanted sensual life, seizing the day, immersing yourself in taste, touch, sound, scent, sight and intuition through a series of photo assignments, projects and challenges. And I’m so looking forward to reconnecting to some of my online friends from this summer’s course, Unravelling: Ways of Seeing My Self, who also will be revelling in their senses this autumn! From unravelling to revelling…
Another project for my autumn is In The Fish Bowl: Life As An Artist Online with Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday. The transparency and exposure of being an artist online can make you feel like you are a fish in a bowl, and this course is about navigating the fish bowl by staying fiercely loyal to your vision. I’m incredibly excited, this really feels so right for me just now! The course started last week and I’m feeling elated and thankful for lovely Marisa’s first class and the wonderfully creative and inspiring community of women crafters, artists and designers who are all swimming in the fish bowl!
Dare I connect with my dreams too? Speak my wish out loud? Jamie Ridler hosts Full Moon Dreamboards, and I’m tempted to participate one of the dreamers!
Finally, and this is still in the works, I hope to take a trip to London this autumn. To connect with my English self. Family and friends in England. I’d like to take some courses at The Make Lounge. Return to the Tate, Greenwich Market. The Maison Blanc, Holland Park, Chinatown, The Chelsea Physic Garden, St. Martins in the Fields. Oh, so many favourite places…
Tags: carpe diem, connecting, courses, Creativity, dreamboard, fresh start, seize the day, senses, sensual
I’m really excited to hear what you take at The Make Lounge and how you enjoy it. It only opened up after I left London (and around the corner from where I used to live, ugh!), and I’ve not managed to go there during any of my visits. I have taken some great arts/crafts workshops at The City Lit though and I hear they have a new facility.
Now I’m off to find out about Creative Every Day :)
Aww, what bad timing for your move from London, Michele!
I’d LOVE to take these courses:
Cocktail Ring
http://www.themakelounge.com/wor…shops/detail/ 63
And Bath+Body Products
http://www.themakelounge.com/wor…shops/detail/ 26
Now I’m off to take a look at The City Lit! :)
Hi Kate, Wow, its really inspiring to read that you’re learning, developing & challenging yourself this Autumn. Love your description of Susanna’s course, eg. “living a rich and enchanted sensual life” & “from unravelling to revealing”. I plan to do the Unravelling course next year, if she’s still offering it then. I just need to buy a camera first. What was your experience of her course? Would you recommend it? Enjoy your trip to London! I went there about 10 year ago and would love to go back again. Wini
Wow sounds like its gonna be a busy and inspirational Autumn! I’m interested in taking unravelling e-course but am a bit worry about my photo taking skills coz they are not good at all. >_< Have a lovely merry happy week and love to you!
Hi there, thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving your lovely comment. I heart fall too and i love your autumnal photo of the leaves and your other gorgeous photos on your blog. Speak soon and catch you in the fish bowl too. :) Im British living in the US and i wish id found the makelounge before so thanks for that link. :)
Thank you so much for your comments! :)
Wini, I think Susannah dreams of writing an Unravelling book too, so it sounds like she isn’t exactly abandoning the whole idea! And you don’t need a fancy camera to take the class! Any camera will do! The Unravelling e-course has a focus on healing, a sort of group therapy through photography. For me it turned out to be a great way to get going with photography, to sort of have an excuse for it. And I fell back in love with photography…
Jacqueline, don’t worry about your photography skills! The Unravelling course isn’t a photography class at all!
Louise, Thanks for your sweet words about my blog and photos! I have a mixed background too, both Swedish and English, and I work mostly with people in the States, so I think I can relate to your situation… Really glad to be getting to know you!
Love you post…thanks!
Like following the links for some fun blog wantering…
I love Autumn too…the crisp air, the cool nights…the colours…
Hope you have fun with your challenges…I love Creative Every Day…
Tamarak, thank you for your comment! I’m very fond of the Creative Every Day challenge too. It’s so free. And it makes me think of creativity in other areas of my life too. If that makes sense. Hope you have a wonderful autumn!
Love the energy of your post and I’m sure you’ll enjoy all of them. And thank you for sharing all the links, I’m especially interested in the Fish Bowl. Hopping over there now … :)
Hello Hybrid, it’s proving to be an interesting and creative autumn for me! And a first time for me, to participate in online challenges and courses.
The Fish Bowl is fabulous, it’s just what I need in my life just now! I love how it starts a process in me… and I can only recommend it to people who want to develop as an artist online!
Take care!
Kate
Hi Kate, thanks for your reply to my comment about Unravelled!
I love your image of autumn, Kate. And this post is very inspiring to read, full of energy. Good luck with all your connections and projects for this month!
Janice.
My pleasure, Wini!
Janice, thank you! So glad you find it inspiring!
/Kate
I love that your theme for autumn is connect too! How perfect!
I’m feeling grateful that I get to connect with you here. :)
Leah
Leah, thank you, and yes, what a wonderful coincidence! It looks like I’ll be connecting with my art, with the process, and allow myself to explore and expand!
I’m grateful that I discovered your Creative Every Day Challenge! And for your visit here… And for so much!
Take care, Leah!