5 simple ways to nurture your creativity this autumn
September has landed, and with it a shift in the seasons and in our collective creative energy. While autumn overall is usually the season for slowing down and gathering in the harvest, September adds something different to the mix: an energy of fresh starts and new beginnings.
Over summer, our focus tends to drift towards family and the holidays. September pulls our attention back to our work and our creative business - and to those unfinished or not-yet-started projects waiting on the shelf.
But autumn is a also wonderful time for reflection and re-alignment. So before you jump too fast into your creative projects, take a moment to use the seasonal energy well and ask yourself whether you’re actually heading in the direction you want to go.
Here are 5 simple ways to help you re-align and nurture your creativity this autumn
1. Spend time in creative “edit mode”
Creatively, autumn is a brilliant time to move into edit mode.
Creating and editing are two very different things that call on very different energy, and yet it’s easy to try and do both at once. Maybe you struggle to write because you’re trying to “get it right first time”, correcting yourself as you go. Or maybe you find yourself over-analysing your art while you make it, second-guessing every choice.
There are two distinct processes at play whenever we make something: creation and editing.
First, you create.
Let loose, fall into flow, and don’t worry too much about the end result.
Then, you edit.
Step back, look at what you’ve made, reflect and amend.
Try to edit while you create, you’ll likely stifle the creative process. Create without ever making time to edit, and you risk losing direction, stagnating, or ending up with work you’re unhappy with.
So while summer is all about letting loose into creation, autumn is the ideal time to move into that edit mode and re-align your work - and your creativity - with where you actually want to be.
Edit mode might look as simple as spending 10 or 20 minutes looking over what you’ve been working on with a critical eye, or it might mean spending a few days really reflecting and re-assessing where you are and where you’re heading.
Where in your life and creativity do you feel needs some re-alignment or editing?
“While summer is all about letting loose into creation, autumn is the ideal time to move into that edit mode and re-align your work and your creativity.”
2. Set the autumn scene with a cosy playlist
Creating a harmonious sensory environment can really help get us in the mood to create - and to get into that edit mode we were just talking about. Music is an excellent way to bring our senses in alignment with the season, so I’ve put together a gentle new playlist to give you all those cosy autumn vibes.
It’s a journey through the genres that takes you from warm acoustic tunes through to jazz, afro-blues and low-fi hip hop.
You can go straight to the playlist on Spotify here, or
Find the full track list in the blog post here.
3. Make space for some creative reflection
Now you’ve set the scene with some cosy autumnal music, make time to consider what role you want creativity to play in your life this season. Here are a few prompts to help…
What has creativity looked like in your life and work through the summer?
What have you already made happen so far this year? Celebrate your accomplishments.
Are you happy with the direction your existing projects are taking? What feels aligned, what doesn’t, and why?
How is your creative energy feeling at the moment?
What creative projects or ideas do you want to make happen by the end of the year?
How do you want creativity to show up in your life in the season ahead?
4. Re-align your creativity
We can use creativity itself as a way to reflect on, and re-connect with, our creativity. That’s exactly what I’m inviting you to do with a new, free seasonal resource, “Re-align Your Creativity”. This is a mini extract from my Creative by Nature journal & playbook which invites you to do some letter-writing as a way to nurture your creativity this autumn.
The PDF resource is free to download from my seasonal resources library when you sign up to my newsletter (you’ll find it in the “autumn” section, along with a few other free resources).
Give your creativity space to voice itself, and see what comes up.
5. Bring some autumnal play into your life
Make time for some play in the season ahead - pick one of the autumn prompts below and give it a go…
🍂 Play in the falling leaves. Crunch them underfoot, throw them about, create a leaf flurry.
🎃 Carve a pumpkin inspired by your favourite movie or book.
☕️ Treat yourself to a seasonal special drink in a cafe every so often. Try something new and see if you like it!
🌅 As the days shorten, sit and watch the sunrise. Do it on a few different days from the same spot and see it change each time.
Which will you pick?
Autumn has a quiet magic to it. It offers a space to slow down, edit, reflect, and re-align before the year draws to a close. You don’t need to do all five of these autumn rituals at once, just pick whichever calls to you most right now and let it be a beginning.
And if you’d like more support for creative living and working through the seasons, sign up to my newsletter - you’ll get access to my library full of seasonal resources, made to support your creativity all year round:
Keep exploring
If this post has you craving more autumnal rituals and seasonal creative nurturing, you might also enjoy:
☀️ Exploring the four seasons of creativity in this blog post
✨ My 2 minute creative seasons quiz to explore living in harmony with your creative energy
🌱 My seasonal group programmes to bring your creative projects to life