Autumn is finally here (and I am leaning in)

Sometimes I really do learn something new on socials. Recently, I discovered that Australia is one of the only countries in the world that marks the change of seasons from the first day of the month.

And honestly… it explains a lot.

All my life, I’ve felt slightly out of sync with the seasons. As a teenager, I remember complaining that it was supposed to be summer in December, but it never quite felt warm enough to swim. And now, as an adult, I find myself wondering why it’s still so hot when we’re “meant” to be easing into autumn.

So over the last couple of years, I’ve quietly opted out of ‘our’ official version of the seasons… and it has made me so much happier.

Autumn has always been my favourite season (don’t tell spring). There’s something about the change in the air, the softness of the light at sunrise and sunset, the way the mornings arrive at a normal time again, and watching the moonrise as I pick up the girls from dance.

I love wrapping myself up in a blanket on the balcony, tea in hand, painting without the rush of everything drying too quickly and feeling the evenings stretch out, darker and slower.

The longer nights feel filled with possibility and magic, and this is the time when my creative muses start to stir.

It’s as if my muses are just waiting for me to have some space to breathe – just last week, a full painting dropped into a dream, something that hasn’t happened in such a long time.

Unlike the brightness and busyness of summer, this season asks me to slow down, to look inward and to rest. And more than any other year, I am leaning hard into this.

I’ve picked up a cross stitch that’s been seventeen years in the making (yes, really), and I’ve started a Procreate course I have been wanting to do for years.

A different kind of creative practice, but one that is needed so that I can keep fueling inspiration for my painting.

And if you’re feeling that pull too, that quiet nudge to slow down, to reconnect, to create in a way that feels gentle and nourishing, I’ve put together a little collection of Autumn printables and creative rituals for you.

A way to carve out small pockets of magic in your everyday.

If you’d like to download the Autumn Printables for free, click the link below