This is part 3 in a 4-part series on The Seasons of a Creative Life. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here.

Just as the season of summer does not last all year, neither does the summer of our creative life.

Autumn comes and, with it, a period of harvesting and then pruning.

In the natural world, we see things fall away, die back and turn colder during this time.

In our creative lives, this is the time for bringing projects to completion, revising, refining, and also honing our skills. A priceless time.

Autumn: A Time of Learning and Discerning

The autumn of our creativity is when we have the energy for studying new tools, looking with a discerning eye at our works and seeing how they can be made better. You may not feel the inspiration of new ideas flowing, but it is just as valuable and important to go over your first and second and third drafts and make improvements, learn from your mistakes, and practice new skills, to grow as an artist.

Autumn: The Final Harvest

In the harvesting phase, we have the focus and discernment to refine our projects and bring them to completion. Letting ourselves complete a project is necessary to make inner space for something new in the next springtime cycle.

In the next post, we’ll talk about the winter of our creative lives and how it paves the way for spring. Stay tuned!

If you want ongoing support, guidance and community to help you navigate the seasons of your creativity so you can really thrive and shine, join me here.