Autumn inspiration

Now that October is here, we’re beginning to settle into a new season. Perhaps to some one of the most significant periods in the year for change . As a creative the environment around me is an inspiration for me to draw on, my sensitive nature and attention to the world impacts the work that I do and the designs that I create.

 

Watching the acorns fall from the oak trees outside my office window, the squirrels running through the branches or foraging for acorns that have fallen on the path below can become quite the distraction at times. Conversely the walks through the woodland, the leaves changing colour and the berries emerging on the trees brings with it a new energy that longs to be captured in design.

 As I stood within the trees not far from my home, I knew I needed to capture this change, this season, and the anticipation of all that is to come. What better way to do that with a fun and calming pattern collection centred around the woodland. The trees around us, whether it be a small group, or a vast forest is forever changing. Depending on when you decide to visit, it can become a completely new and different place to be. No matter the time of year the woodland will bring something new and expectant. There is no one season that is better than the last, but each comes with a different sense of purpose and meaning.

 

We all have our favourite times to visit, maybe the new life appearing with snowdrops and bluebells or the striking colours of leaves as they change and fall from the trees. For me, there is no favourite, Autumn most certainly isn’t the time of year I look forward to the most but embarking on this journey as a creative I am learning to appreciate all that it has to offer and the respite it offers to my mind. The colours, calmness, sounds and smells all become a welcome distraction to the thought of another year slipping by, and another hectic Christmas season lingering in the shadows ready to jump out and consume me.

Behind the news headlines and the darkness in the world right now, there is so much beauty to be found in the woodland, so that is what I am going to go in search of. Wrapping up warm or making the most of the sunny days with my mug of hot chocolate, I am going to explore the woodland and create a collection that will keep me grounded. A way to slow down, meditate and explore. A way to look forwards in hope and not backwards in longing for the brighter summer days that have been left behind.