Studio News & 10 Creative Ways to Reconnect to Nature this Autumn (Podcast #15)

Above: A Harvest Heart at the Verve Festival in Wiltshire, UK.

Hello dear friend!

Today, as summer here in the northern hemisphere starts to turn to autumn, I wanted to take some time to pause and share some ways we can creatively connect back to nature as the seasons start to change. And of course I am sharing a little studio update first. So welcome to studio news and 10 Creative Ways to Reconnect to Nature this Autumn

This podcast is Episode #15 on the listening list.

If you are listening to this on Substack, you can simply scroll down to see the images and videos included in this post. If you are listening elsewhere, please pop on over to louisegale.substack.com to see the full post there.

Welcome to A Creative Connection with Nature and this little corner of mine in the online world with me, Louise Gale.

I am a Mixed Media Artist and most of my time here will be spent sharing the little creative ways I weave nature into my art practice. I will also be exploring and sharing little snippets of inspiration for you to explore your own.

Read the full blog post at louisegale.substack.com

Download your FREE September Coloring page here. I am sharing the same printable as last September.

Studio Update for September

So, hello September! I think many will agree that Autumn is a favourite season for lots of us. It has such a fresh feeling about it as the joys of the summer come to a close and all that we experienced and harvested over the summer months, we are guided by nature once again to reflect on what it means for a new season to begin.

Call it that “back to school” feeling, but I always feel a sense of a new beginning on its way this time of year. I start to sort things out, re-evaluate finances or projects I started over the summer and look at clearing a path to allow new things to come in.

Step by step, focusing on carving out a more simpler, quieter life as each year unfolds. When I think back to this time last year, the studio garden was just a twinkle in my eye and I am already excited for how it might look this time next year.

I have been harvesting an abundance of tomatoes for two months now! Roasting and making up batches of pasta sauce for the freezer and enjoying the fresh produce when having your own veggie garden… and there is nothing so delicious than roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic and herbs on a hot toasted ciabatta! Yum…. I started small this year, so I have tomatoes (so many of them!) sweet peppers which are just starting to turn now, butternut squash which are balancing on the trellis, then kale, peas, figs, apples, blackberries, sunflowers and more to come next year.

I did plant cauliflower and beets, but maybe a little late…we will see. Below is a little video of Sunday morning sunshine picking.

End of Summer Sale is Ending!

Oh! yes! If you are also listening to this on September the first, then today is the last day to grab all of my online art classes with up to 50% off in the End of Summer Sale! I will likely leave the specials on the site for a few more days this week….

Botanical Alphabet Project

In other studio news, I am still working on my Botanical Alphabet and as I record this, I am up to letter P! Very exciting (Although I still need to do the letters N and O).

I did start to get that feeling many of us get when working on a daily project which makes us question what we are doing and why! So I took a couple of days away from the studio, in the garden and then I returned, refreshed to continue on.

I am still unsure as to where this particular project will take me, but I have been enjoying the process of drawing and designing the flowers around each letter and have now started to make the designs alot more detailed, so I am definitely going to return to the earlier letters to redo some of them!

Above image: Just a little glimpse into some of the finished letters.

I also received a wonderful commission (via my Etsy Shop) for three letters from a lovely lady in the US. Luckily I was able to get them all designed, printed, gilded and mailed off before the new tariff that is currently being introduced for all goods going into the USA. A challenge for so many small businesses that sell into America, but I am confident the mailing systems will get a process into place so we can see this being a smooth transition in the run up to the holiday season.

Below is a little video of the 3 lovely letters that were sent. These are also in my Etsy shop here. So I have a choice of Pansy, Petunia and Passionflower for the letter P.

So if you are enjoying the series of letters and think this may be the perfect gift for someone, please do let me know as I am taking orders now until October 1 for an early start on the festive season. You can email me, leave a comment below or request through my Etsy Store here.

I am heading back to Spain early October until mid November time and will open orders up again then, but will only have a limited amount of slots. A selection of these gilded letters will also be left at the Gallery in Spain for their run up to the holiday events. I think many of my friends and family will receive a handmade personal gift this year.

So… lots of fun was had this summer, in the garden and in the garden studio. I did not get out much I have to admit, but I was so perfectly happy in my own little creative sanctuary in nature and each morning was such a joy, being spent in the garden with my coffee tending to the plants and enjoying the quiet morning sunshine before heading into the studio.

Connecting with Nature - some ideas for the new season ahead.

As we begin to experience the cooling of the sun, the nights drawing in and that crisp feeling that autumn is on its way, I wanted to share some ideas on ways we can creatively connect back to nature for the new season ahead.

I for one, will be enjoying more walks out in nature and I cannot wait to explore the beginnings of autumn which is a favourite for sure! The turning of the leaves, the slight chill in the mornings, the harvest of my veggie garden… spending time with friends and family, so many things to be grateful for.

I also have this overwhelming desire to pick up my embroidery again as this new season arrives. Something that keeps whispering at me….especially the idea of embroidering these Botanical Letters I have been designing… so yes, I will see how that unfolds and keep you updated! I had a vision of me, snuggled up over the Autumn months, going into winter quietly and contently sewing.

🌿 10 creative activities to connect back to nature

So lets dive into some suggestions for connecting with nature to inspire our creativity this coming season. There are so many ways we can creatively forge our connection back to nature and here are just a few which I hope inspire you.

Above image: Sketching leaves before they turn in autumn.

* 1. 🍂 Nature journaling — sketch or write about changes in light, leaves, and your surroundings.

This is such a wonderful way to get back into a creative practice. Journaling thoughts about the new season, but also capturing some of the beauties of nature along with way. Maybe sketching leaves or little seedpods you find or some of the flowers that are still in bloom, late in the season. I do have my Nature Trail class here which includes 30 prompts for drawing, painting and getting out into nature. Its an older class of mine, so is priced at only $29

* 2. 📸 Seasonal photography walk — capture textures, shadows, and colors of the season.

This kind of creative activity is a wonderful way to record the changing of the seasons. You can even make a collage of photos for each season to enjoy and really start to notice the main differences as the wheel of the year turns.

* 3. 🥾 Walking haikus and poetry — compose poems inspired by what you notice on a walk.

Do you prefer to write than create visual art? How about writing a series of short poems about your time spent in nature. When we connect deeply with the world around us, it inspires feelings and a connection to place. You may find that words find you as you explore in silence through woodlands or the countryside.

* 4. 🧩 Land art — arrange leaves, stones, and branches into temporary temples and sculptures.

Something that sparked my creativity after I moved to Spain with no art materials or ideas! I used to collect shells and other objects on the beach to create little nature mandalas along my walks. If you feel inspired, why not create your own with what you find on your walks and leave them behind for others to find and enjoy.

Above image: A nature mandala from seaweed, stones and fallen hibiscus.

* 5. 🧘 Seasonal meditation outdoors — notice scents, sounds, and temperature shifts.

If you just want to get out and enjoy the season without any purpose of creating, taking a journey through your senses is just like a meditation. A beautiful way to be in the present moment and reconnect back to yourself and to nature. The smell of the par after the rain, the shadows of sunset, the silence or call of birds. When you take time to walk in silence and notice, it is amazing what presents itself to you.

* 6. 🧺 Nature-inspired weaving — use twigs, grasses, or vines for small creative projects.

I have not taken part in this myself, but I recently found a video where a lady was weaving her lavender stalks into a tiny basket. So inspiring to watch and realise that nature really can spark so many creative ideas, but also provide us with items we can use. I know there is a whole movement out there for weaving using natural materials, so if this is something that inspires you, you are sure to discover some amazing resources.

* 7. 📚 Seasonal reading nook outdoors — read in a natural setting and let the atmosphere influence you.

Take a book on your nature walks along with your nature journal. You can find a beautiful spot to sit in nature to read and also little items that you may like to keep in your nature treasure box or press.

* 8. 🍂 Become a Collector — look below as you walk and collect little treasures

I have long been a collector and in Spain, have this little box full of find from the beach. I also find other items in drawers and books that I have collected or pressed from nature too! it is amazing what you may find to collect. These are wonderful items to draw from too, so this is a mindful practice to combine walking, collecting and creating regularly. One that I always talk about in my online classes too.

Above: My treasure collections from the beach in Spain.

* 9. 🔥 Campfire creativity — storytelling, sketching by firelight, or photographing flames.

I really wanted to build a fire pit in my studio garden area over the summer, but did not quite make time for it! Next year! I love the thought of sitting by the fire, chatting with friends and contemplating. Maybe even making an autumnal smore with a hot mulled cider in hand! I did buy some solar lights to hang up, but need to work on a better structure for them. So keep an eye out for a little project on this next year, I am sure!

* 10. 🕯️Indoor Creative Projects - making handmade gifts, art and more.

And for our final prompt or idea, it has a list of its own for being back in the studio or indoors (wherever you find yourself creating) Here are a few creative ideas I would like to explore myself that are inspired by our beautiful natural world.

* 🎨 Leaf or flower pressing art — make collages or decorate journals with pressed leaves.

* 🍂 Silver clay jewellery - Making little trinkets from forages finds!

* 🕯️ Candle-making or soap-making with natural scents - maybe drying out the flowers you have or using essential oilds

* 🖌️ Paint with natural pigments — experiment with berries, soil, or spices.

* 🕯️ Air Dry Clay pinch bowls - a lovely gift with pressed flowers or handpainted

* 🍵 Foraged tea blending — brew with gathered herbs or berries.

* 🖼️ Window altar — display seasonal finds (acorns, feathers, leaves).

* 🍵 Cooking with autumn harvests — create edible art with pumpkins, squash, apples.

* 🎶 Seasonal playlists — blend natural sounds into music or ambient recordings or simply create a playlist to cosy up with and create to.

So I hope those ideas have sparked something inside of you. What other creative practices can you also think of? I would love to hear about them. Please do pop a comment below.

As we approach autumn and also the equinox in a few weeks, I am also excited to be heading off on a wellness retreat weekend(the same one I went to last year called Verve Festival in Wiltshire, UK) to spend time outside in nature. More on that in a future update!

If you’ve read or listened this far, I want to let you know how grateful I am that you make space inside your inbox and day for my newsletters.

Thank you again for being a subscriber. Wishing you so much love and feel free to ask me any creative questions at all!

Thank you for supporting the work I do by subscribing. I hope I can continue to inspire.

Thanks for reading Creative Connection with Nature - by Artist Louise Gale! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.