Autumn, cosiness, being an introvert & koroks!
As an autumn/winter person, these are the months when I feel I can finally relax into my days and generally be more ‘me’.
If you’re cosy and you know it, hug a pumpkin!
It’s also the time I feel more connected to the art I’m creating and the process feels more ‘right’ and I want nothing more than to be at home creating, whether that’s in my studio, or baking in the kitchen, decorating for the season, or making a start on homemade Christmas presents.
We make an edible spooky haunted house each year (…do you like my ghostie top?!)
Home, to me, is a cocoon of cosiness - a space where I feel grounded, with all my favourite things around me. I’ve recently moved my studio into my eldest daughter’s old bedroom - it’s smaller than the room I was using before, but as it will be a dedicated art space, it’s been really nice having everything in one place at last, rather than dotted around the house in various forms of storage.
But, as with many artists, I am an introvert and know I need to get out into the world and be around other people…but just for short periods of time and on my terms 😄 Some of the things I find helps with this:
Choir: I’ve recently rejoined my old choir and my two grown-up girls are coming with me too, which is so lovely. It’s an hour of singing, silliness and togetherness that we all really look forward to each week. It’s also a cosy activity as we’re already singing Christmas songs in preparation for an informal concert in December. Choir is a great way for introverts to get their people-fix…there’s no obligation to chat to people, but they are there if you do want to
‘Youth Club’: This is something I’ve been wanting to set up for many years…a youth club for grown-ups 😄 It’s a monthly meet-up where we do a different craft or activity, just like our children had the opportunity to do when they were young. I’m a firm believer that we should never ‘grow up’ and lose our sense of play. Life should be fun and filled with light moments, but also things that push us out of our comfort zone. We’ve only met once (and there are only two of us so far!) but it was so fun. We loaded a ton of ideas into an online spin wheel thingy and it landed on sewing, so that’s what we did! I brought Halloween choccies over to my friend’s and we made little felt koroks (from Zelda)
Coffee shop drawing: This is a year-round activity for me, but I do go more often as the weather gets cooler. In spring and summer I take my sketchbook out and about more - to the woods, the beach, the hills…but it’s cosying up in cafés in autumn to draw, or write or plan that breaks my day up and is another way of being around people. It’s also a way of connecting - I’ve met quite a few other wfh-ers in recent months who, like me, appreciate a few minutes of interaction, followed by companionable silence for the rest of the time! I’ve made two good friends this way too :)