Creativity in October: Listening to the Season Shift

October is one of those months that creeps in quietly, pretends as if it doesn’t want to make a fuss but absolutely does want to show off.

One minute everything is green, and the next you’re suddenly surrounded by crispy yellows, smoky oranges, deep berry reds… and you’re wondering if you’ve accidentally walked into a painting.

It’s the kind of month that gives you a nudge and says,
“Go on… look a little closer.”

And honestly, creatively speaking, October is fab.

The Colours Start Talking (and I’m Here for It)

There’s something about the light at this time of year, softer, lower, almost golden around the edges.
The colours deepen. Shadows stretch. Even my dog looks slightly more poetic on a walk.

Autumn colour shifts feel like nature’s version of saying:
“Hey, want some inspiration? Because I’ve got plenty.”

But this isn’t just about paintings.
These colours can influence anything:

• the way you dress
• the food you crave
• the mood of a poem
• the plants you bring inside
• the ingredients you reach for
• the music you put on in the background

Creativity comes in through all the senses, and October brings a whole load of choice

The Soundtrack of Crunching Leaves

Let’s just acknowledge the joy, the pure, childlike delight of stepping on a really crunchy leaf, or tracking through a deep pile of leaves.

October is full of tiny sensory invitations like that:

• leaves rustling in little whirlwinds
• the satisfying crunch underfoot
• cold air hitting your cheeks
• birds gathering
• the softer quiet that settles in nature

These sounds and sensations are creative prompts all on their own.

Creativity often starts with noticing and October practically forces you to notice.

Slowing Down Is a Creative Superpower

Summer is all outward energy.
October is inward.

It’s the season of gathering in, lighting candles, making slow soups, writing things down, pulling out blankets (even though we all pretend we don’t do that until November).

Creatively, it’s the perfect time to:

• journal
• gather ideas
• plan gently
• experiment
• make comforting things
• start projects that don’t need finishing this month

October says, “You don’t have to rush. You’ve got time.”

And there’s something incredibly freeing about that.

Collecting Inspiration Like Conkers

One of the nicest ways to be creative in October is to collect things, not necessarily physical things, but little moments.

Try this:

• Notice a particular colour on a tree
• Listen to the rhythm your feet make on your walk
• Smell the air after a cold morning
• Capture a photo of a shadow you liked
• Write down a thought that arrived out of nowhere

These aren’t “projects.”
They’re seeds.
And seeds matter.

Creativity loves small beginnings.

Letting Your Inner Maker Come Out to Play

October is hands-down one of the cosiest months for making things. Not perfect things. Not gallery-ready things. Just… things.

• Bake something.
  
• Knit three rows and then forget about it for a week.
• Write a poem about a twig.
• Press a leaf in a book because it looked pretty.
• Sketch the skyline.
• Rearrange your mugs so the nice ones are at the front.

It all counts.

Because creativity in October isn’t about productivity, it’s about presence.

A Gentle Challenge: Let October Inspire One Thing

Choose one small, simple moment from the month and let it spark something creative.

• A colour.
• A sound.
• A smell.
• A feeling.
• A memory.
• A leaf (crunch optional, but encouraged).

Let it lead you somewhere tiny and lovely.

P.S.

If you also find yourself accidentally hoarding pretty leaves and stuffing them in your coat pocket, welcome you’re among friends. October does that to us.