It’s October 1st and it doesn’t feel like it should be. For me, August and September are filled with so many activities and tasks that they go by quicker than I can even begin to try to enjoy them. There’s harvesting needing done from the garden, unfinished garden projects that need completed before our first freeze arrives, and then of course it’s market season for me and all the marketing and graphics that need produced and distributed. Then market weekend and all the photos that need gone through and delivered plus it takes me the rest of the next week to fully recover. There are also birthday’s mingled in-between and general life that needs to take place. So when I hit October my body says … slow down.
That was what I thought about through our entire hike last weekend through Lost Canyon Ranch. Our family finds hiking a really great way to remove ourselves from “work” and slow our thoughts down enough to process whatever might be on each other’s minds. I found myself reflecting over the last two months and how everything in me is asking for a bit of rest.
October is a month that feels like an in-between month. August and September for me are filled with work and it doesn’t feel like the holiday’s arrive until November, so October is opportunity to slow down and rest. Fall is also my favorite season of the year and I really want to enjoy it. Feeling the cooler air move through the open windows in our home. Sitting outside with a hot fall coffee drink. Changing the decor in my home from summer to fall colors. Watching how the sunbeams come into the house lower now. Of course seeing the leaves on trees and plants start to change from green to different shades of red, orange and yellow. All of this is inspiring to me as a photographer and it tends to refuel my creativity again.
So as this month begins, I’m writing down how I want to intentionally make time for slower days and for moments of creativity and not fill it completely with “work”.
Here are few of those ideas:
- Road Trip through Rock Mountain National Park – just a day trip driving the mountain roads and seeing the aspens changing. We haven’t been to Estes Park in a long time and the recent images I found from 2007 reminded me of that.
- Flower Portraits – all of my garden flowers are done but maybe a couple of trips to Trader Joes to find sunflowers and dahlias to do some photos. My process needs an open schedule to do this and I want to make that happen.
- Coffee with a friend – time to just sit and chat with no other agenda.
- Decorating for Fall – my other creative outlet and it’s a great way to slow down a busy mind to just play and make our home feel special for this season.
This hike was about being out with my camera, with my family, and noticing what was beautiful around me while working through thoughts. My hope is that it inspires you to grab your camera (try something other than your phone) and take it with you wherever you do life. Let it intentionally slow you down to notice the beauty around you.
B.
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