A sensory guide to aligning space and creative energy with the season

September always hits like a deep breath out after the weight of summer. Even before the leaves change, there’s a restfulness in the air. No rush to beat the heat, no pressure to pack the long days full. While the rest of the world might pretend it’s time to urgently plan and prepare for the holidays ahead, my focus turns homeward.

Maybe it’s because September is my birthday month, but this time of year always marks a shift in my creative energy. I’m less focused on output and more on noticing and gathering inspiration. It’s the quiet before the relentless firestorm of new ideas that fight for attention starting around the end of October.

Even though this is my favorite season, I’ve never felt the need to stage my home and make it social media-perfect. I prefer simple changes. An orange accent here instead of the usual green. This candle instead of that one. A shawl or sweater on standby near my desk.

What does your home feel like when it’s ready for autumn?

These are the little ways I welcome autumn into my home and settle into a creative season of steeping in inspiration. Just to feel more at home in my own rhythm. Consider this sensory guide your invitation to welcome autumn through small, intentional touches.

Scents: Dark, Sweet, and Spicy

There’s the smell of autumn rain on falling leaves and pumpkin-scented everything, of course. For me, this is a season of kitchen smells: hot apple cider simmering with clove-studded orange slices, buttery mushroom-stuffed pastries, and cumin-coated root vegetables roasting. A cup of tea or coffee is never far out of reach.

My favorite tea for writing has always been Earl Grey. The soft citrus perks me up without ruining the dreamy, imaginative feeling bergamot always gives me. When I want energy and focus amidst the cozy feelings of autumn, I reach for bergamot blended with orange, cranberry, or something woodsy.

I’ll never turn down a candle with bergamot, but my favorite is Blood Moon Sky from Mythologie Candles, part of their annual autumn collection. (I’m an affiliate now, but this was one of the first candles I ever ordered from them and became an instant fan.) The notes of mulled cherry wine add a mysterious feel—perfect for writing darker scenes or letting inspiration take me where it will. For something just as deep but a little more inviting, I like Stonehenge at Dusk. I keep that one in my guest room this season so overnight visitors can be soothed by the eucalyptus and amber, but intrigued by the raspberry.

Another favorite comes from S&L Wicked. They’re local to a friend of mine in upstate New York and she gifted me their Apple Harvest scent. The apple comes through bright and crisp, backed up by very subtle warming notes of cedarwood and bergamot. As an added bonus, the wood wick gives just enough crackling to make it feel like there’s a cozy fire in the hearth.

Taste: Nourishing Dishes and Relaxing Flavors

All those delicious food smells I mentioned come from the fact I spend more time creating in the kitchen in autumn. It’s not always fancy. It’s often a hearty soup or chili in the slow cooker all day, or baking some cinnamon rolls just because it makes the house feel warmer.

This time of year, my go-to flavors are familiar comforts: spiced herbal teas, anything baked, and an after-dinner glass of mead by the fire. We stocked our wine rack with goodies from a favorite local vendor, Williamson Mead and Brewing, over summer.

For late-night writing sessions when I want something less broody than my usual tea, I’ve started reaching for one of the blends my mom sent from her local tea shop, Sunshine Cottage. I like the Happy Witch Blend for this time of year; the spiced apple and vanilla really bring a touch of fall to my mug.

There’s no big overhaul in the kitchen, just a lot more root vegetables like parsnips and sweet potatoes. Of course, there’s a lot more squash, too. We have this squash and tomato soup year-round, but it becomes a weekly dinner when the weather cools. Easy, comforting, and even better with a grilled cheese.

Touch: Practically Cozy and Comfortable

How do you bring a sense of fall with texture in everyday life? Is it just nesting in all things soft and warm in anticipation of the cold winter ahead? Well, yeah.

This one is more about practicality than aesthetic.

The wool shawl on the back of my writing chair? It’s part of staying focused when it’s time to work, not distracted by a side quest down the hall to pick the right heavy sweater. Thankfully, it’s an easy choice for me this year. My newest favorites were birthday gifts from my husband—both from Celtic Fusion Design, and both the kinds of pieces that make me feel just a little mystical and like writing is a bit like making magic.

Then there are little seasonal luxuries. Not strictly necessary, but they definitely add another layer of comfort. My indulgence is a leather cup holder from Embercraft Creations, a cool as hell sleeve for drinks with an adjustable handle. My morning coffee looks great laced up in a corset, and—more importantly—I can hold it without burning my fingers.

Layers, soft textures, warm materials… My brain works better when my body feels warm, and my fingers write faster. Toward the end of the season when it gets colder, I’ll be breaking out my collection of hand warmers and fingerless gloves.

Sight: Resetting Space for Light, Color, and Warmth

Nature does the heavy lifting when it comes to autumn visuals. A window with a good view of the trees and their shifting colors is better than any new décor you can buy. Come October, the maple tree outside my living room window will be flaming scarlet and the afternoon sunlight will wash the color all over my green walls.

But until that happens, I’m content to add little touches of yellow and orange here and there. It might sound a little basic, but this little change is more about the doing than the end result. I go around, taking down the bright green accents I put up in spring and left up over summer, and finally get to dust some of those areas I haven’t touched in months. I deep clean the kitchen and seal every granite countertop and slate sheet around the fireplace.

Autumn marks a time for resetting the space. Refreshing it. Laying the groundwork for all those cozy layers winter will make us retreat into when going out in the cold sounds like the worst idea ever. Bringing in more light and warmth to keep our spirits up through the long nights as we hold out for February.

For me, that means orange and ivory bead garlands hanging over my kitchen table. Velvety burnt orange cushion covers replace the grey ones that helped the couch visually feel cooler in the summer. And once pumpkins come to the farmers market, you’ll suddenly find new ones cropping up as old ones disappear into the oven.

Sound: Bright and Pensive, Dark and Broody

Just as subtle as scent but no less evocative, sound helps anchor me to the season. The cicadas and other summer bugs hush, letting the wind in the trees speak more clearly. Walks outside get a little noisier as the occasional leaf underfoot turns into more of a crunchy carpet.

Mu choice in music for the season reflects the quiet. For a little uplifting background noise while I’m cooking or doing things around the house, I like a little coffee shop jazz or chill lo-fi. It’s been a long time since I was a student, but I still associate September with the determined start of a fresh school year. Music to study by makes me feel at home.

I’ve written before about how sound ties into my creative process and how I use it to signal my brain to enter creative mode. Once I’ve done that, I turn to one of my writing playlists. The music I choose for this season reflects some of that inward-focus with a lot of calm, pensive songs. Some are dramatic and broody while others are light and playful. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a few epic, climactic pieces. You have to have the right soundtrack for the action, right?

You can listen to my autumn writing playlist on Spotify. I hope it inspires your own creative work sessions.

Focusing on Looking Inward

The start of autumn always feels like a creative pause, a deep breath in. It’s a time to notice, to gather, and express gratitude. For me, I know I’ve got one more burst of ideas before I’m ready to fully rest over winter.

When I’m not sure what direction my creative energy needs to go these days, I pull some tarot cards or journal with these questions in mind:

• What am I holding onto that’s keeping me stuck?
• What am I ready to release?
• Where am I preparing to “harvest” the fruits of my labor with my creative energy?
• Where do I need to direct my inward attention?

For days when I want to write but don’t know which project to direct my energy into, I come back to these journal prompts:

• How am I marking this shift in the seasons?
• What have I been looking forward to for this time of year?
• What could I have used more of this time last year? Less of?

Here’s to a season of slowing down, tuning in, and giving shape to our ideas. What are the small ways you’ll settle into autumn’s embrace this year?