Embracing September: A Time for New Beginnings

The True New Year

September has always felt like the true new year to me. The air shifts, the light softens, and there’s that unmistakable feeling of fresh starts. Perhaps it’s the echo of school days—new shoes, pencil cases, and timetables—but it feels like a time for setting intentions and making plans, far more so than January.

For those with children, September is a milestone month. Mine are stepping into Year 8 and Sixth Form—taller, busier, and more independent than ever. Their growing up gives me the freedom to follow my own dreams. However, I find myself missing their little selves: the school run chats, the World Book Day costumes, the piano concerts, and cubs squeezed in after tea. In hindsight, those were golden years, and I feel grateful that my career could flex around their rhythms.

A Parallel Journey

As they step forward, so do I—into the second and final year of my MA Fine Art. It feels like a parallel journey: theirs into young adulthood, mine into deeper creative exploration. This shared experience of growth is both exciting and bittersweet.

September also pulls us back into our homes after the long, light days of summer. After the open, outward energy of those months, there’s something grounding about returning indoors and refreshing our spaces.

The Importance of Home

Suddenly, the indoors matters again. The kitchen becomes the gathering spot, the sofa the anchor, and the walls the backdrop to our daily lives. It’s often the time I want to refresh things—rearrange furniture, swap paintings, or bring in new color and energy. Nesting becomes essential. After all, what we look at every day shapes our mood. A painting can carry light and joy through the darker months or evoke memories of warmth, gardens, and growth.

And I Rose Above oil on canvas 60 x 90 cm

This piece is about looking to the light and the blue skies. It reminds me of the colors of my garden in autumn, the smoke tree and Virginia Creeper as they turn all those glorious hues. It was painted a few years ago, but I somehow couldn't quite resolve it until recently. It's now available via my shop.

Nurturing Family and Creativity

This September, I’m leaning into both: nurturing my family as they move forward and stepping further into my own creative path. Additionally, I am refreshing my home and studio for the season ahead.

If you’re feeling the September shift too, perhaps it’s time to shake up your own walls or carve out space for something new. If you need some inspiration, come along to the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea in October. I'll be there on stand H4.

Looking Ahead

I’ll share more soon about workshop plans, new works, and my MA journey as it unfolds. This season is about growth, both personally and artistically. Embrace the changes that September brings, and let them inspire you to create a space that reflects your evolving self.

x Lara