A Quiet Shift: September in the Studio

September always feels like a hinge month in the studio — one foot still in summer, the other already stepping toward fall. The pace starts to shift, routines adjust, and the creative focus quietly changes without much announcement. It’s not loud, but it’s important.

This month was less about launching something new and more about preparing — mentally, creatively, and logistically — for what comes next. September tends to ask for a reset. Not a full stop, just a moment to breathe, reassess, and get back into rhythm after the height of summer.

One meaningful moment this season was entering the Etsy Design Awards at the end of August for the second year in a row. I didn’t win — again — but I’m still incredibly proud of myself for entering. Putting your work forward like that takes courage, and a lot of people never take that step at all. I chose to share the process openly, both entering and not winning, because showing up matters just as much as the outcome.

That experience reminded me that growth doesn’t always come with trophies or titles. Sometimes it shows up as confidence, visibility, and the willingness to keep putting your work out into the world — even when the result isn’t what you hoped for. September held space for that kind of quiet bravery.

In the studio, my focus leaned toward grounding tasks. Organizing, prepping, and making space for fall work took priority over pushing myself to constantly produce something new. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes effort that happens during this time of year that never really shows up on a product page, but it’s what makes the busy season possible.

Creatively, September reinforced that not every month needs to be high-energy to be productive. Some months are about refining ideas, revisiting plans, and making thoughtful decisions that shape the rest of the year. I spent time considering not just what I wanted to make, but how I wanted to work and show up moving forward.

September doesn’t demand urgency — it encourages intention. It’s a reminder that progress isn’t always flashy, but it’s still meaningful. The ideas were there, the plans were forming, and the studio was quietly getting ready.