Well, on the last day of summer, I tried to put together a little summer roundup. And now, on the first day of autumn, I feel like taking a stroll through some photos and drawings from past autumn seasons.

In every season, I love that moment when I can bring out things that match the time of the year. And even when I’m not at home, moving from one apartment to another, it feels absolutely essential to have at least a few things that make the space feel like home. It works best with books and dishes (though moving either one is always a total nightmare).

Right now, I have a book that’s pure autumn vibes (but I keep it out all year long).
This might be the most beautiful book about mushrooms I’ve ever come across — Mushroom Botanical Art by Toshimitsu Fukiharu (mine is Spanish version by Libros del Zorro Rojo). Of course, my favorite section is "Illustrated Plants of Japan in the 19th century. Honzō zufu". I can look at them over and over again. Beautiful things as a way to hold on in this messed-up world.

Another beautiful book (sadly left at home) that shows seasonal color palettes:

The autumn before last I discovered an unusual type of bread - pumpkin bread (pan de calabaza). I wish I could repeat this delicious treat. An ideal match for pumpkin soup.

As my digital planner last year, I used a free monthly calendar from Dash Planner. I imported a PDF into Samsung Notes on my already old, but still reliable tablet for things like this (Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 2021). And I enjoyed the gentle scratch that mimics a real pencil (a nice feature of the Samsung Notes app) while filling in the little squares right in bed. A small ritual to distract myself from restless thoughts before sleep.

It’s hard to truly enjoy things when heavy uncertainty surrounds you. Even in the smallest sketches and photos, everything looks calmer than it really is. Well, that was never the point anyway. Sometimes I surprise myself at how it turns out. Fake it till you make it.. (the hardest task when the world is literally on fire).

I hope everyone can find at least a few small moments of joy this autumn.

That’s why Substack gives me such a nostalgic feeling — it brings back those long reads. And it makes me want to try something similar again. A confession right away: I have no idea what this will turn into. In fact, that’s exactly what I want to figure out in the process — while giving my sketches an extra spark of motivation. I might change the title or the user picture — so don’t be surprised. One thing’s for sure: cats will appear here, in sketches and in photos alike.

Maybe someone will be reminded that they’re not alone in their creative struggles. Or maybe someone will also feel like picking up a pencil (stylus) an extra time — and that would be lovely to know.

It feels nice to start something new with the beginning of the favorite season. Since childhood, I’ve always been captivated by autumn. But autumn is impossible without the very last day of summer. That final day carries a strange mix of anticipation and tristeza (I love this Spanish word for “sadness”), even if you’re not a summer person at all. You’re eager for autumn to arrive, yet part of you wants to hold it back. To do that, you can reflect on the summer that has passed.

How do I describe summer without unnecessary “human” details? Actually, I do love those human details — I just find it too hard to tell them openly (and maybe this, too, is something I’ll sort out in the process).

Officially, summer doesn’t end until the 22nd of September, and maybe it’s more logical to tie seasons to natural shifts. Still, the thought of “September equals autumn” is hard to shake off.

Summer is the midpoint of the year — time to panic once again about how fast time flies (and how much you still haven’t managed to do). A couple of years ago, I started keeping a digital “diary” — tiny sketches for each day in monthly planners. Those little squares that adults usually fill with meetings and important notes. The point is to make at least one tiny sketch of something still belonging to that day.

And now, looking back at the three summer spreads, I realize it’s cats all over again, with hints of hydrangeas and baguettes. And there you have it — your summer no longer seems quite so hopeless. Because there’s definitely no such thing as too many cats, hydrangeas & baguettes.

Well, besides that, there were long walks, green fields, and some mountains on the horizon.

Besides filling my monthly spreads in Samsung Notes, I also love sketching in the Concepts App. I’ll share more about this in one of the upcoming posts.

And some summer reads: local library finds & Amazon deals:

So, that was a small glimpse of this summer. Thanks for reading — and maybe I’ll see you in the next post.