The autumn leaves in New England were terrific this year. Returning from my annual writer’s retreat in Maine with my wo-mentor poet Elizabeth McKim, I reflect on the turning of the leaves. It is hypnotic; they let go and blaze with color. I found sixty different colors in the leaves! So delightful and satisfying for the eye! Here they go riding the wind, dancing on the gusts, turning and twisting – laying down a crunchy carpet; a thousand leaves. They reminded me to let go, rest in the beauty of change, be surprised, dwell with the shapes and colors; don’t clutch but take a turn on the breeze, float and twirl, see where you land. Philosophers and poets remind us that autumn leaves are a loss for the trees; that their beauty comes from dying. Yet this phenomenon is so spectacular, people travel just to see it.
Autumn Leaves: An Expressive Arts Reflection on Letting Go
This year brought me great loss and change. I mourned, grieved, struggled and fell down. My body wept and howled; strange sounds came out of me. Ungovernable; I allowed it. But now my sounds have changed, I found a new song. My dance has changed, I landed on my two feet. Possible meme: embrace the change. Or maybe: the autumn leaves remind us of the beauty of letting go.
What about you? What images or emotions does autumn bring to you? Have you, too, suffered a loss? Here are two Haiku (Japanese style poems) I wrote about my personal story.
3 Expressive Arts Practices Inspired by Autumn Leaves
The autumn leaves offer more than beauty xe2x80x94 they offer a teaching. Here are three practices, drawn from the expressive arts tradition, to deepen your relationship with this season’s invitation to let go.
1. Movement: The Falling Leaf
Stand in a space where you can move freely. Imagine you are a leaf xe2x80x94 not yet fallen, but beginning to loosen. What would it feel like to release your grip on the branch? Begin to move: swaying, spinning, drifting, sinking slowly to the ground. Notice what feels good to let go in your body as you move. Let the movement itself be the practice xe2x80x94 no goal, no destination. Take two or three minutes with this, then rest.
2. Writing: What Is Ready to Fall?
Sit quietly for a moment after your movement. Then write xe2x80x94 quickly and without editing: What in my life is ready to fall away? What have I been holding that is actually beautiful as it leaves? Write for five minutes. Don’t try to be wise xe2x80x94 just be honest. You may surprise yourself with what wants to be released.
3. Making: A Leaf Collection
Go outside and gather a handful of leaves xe2x80x94 real ones if you can, or draw your own on paper. For each leaf, write one word representing something you are releasing this season. Then arrange them into a small artwork: a mandala, a scattered pattern, a small composition on the page. Photograph it. Let it be temporary. That is the point.
The expressive arts remind us that beauty and loss are not opposites xe2x80x94 they are partners. In many traditions, the autumn season is understood as the great teacher of impermanence: not to be feared, but honored. The most luminous moments often arrive at the very threshold of change, in the pause between holding on and letting go. For more practices like these, explore our introductory expressive arts workshops xe2x80x94 open to everyone, no prior art experience required. To learn more about expressive arts as a healing and transformative practice, visit the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.
Explore how the expressive arts connect us to the natural world — learn more about EAI’s expressive arts programs.
