Every year around this time I go into a bit of a panic. Tired of summer’s end, I often find myself ignoring the outside world and retreating indoors as soon as the weather dips into wind and rain – and then I end up regretting not spending more time outside before things get really bad for the remaining fall days and entirety of winter. With this year’s Cowboy Project and era, I was basically forced to be outside in the fall to get all the ridiculous poses and pictures you’ve seen here, and it’s been a boon to the soul that will have me intentionally doing so in the future.
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve found peace and solace by walking in the woods. Even the small patch of forest behind my childhood home was large enough for a child to get lost and feel freedom, while also feeling at one with the earth and the trees and the rocks and the water.
With all the sparkly trappings of the freight train of fabulousness that typically steamrolls its way through these parts, it’s understandable that no one quite believes me when I say I’d rather be walking in the woods or puttering about the garden than at any party or fancy dress-up scene, but knowing my own truth is enough.
My image has gone to bat for me many times over the years, and I will always be thankful for that. What’s behind the scenes is what really matters, and on this autumn day, when the last of the sun is warming the ground and the leaves are starting their fall, I return to the place where I’ve always felt most at home.
Alone. In the wood. Among the beauty and the sublime.
