Yee-ow, this has been a busy year. One brand-new website, 23 pieces of original art, two art shows, one unfunded Kickstarter, one (kick-ass) booth at World Domination Summit, one hundred First Edition Major Arcana decks in happy homes, and one magnificent workshop later, here I am: preparing to release a new and improved edition of The Portland Tarot Major Arcana deck and launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise the moolah to print it!
Make no bones about it: I want this campaign to fund, and I’m doing everything in my power to make that happen. As with anything this big and risky—and this worthwhile—it can be too easy to feel the weight of what’s yet to be done and not take (enough) heart from what’s been accomplished so far; to forget the many steps we’ve taken between where we were and where we are now.
But there’s always a bridge from who we used to be to who we are. And when we’re uncertain of exactly where we find ourselves, it can be helpful to evaluate how we got here. Along the journey, we’ll have embodied various ways of being, various archetypes. And, luckily, the Major Arcana is a fabulous tool for looking at those archetypes! (In fact, it’s something that my co-writer, Jamie Morris, and I will be covering in our soon-to-be-expanded little white book for the revised deck.)
That’s why, last night, I decided do one of the brilliant “3 Card Bridge Spreads” spreads Jamie developed for The Portland Tarot. Cards in hand, I asked, How did I find myself living a creative life (mostly) on my own terms, collaborating with incredible people, and making the art I most want to make?
The Beginning: The Devil
Wildness; Taboo thinking; Bottled-up self-expression; Bondage
Even as a child, there was a little wildness in me. I was a little too loud, a little too unruly in my creativity. I wanted to be a million different things. When I told my mother I wanted to direct films, she would point out my chances were “slim to none.” When I said I wanted to live my life as an artist, she told me to get a job as a graphic designer so “I stood a chance of making a living.” Wherever desire lived in me, there was always some sort of wall put up right in front of it.
Throughout college, the wild spirit in me cried out for a life of creative freedom, but it was always countered by the pragmatic, programmed voice of my mother inside me. So when, at school, I realized I wanted to create the art for a Tarot deck, my mother’s voice dismissed the possibility almost as quickly as I could have the thought.
The Bridge: The Magician
Will power; Manifestation; Pulling things from the astral into the material world; Mastery
Still, a deep belief that anything was possible never left me—and it had funny ways of popping up when least expected. Against the programming, I started to develop a new belief: That my will was strong, and if I made it clear as day that no one wanted it more than I did, through double doses of hard work, I could get what I truly desired. (That’s how I got my college internship at LucasArts!)
I still found myself in a 9-5 design job; dealing with office politics, glass ceilings, short lunches, and the too-frequent double shifts of the salaried employee. It was a battle—and I finally realized that if I was going to battle, it would have to be for something I truly cared about, not something handed down from on high.
Then I began to understand that there was magic—the magic of manifestation—alive and at work within what I had seen as lucky breaks and amazing lightning bolts; this magic could connect me me with amazing friends and collaborators and would support my creative desires. And just like that, I was back to Tarot: I became obsessed. I did readings for anybody who would let me, at parties, bridal events, fund raisers. Then a brilliant friend suggested I follow my dream and create my own Tarot deck.
The Destination: The Empress
Creativity; Life force; Collaboration; Fecundity; Support from the feminine
Over the years, I’ve created a lot: I’ve made films, designed web sites and logos, written novels, and painted up a storm. But today there is a difference in how that manifests. Now, I can really see myself living a creative, vital life, sharing my gift, and creating work that matters to people. Through The Portland Tarot project I’ve come to trust in my own voice, my own creation, and in my power—a power we all have—to attract the perfect collaborators along the way.
Ultimately, the purpose of this project is to add to the goodness in the world. The Tarot is a tool that can support people as they seek their own self-fulfillment and the realization of their dreams. I want to be a part of that. The Portland Tarot is my bridge.
“Sometimes you must review the bridges you’ve crossed in order to choose the archetypes of your future.” – Tweet it!
On my new Indiegogo campaign—created to support a new and improved version of the Major Arcana deck—I’m offering some really fun perks! These include great stocking stuffers (because you know it’s going to be the holidays any minute) such as $5 Portland Tarot Postcard Readings, circus-themed Portland Tarot posters, steep deck-package discounts for gift-giving galore, and truly whimsical Portland Tarot cards.
Get your own copy, or share with friends, if you feel so inclined. Here is the direct link: http://igg.me/at/the-portland-tarot-major-arcana-deck/
Thank you for following along. May your own creative spirit rock on!
Yours in creativity and gratitude,
Theresa
