Dear creative humans,
Do you keep having interesting ideas only to shove them aside? Are you stuck in the all-too-familiar trap of “maybe one day…”
NO MORE! I’m tired of doing that and this is how I’m going to do it.
The Project
An idea for a Silly Goose Themed Tarot deck popped into my head last week and I was like, oh absolutely. Then I started sketching and I knew it was over for me. I needed this thing to exist.
The only issue is I’ve never attempted a project this big. A tarot deck has 78 cards. That’s s e v e n t y - e i g h t individual drawings AND a booklet that describes each card. This would be a serious undertaking.
Why?
The first step in starting a project is figuring out: why?
The “why” is the most important step. People seem to forget that these creative projects are a lot of hard work. If you don’t have a satisfying enough “why”, your brain will throw every excuse at you as to why you should logically give up. A silly little defense mechanism our organic vessels came up with to protect us from anything painful; even when it’s good for us.
The problem is that growth is painful. So if you ever want to grow, you’re gonna have to get used to being uncomfortable.
Your “why” should be (mostly) internally motivated. Remember the only thing you can control is yourself. If the reason for your creative pursuit is external validation (i.e internet likes & money), you are giving away your power to forces you have no control over. So inevitably, when you only get a handful of likes, you are much more likely to give up and think “what’s the point?”
The point is creating something that never existed before! There are things in your soul that will never be made unless you take the leap.
Reasons why I am undertaking this project:
- I love tarot and think it is a helpful tool. Making my own deck will help me connect with the cards, especially because I have to research the card meanings.
- I really want to hold the finished deck
- Improve my digital painting skills
- Starting and finishing a project like this will allow me to build skills that I need for future BIGGER projects.
- I will have a cool product to sell at Art Fairs!
- My mind, body, and soul are all on board 👍
Not only am I going to be making a tarot deck, I am also committing to documenting the process on social media. This adds another layer of difficulty.
Reason why I am posting on social media:
- #1: Recording the process and writing everything down will help me process my thoughts. Which will hopefully make condensing my thoughts into the booklet easier.
- Sharing my interest with others! I might get people interested in tarot & teach people a little bit about tarot cards.
- Internet footprint: If my legacy in life is being the “Silly Goose Lady,” that's a win.
- Documenting growth. A good way to visualize progress.
- Grow an audience that vibes with me
- People might like it and want to purchase it when it’s finished
- Inspire others to make their own creative projects
Okay so, now what? Wanting to do something and actually doing something are two entirely different beasts. The only thing standing between me and my goal is me.
How to control chaos incarnate?
The chaos goblin inside me hates the idea of structure. Nobody can tell me what to do, especially me.
“What if all this planning stifles my creative energy?” Cries the goblin.
This is where self awareness comes in handy. The goblin loves exploration which is both a good and a bad thing. If you let the goblin take the lead, you’ll never know quite where you’ll end up. My goblin is easily distracted and, more often than not, has led me to a bunch of dead ends.
Creating structure is not something you should fear as an artist. Instead of ridged unforgiving chains, think of the planning process like bumpers in a bowling lane. A good plan will contain the goblin to the task at hand while still having fun in the process.
Making a good plan in 5 Steps
Making a good plan is all about thinking ahead and making most of the decisions now so you don’t get decision fatigue later. Otherwise, things get messy and overwhelming pretty quickly.
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Set a time frame
If you want to reach the finish line, you need to set a pace. Be realistic. Life comes with many responsibilities. How much time is this project going to take you?
I’m measuring this project by cards per week. I did the math on how long it would take me to finish 78 cards.
- 1 card/week = 78 weeks → October 2025 [1.5 years]
- 2 cards/week = 39 weeks → January 2025 [9 Months]
- 3 cards/week = 26 weeks → October 2024 [6 Months]
- 4 cards/week = 20 weeks → September 2024 [5 Months]
In the grand scheme of life, whether you achieve something in 5 months or 1.5 years doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you got it done. Aim for a pace that is sustainable for you. Burn out is a very real struggle. Life is all about balance.
As I continue the project, I will be able to readjust my expectations accordingly. I imagine that the rate of production will fluctuate but I’m aiming to complete 3 cards per week.
2. Set project constraints/parameters
Put down that pitchfork, Chaos Goblin, and let me explain.
Limiting yourself is actually good for creativity.
I need each illustration to feel like they are a part of the same world. I’m achieving that goal by limiting things like color palette, subject, and art style.
By choosing to keep the same parameters for each of the 78 illustrations, I am freeing myself from the overwhelming task of making a bunch of decisions over and over again. That’s when a project really gets messy and overwhelming.
When in doubt, simplify.
For my project, each tarot card has a well established meaning that acts like a prompt. The Fool card, for example, is about new beginnings and taking the first step. The creative goblin gets to “silly goose-ify” this prompt without having to deal with the infinite well of choices.
3. Make a process that makes sense for you
How are you actually doing the thing? This is where the consistency really comes to play. A bad system will feel redundant and full of friction. If you hate doing a part of your project, you’re more likely to never pick it up again.
This is why I decided to draw each card digitally. This solves a lot of efficiency issues and will save me a lot of time. Imagine having to drag a tripod and camera around with me anytime I wanted to draw. The logistics of that sounds like my absolute nightmare. I only have one camera battery that lasts for about 30 - 45 mins for filming videos. Then when I’m done, I have to scan every drawing into the computer anyway. No thank you.
Instead, I have an editing-software that screen records while I’m drawing on my laptop/tablet. Now that’s easy 👍
4. Make a schedule
If you want this goal to come into reality, you need to put time into it. How much time is up to you, everyone's life situation is different. Remember small consistent blocks of time is all you need to make significant progress.
I am currently a stay at home parent to a very young child. This comes with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. I spend most days looking after my son but I’ve carved out a strategy that works well for my situation.
I broke down the different tasks of my projects and assigned them to each day of the work week. This way I know exactly what I should be working on each day.
My work day bounces from nap to nap but most of my free time is at night after the baby goes to sleep around 6:30pm.
5. Set Boundaries & Priorities
Now here’s where I fight back a little on “hustle culture.” Life is meant to be lived, not toiled away. Make sure you take time for yourself. Time spent taking care of your mind, body, and soul are not wasted. The well of creativity needs replenishing so breaks are actually a very efficient use of your time.
And FOR PETE’S SAKE, GO TO BED. The work will wait for you. Your brain needs to sleep in order to process all the information it took in today. “Sleep on it” is indeed a real thing. You might wake up with a new idea on how to fix whatever ailed you yesterday.
For me, my family takes priority. My husband works during the week so I try to keep the weekends open for fun family outings or cozy days inside.
Our children will only be young once. I am making it a point to enjoy the time we spend together instead of stressing about a “lack of free time.” For me, my children will always be my greatest work. On the hard days, I remind myself that there will be a time where I don’t have small hands clinging to me as I try to put the dishes away. They will be off on their own adventures and I will miss those small hands very dearly.
Some closing thoughts
Remember that your plan should be flexible. Just because you mess up doesn’t mean you need to give up entirely. Take a second to go back over the plan and change the things that aren’t working. Failure is only a temporary learning state. It is not something you need to carry with you.
So go forth and create some things we’re never seen before.
The only thing left to do is take the leap.
Good luck, I’m rooting for you.
Emma
