Art: Creative Tarot
I began using Tarot cards as prompts for my daily writing practice several years ago, at a time when I was struggling to move forward with my novel in progress. Rather than seeing Tarot as a prediction or spiritual system, I just pulled a card and used it as a writing prompt, a starting place for a little story or memory or reflection. Over time I grew familiar with the design and meanings of the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck and also a variety of contemporary re-imaginings. From there, creating my own Tarot card designs seemed a natural next step.
Some of the cards in this slideshow come from a series created exclusively from artworks in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, once my home away from home and still one of my favorite places on earth. I allowed each card to emerge organically as I reflect on its particular associations as well as the source artworks I create it with. My goal is to represent several media, locations and centuries in each piece, allowing images from different cultures to speak to each other in unexpected ways.
Other cards shown here are from a deck inspired by my favorite women writers. Each woman’s life, process and works suggest not only a particular archetype but also the myriad ways in which female creativity manifests.
The slideshow here will play automatically; hover over an image to pause it and click to enlarge it.