Giveaway: An interview with Gaian Tarot creator Joanna Powell Colbert

I’m so pleased that internationally acclaimed tarot creator Joanna Powell Colbert is my guest for today. Joanna’s Gaian Tarot has just been published by Llewellyn Worldwide to much critical praise. It was previously published as a limited edition and has been in the works for some nine years.

I plan to post a review of the Gaian Tarot soon. In the meantime, here’s the short version: it’s a stunning and important addition to the tarot world. I adore it! And here’s more good news: one lucky blog commenter will have the chance to try the Gaian Tarot for themself: Joanna is generously offering a giveaway of the newly published Llewellyn edition of the Gaian Tarot. Info on how to enter the giveaway is at the end of this post.

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Kris Waldherr: You’ve been working on the Gaian Tarot over the past nine years—a long period of creative development and dedication! What was your experience of “living” with such a long project? Did you ever lose hope you’d ever finish? What advice would you give other artists undertaking major projects such as yours?

Joanna Powell Colbert: I loved the process so much that, even though I was glad to finish the project, I felt lost without it.  A very strange feeling!  I loved coming up with the ideas for the cards, being inspired on my daily walks, searching for messages in the natural world, finding them and incorporating them into the cards.  It was exhilarating and exciting.  I felt so connected to Spirit and to the earth.

I never really lost hope that I would complete the deck.  I knew I would, because I felt like I had an “assignment” from Spirit to finish it and see it out in the world.  I did despair at times, over how long it was taking.  And I got very, very tired of the medium of photo-realistic colored pencil painting.  In fact, I don’t know that I will ever do another piece of artwork in that particular medium again.

Advice for other artists undertaking major projects like this? Persistence! Take it one step at a time, while keeping the big picture in mind.  Set aside blocks of time in your schedule that are earmarked for working on your project, and keep that time as sacred.  I had to say “no” to a lot of events and activities I would have enjoyed, in order to stay home and make art.  And if your life runs away with you, and you get off course, just get back on course with no shame or blame.

KW: It’s been a pleasure to watch the Gaian develop over the years on your very lovely website at GaianTarot.com. Through it, I became very familiar with the Major Arcana cards. So it was a revelation to spend time with the minor arcana cards. Many of them feel so intimate in their detailed vision of nature—spawning salmon (Ace of Water), shooting stars in a night sky (Eight of Fire). They feel like snapshots into nature’s most precious workings. How did you decide on the images for the minors? Was there any difference in your approach to them than for the Majors?

JPC: For both the Majors and the Minors, I would ask myself:  Where does the voice of Nature appear in the themes of this card?  And I would go for long walks on the island, seeking inspiration.  For the Minors, though, I did a lot of preliminary work on structure.  I made a chart — a spreadsheet, really — with the four elements (Air, Fire, Water and Earth) across the top, and the numbers and people cards down the side.  I got very clear about the meanings of the numbers and the people card qualities.  I also made lists of correspondences and symbols for the elements.  Then I would fill in the boxes on the chart with ideas for images that would bring together the quality of the number with the characteristics of the element.

For example, let’s look at the 4 of Water.  To me, “four” means: boundaries, creating a container or sacred space, a foundation. Water is all about emotions, spirituality, dreams and visions.  So I was meditating on “creating a container for sacred dreams and visions” — and I was struck with the image of a well.  A well is a literal container for water!  And there is a tradition of sacred healing wells in Britain.  I had visited Chalice Well in Glastonbury, and it seemed like a no-brainer to set the 4 of Water there, because it brings in the extra added meaning of healing. In the card, we see a woman kneeling by the well, gazing into it.  I obscured her face on purpose, so that the reader or querent can decide whether she is despondent or at peace, as she gazes into the waters of the well.

KW: In your deck, you’ve corresponded the suit of Pentacles (or Coins) with the element of earth. I think your Five of Earth is one of my favorite cards in the deck, which surprises me; usually the Five of Earth is considered a dire warning of material impoverishment. In your version the journeyer is protected by nature against the elements—a more hopeful vision. Can you tell us a little more about creating this card?

JPC: Sure. I believe that every card in every deck carries a range of meanings from light to shadow. The image on each card usually emphasizes one over the other, but as readers, we know to be aware of the entire range.  I don’t like readings where the querent is left hanging with one of the more dire cards.  I want to help the querent find a way out of their current predicament.  So, my 5 of Earth does indeed depict a survival situation:  the hiker is lost in the woods during a storm.  (This could, of course, be a metaphor for illness or financial stress, among other things.)  But here’s the key: the hiker knows he has the survival skills necessary to wait out the storm and make it out of the woods.  He knows how to build a debris hut for shelter. So even though he is cold and uncomfortable, he is not likely to die during the storm.  He’ll find his way out of the woods once the storm has passed.

The idea for the debris hut came from my nature awareness studies with my friend Chris Chisholm of Wolf Camp & College.  Making a debris hut is one of the earth skills he teaches his students in his wilderness survival courses.

KW: On a related note, what is your favorite card in the Gaian Tarot? Why?

JPC: The Guardian of Water. She is the “Goddess” card in the deck for me. I have a particular affinity for the Ocean Mother, in all the ways she manifests around the world in various cultures. I love this piece because I think it perfectly captures the compassion of Tara and Kwan Yin, pouring out the waters of mercy upon a troubled world.

KW: Now for some publishing questions! The Gaian Tarot is available both as a self-published limited edition and as a traditionally published deck with Llewellyn Worldwide. These days so much of the dialogue in the publishing industry is about the benefits of self-publishing versus traditional house. Some authors prefer the financial benefits and autonomy of self-publishing; others want the stamp of approval of a publishing house. How have these two paths served you?

JPC: I’ve had the best of both worlds, and I’m very grateful for that. In terms of money, I will most likely make more money with the limited edition than I will make with the Llewellyn edition.  But I am very happy that Llewellyn was able to produce the deck in a format that is affordable for almost anyone.  So anyone who wants the deck can have one, and that gives me a lot of joy. Llewellyn of course has great distribution channels, which I could never replicate as a self-publisher.  So the benefits of being published by a house are, as you say, the stamp of approval (Capricorns love that!), and becoming more widely known. [Note from KW: Tauruses love this too!] I am hopeful that people who buy the Llewellyn deck will want to take classes or workshops with me, join my Gaian Tarot Circle online community or book tarot consultations with me.  Like I said, the best of both worlds!  Self-publishing is better for making money and having creative control over the finished product; a publishing house is better for advancing your “fame” and reputation.

KW: Do you have any preference for one mode of publishing over the other? Would you self-publish a deck again in the future?

JPC: I have been sitting with those questions for awhile.  I think I would have to look at each project individually and think about ROI (Return On Investment).  I worked for nearly a decade on the Gaian Tarot with no financial compensation. So it was quite gratifying to finally make a decent chunk of money through sales of the limited edition.  If I can produce other books or decks quickly, I would be more likely to seek a publishing house.  Of course, there’s always the “best of both worlds” scenario, too.  As long as publishers are amenable, I think I’d always like to publish a high-end version along with a mass market version.  Yes, I would self-publish a deck again, if I had plans to create another deck, which I don’t. Not at the moment, anyway!

KW: What advice would you give to anyone looking to publish a tarot deck? Or even just looking to break into publishing?

JPC: Come up with a unique vision for your deck, and stay true to it. Make sure it comes from your heart and the promptings of Spirit. Don’t worry about whether or not your idea is commercial enough for a publisher. You can always publish it yourself.  Learn how to write a killer non-fiction book proposal — take a workshop, or read (and follow) a good book on the topic. Do your market research and create a promotion plan.  Build a platform (online and offline) while you’re creating the deck so you will already have a tribe of “fans” when the deck is published.  Go to tarot conferences and writers conferences, and network with editors and agents.  (Sometimes at conferences you can book a time slot to pitch your project to an editor or agent. Even if they turn you down, you will learn a lot!)

Don’t give up.

KW: Finally, what are you working on now? Do you have future books or decks underway?

JPC: My current focus is on teaching, more than art or writing projects. I teach online courses as well as in-person workshops, on the Gaian Tarot, earth-centered spirituality and manifesting your dreams. I’m currently in the midst of planning my schedule for 2012. One project I’m very excited about is creating a Gaian Soul Retreat for women, with an emphasis on creativity, spirituality and nature.  I’m looking for a venue here in the Northwest, maybe on one of the islands. It will probably be a four day retreat in late summer or early fall of 2012.

I am tossing around the idea of an oracle deck focused on plants and animals, with no humans in it. But so far it is just an idea. I went on a writers retreat in July, and received a “divine download” for a new illustrated book. The working title is “Reading the Book of Nature.” It’s a series of illustrated meditations based on practices I’ve collected from many sources over the years on how to create a deeper relationship with the natural world. I cover some of this same material in my workshops. I’m very excited about it!

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Thanks, Joanna, for a wonderfully inspiring interview! As I mentioned above, Joanna has offered one copy of the Gaian Tarot to raffle off here. To win, simply leave a comment by midnight, October 2, 2011. The rules: Only one comment per person. Small print: Deck set can only be shipped to U.S. mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here on Monday, October 3rd.

Good luck to all!

• Filed under creativity, interviews, reviews + press, tarot and oracles | 20 Responses

Creativity Friday: Win a first chapter and query critique from me… and a goddess giveaway

One little-known fact about me: I am a book query goddess. (And modest too. ) I’ve helped several authors rock their queries and opening pages to get that all-important agent interest. So if you’ve ever wanted help with your’s, you’re in luck: I’m happy to announce I’ve donated a first chapter and query critique of a literary or historical novel to Read for Relief.

What is Read for Relief? It’s a writing community to aid victims of Hurricane Irene. Besides myself, there are numerous goodies on offer—everything from book packages to full manuscript reads and beyond. Living here in Brooklyn, we were very lucky that Irene only sideswiped us. But many were not so fortunate. So I hope you’ll go forth and bid!

In other news, to commemorate the release of the Goddess Tarot Android app, a contest to win a free Goddess Tarot app and THE BOOK OF GODDESSES e-book is taking place here. To enter, head over to Deb’s blog to learn more. Please feel free to share—and have a great weekend!

• Filed under creativity, giveaways and raffles, news & muse, publishing | No Comments

Creativity Friday: HNS conference, new projects, and graduations

I’m back from the Historical Novel Society conference in San Diego—a whirlwind of an experience. The short version: I flew out Thursday, spent four exhilarating days with 300 historical fiction authors, agents, editors, and readers, and then flew out on the red eye to make it back to Brooklyn in time for my daughter Thea’s kindergarten graduation Tuesday morning.

Yup, that kind of weekend.

I have a long post brewing about the HNS conference for my next Publishing Monday feature. There was a lot to take in that I’m still processing. The sessions were thought-provoking and entertaining. Unlike most of the authors there, I wasn’t pitching or promoting a book (though I did participate in the group book signing for DOOMED QUEENS). My main goal was to build community so I’d feel less isolated as I continue with my Victorian-set novel, THE LILY MAID.

On that note, I was extremely fortunate to have the opening pages of THE LILY MAID critiqued by the esteemed and established authors Laurel Corona (THE FOUR SEASONS, FINDING EMILIE), Christy English (TO BE QUEEN), and Michelle Cameron (THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS). All three were extremely encouraging and helpful. They also surprised me by telling me how literary my writing was. Strange as it may sound, in some ways I’m so new to this fiction writing thing that I have no idea where my novel fits. Is it upmarket commercial? Women’s fiction? Historical fiction? Or some combination of genres? I’ve been describing THE LILY MAID as GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING meets the early tightly-plotted novels of Sarah Waters with a soupçon of JANE EYRE. (If you can figure what genre this is, let me know.)

Frankly, I’m usually a loner when it comes to groups and organizations. What creatively-inclined introvert isn’t? However, by the time I left San Diego, I felt very much part of a vital, passionate publishing community. I can’t even begin to name all of the wonderful people I met who inspired me with their love of the historical fiction genre who I now consider friends. I’m also much clearer about the place my novel will have within the market and as literature. This alone seems a graduation as tangible in some ways as Thea’s little Pomp and Circumstance march in her classroom.

And now, I’m back at work. As usual, there are a gazillion projects underway as well as the usual household and childcare responsibilities. Foremost on my project list: finalizing the graphics for the Goddess Tarot android app and finishing up the Sacred World Oracle for U. S. Games Systems. On top of that, I’m workshopping fifty pages of THE LILY MAID at the Sackett Street Writers Workshop—a wonderful experience. The six other writers in my group are all so talented and insightful. Sackett Street specializes in small intensives with gifted writers, many who have MFAs or go on to get MFAs. (I was astonished my application was accepted since I don’t consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool literary writer. But after my critiques at HNS and at Backspace, I’m definitely rethinking this.) My first two chapters were workshopped last week, another graduation of sorts.

On a semi-related note, we’ve moved onto summer hours at the gallery through September. This is to allow me time to focus on my publishing deadlines. For more information, visit our events page.

• Filed under The Novel, creativity, news & muse, studio and gallery, travels | 2 Responses

HNS conference: I’m on my way … almost. And big news for Android users.

This past week has been even more crazed than usual. (If such a thing is possible in Art and Words land.) But much of my busy-ness was in preparation for this weekend’s Historical Novel Society conference, which I’m attending for the first time. Now that I’m deep into revision land for THE LILY MAID, the timing couldn’t be better in some ways. I’m excited to see friends such as Mary Sharratt and Chris Gortner in person. I’m also thrilled that I’ll have the opportunity to meet authors such as Michelle Moran and Margaret George. (I’ll do my best not to go all fan girl.) As well, I’ll be signing DOOMED QUEENS during a group book signing.

I’ll do my best to post an update on the conference upon my return next week. But in the meantime, I have some big news for Android users: the Goddess Tarot app will soon be available for your phones and tablets. We’re doing our best to keep the app as similar as possible to the iPhone version. I hope that it will be on the market in July. This is a very major undertaking of resources, so I’m hoping it will be well-received! On a related note, the iPad version is still under development. I hope to have concrete news about that soon.

There’s lots more stuff going on—novel-writing workshops, travel planning, kindergarten graduations, and more. While I’m away, the gallery will be closed to the public and all that. But first things first: I still need to pack clothes and print out chapters and pack books. So to be continued next week!

• Filed under The Novel, creativity, iPhone apps, news & muse, studio and gallery, travels | 2 Responses

Gallery events this weekend: Creative Women’s Salon and Children’s Art Show closing

This is a busy weekend at my studio gallery! We have two great events planned. If you live in the NYC area, I hope you’ll join us!

Friday, June 10, 7-9:30 pm
CREATIVE WOMEN’S NETWORKING SALON
Suggested donation for refreshments: $5.

As featured on Brooklyn Independent Television! Are you an artist, writer, or creative entrepreneur and practioner? Come out and meet other like-minded women for conversation, inspiration, and wine. At our previous gatherings, we were joined by photographers, crafters, publishing people, designers, artists, writers, and illustrators. Watch a television clip about this event.

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Sunday, June 12, 1-4 pm
CLOSING RECEPTION:
THE ART OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
Inspiration to Illustration
free admission – children welcome

Please join us for the closing of this wonderful exhibit. We’ll have cookies and other kid-friendly goodies. Also available: autographed books and prints for sale!

About this exhibit: Everyone has a favorite picture book from their childhood. But have you ever wondered at how the art for these gorgeous books are created? The Art of Children’s Books: Inspiration to Illustration offers a behind-the-scenes look at the art, design, and production of illustrated books. It presents a wide variety of art techniques and styles—from the witty digital art of Sara Varon to the soft classicism of Donna Diamond, and beyond.

Butterfly Inkblot art: © Margaret Peot.

• Filed under creativity, events, news & muse, studio and gallery, the world around me | No Comments