Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts

Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon (2014)

, 29 Apr 2023

  "It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist. We all have the opportunity to use our voices, to have our say, but so many of us are wasting it. If you want people to know about what you do and the things you care about, you have to share." (Page 25). 

This is the last of Kleon's trilogy and the most personal of the three. It feels so to me at least, as it's the one in which I hear Kleon's voice louder and clearer. What I mean is that his personal life, thinking and experiences are as important as what other people say; therefore, the book has less quotes and paraphrasing than the other two and feels more personal.
 
The aim of the book is to teach us how to think about creative work as a never-ending process, how to share our process to attract people who might be interested in our art, and how to deal with the ups and downs of sharing our work. 
THE GOODIES
> Kleon has a very engaging style that connects us to him as a person immediately.
> I really like his approach to life, the artistic life especially, and the fact that he sounds like a decent human being that happens to be a famous writer by now. All of that is commendable.
 > Once more, Kleon debunks the myth of the lone genius, the bohemian starving artist that lives in the collective unconscious. Kleon shows that most great ideas are birthed in a collaborative way with other creative people or from other people's minds or ideas 
> Kleon also debunks the myth that success happens overnight.
> His advise on online sharing is excellent. Kleon gives sound advice on when, how often, and what sort of stuff we should be sharing.
> The author's advice on how to give credit to artists whose work we share or quote.
> Kleon's reflections on how the value of any given work is affected by the story attached to it. That's why it's important to be a good storyteller.
> The information on the psychology of forgery is fascinating.
> Sound advice on how to deal with criticism.
 > Kleon's diaries snapshots at the end of the book give insight into his work process.
 
THE SO-SOS
For the rest, the book suffers from some of the sins as his previous books:
 > The content is still lean, and this feels, again, another diary/booklet/blog turned into a book, what I call a blook. Kleon himself confirms "a lot of the ideas in this book started out as tweets, which then became blog posts, which then became book chapters." (Page 57). 
> There are too many quotes, no matter how good they are. Also, I miss the quotes being properly referenced, not just the name but also occupation and source (book, TV interview, podcast, newspaper, etc.). In this way, he'd be following his own advice about giving due credit, but he does not.
> Most of what Kleon says in this book is directed to people who show/want to show their work online and the book revolves about that not about showing your work in any other sort of way, like ezines, small art galleries, etc. 
> Although I like most of what Kleon says, the chapters are sometimes a bit off point.
> Repetitive at times. 
> Section 1 seems fitter for Kleon's "Keep Going" book.
> Section  3 is very nice if you already have a name, but what about plagiarism? Not 'stealing' but totally using someone else's work? How do we counteract  the online exposure with this very real every-day-happening fact?  
> Section 4 on Tell stories is great, a first good approach to what good stories are made of. I found that this is great if you're a writer but not so much if you're a painter. For sure, there are paints, ours or others', who go attached to personal or collective stores, but others are not. So in which way can we share and make stories about artwork that has no story? I can make a story about a problem with a painting, how I tackled the problem and how it ended, but not all my paintings are a struggle, and some others have no happy ending and, to be honest, I don't think this might interest other artists or the people I share with.  
> Section 5 about sharing what you know is full of platitudes and statements that can be true for some online teachers. It is true that we gravitate towards artists whose art we like and can teach us, but not all of them are good teachers or know how to teach. Also, there are too many online (mostly bad/mediocre) teachers whose art is also mediocre. I'm all about teaching your work if you have something good to teach. Being great at what you do doesn't equal being a great teacher. 
> Section 9 mentions the famous model of 'free' giveaways to get people's emails and then promote work or sell products or services. It definitely work. I guess it worked great when first came along. It works now? Not for me at least. What I do is this. I get interested in something being offered for free. I use a secondary barely personal email address, I get the freebie, when I start to get marketing or promotional emails, I unsubscribe. Did it work?

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK
1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A GENIUS.
> It is not about having talent about the way we contribute to the world.
> It's very important to have and keep a beginner's mind, have a passion for what we do and keep going as our work will improve the longer we stick around. Amateurs get less stuck than professionals. 
> Before sharing your work, think about what you want to learn, and do so in front of other people. Pay attention to what others are NOT sharing and fill in the void with your online presence.
> The only way to find your voice is to use it
> Reading obituaries or biographies of people who made great things is a way to connect with the present, give direction to our lives and not waste our time.
2. THINK PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT. 
By sharing with others our process online every day we can create an audience and bond with them. Many people are interested not in the final piece of art, but in how we get, the messiness to get them, how we deal with the messiness, etc.
3. SHARE SOMETHING SMALL EVERY DAY.
> If in the very early stages, share your influences or what inspire you. If in the middle of it, write about your methods or share works in progress. If the project is finished, show it.
> Share something every day (blog post, twit, video, etc.).
> Pick the online platform that best suits your kind of artwork.
> Stick to the question " What you are working on/" and you’ll be good.
> Don’t show your personal life; show your work.
> Don't worry about being perfect, most of what we do is crap, but sharing our work opens up to how people react.
> If you're too busy or your life is hectic, devote just 30 minutes to online sharing a day.
> Don’t post work online that you’re not ready for everyone in the world to see.
> Don't overshare.
> When you share regularly, you'll notice patterns, themes and trends emerging from/in your work.
> Create your online space and build a good domain name. Stick to it forever. Keep it simple and professional. 
4. OPEN UP YOUR CABINET OF CURIOSITIES.
> Before we’re ready to share our work with the world, we can share our tastes, things that drive us, artists we love, our artistic interest and influences, and what drive us to work.
> Show who you are, what you like, and don't let anyone pressure you on to saying the contrary or feeling bad about yourself for that. 
> Being open and honest will bring around those people who are in the same frequency.    
>  Don’t share things you can’t properly credit. Find the right credit, or don’t share.
5. TELL GOOD STORIES.
> If you want to share effectively, you need to be a good storyteller, therefore, know what a good story is and how to tell one. 
> A good story has a set structure that works most of the time, from the old fairy tales to the modern novels.There’s the initial problem, the work done to solve the problem, and the solution. The first act is the past, the second act is the present, and the third act is the future.
> Keep your audience in mind.
> Used proper language, good spelling and punctuation. Write clearly and in a way that is understandable. 
> Speak about yourself and what you do. You should be able to explain your work to anyone and everyone but keep it honest, matter of fact, short  and sweet.
6. TEACH WHAT YOU KNOW.  Teach your craft, or techniques or how-to as this will generate more interest in your work. When you share your knowledge/work with others, you receive an education in return.
7. DON'T TURN INTO HUMAN SPAM. Don't turn into that sort of people who show no interest on anything or anyone but themselves. The sort of  people who cave attention, notoriety and followers but show no appreciation or interest for those very people who follow them. If you want to get, you have to give.
> If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first be a good citizen of that community. 
> Forward-thinking artists aren’t just looking for passive-consumer fans, they’re looking for potential collaborators.
> Notice and you'll be notice. Give and you'll be given. If you want to be interesting, you have to be interested first. 
> Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff.
> "Don’t be creepy. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t waste people’s time. Don’t ask too much. And don’t ever ever ask people to follow you. “Follow me back?” is the saddest question on the Internet." (Page 107).  
> Don't do what drains you. Don't give air to people who drains you. 
> Keep close those people who support and encourage you. Those you share your passions and view of the world. Praise them. Honor them. Be grateful for them. Collaborate with them.  They're your inner circle.
> Meet your online peers in person. 
8. LEARN TO TAKE A PUNCH. 
> Relax and breeth. Criticism is not the end of the world.
> The more criticism you take, the less it can hurt you.
> You can only control how you react to criticism .
> Being hated by certain people is sometimes a badge of honor.
> You can always hide work that is too close to you to prevent it from being criticized, but avoiding vulnerability won't allow you truly to connect to other people.
> Your work is something you do, not what you are.
> Care only about what the right people think of you.
> Don't feed the trolls.  Block people. Turn comments off if necessary.
9. SELL OUT.
> Turn fans into patrons.
> Ask for support when necessary.
> Keep a e-mailing list. Free giveaways are great to collect emails and have a group of people to connect, share or sell.
> Paid it forward.  Praise those people, platforms or organizations that support/ed you before you were well-known.
10 STICK AROUND.  
> Getting there takes time. If you keep going,you'll get there. Don't quit too early.
> Success is never guaranteed, and nothing guarantees that after a success there will be another one. 
> Persevere no matter you're successful or not. 
> Use the end of one project to light up the next one. Ask yourself what you missed, what you could’ve done better, or what you couldn’t get to, and jump right into the next project.
> Take long breaks or sabbaticals if necessary.  Otherwise, take advantage of your idle time (commuting, exercising, enjoying nature or going to a park). 
> When you feel like you’ve learned whatever there is to learn from what you’re doing, change course and find something new to learn; move forward.

MIND
> This book is not a how-to and doesn't have an in-built method.  
> The book focuses mostly on our presence online, how to show our work online .

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Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad (2019)

, 22 Apr 2023

This is the second Kleon's book I read and the second from the trilogy directed to artists and creators. Like the first book, Steal like an Artist, it's a very enjoyable read, full of common sense and very down-to-earth advice. 
 
Kleon departs from the premise that creative work is hard and it doesn't get easier even if you make a living out of it or are a famous artist. He debunks the stereotypical image of an artist as a chaotic flamboyant individual who's genius is boundless and has a semi-hippy life, that is, the image in the collective imagination. 
 
There is more personal insights into Kleon's life in this book than in the previous one, I'd say, and I appreciate that as I want to hear Kleon's voice, which might be the sum of his influences, but it's still personal; after all, he's not the many people he quotes from. I really like when Kleon gives us an insight into his own experience and life and not into someone's else.
 
This book is also more philosophical than the first one, and I really enjoy that. 
 
Keep Going is written in a simple way that has no pretense or jargon and is easy to understand. 
 
I love the illustrated vignettes and highlight boxes summarizing points discussed, the author's personal views on things, or relevant quotes. 
 
Regarding the digital edition, I haven't found any typo or grammatical error. The structure, style and font use tell me immediately that this is a Kleon's book. The book includes a short bibliography, which is great.  
 
 
THE SO-SOS
This book sins are similar to those I pinpointed in his previous book.
> The content is still lean, and this feels, again, another diary/booklet/blog turned into a book, what I call a blook, by adding generous margins, large illustrations, frame boxes, humongous headings and plenty of blank pages.  
> Like the first time around, there are too many quotes for my taste. Not that I don't like most of them,but there are too many, so Kleon's voice is always muffled by someone's else with his own consent. 
> I also think that some of the chapters could have been meshed together, like chapter 2 and part of chapter 8, and chapters 5 and part of 9, and chapter 6 and part of 9.
> Kleon says "If we do not get outside, if we do not take a walk out in the fresh air, we do not see our everyday world for what it really is, and we have no vision of our own with which to combat disinformation." (Page 129).  I think this is a bit of empty talk, having a walk around the park won't battle disinformation, having a critical mind will. 
> I miss the book having the quotes he includes in properly quoted, like the name of the person, occupation (painter, philosopher, writer, etc.) and the source from it comes from (like a book, or TV interview for ex.).

THE TEN WAYS
1/ EVERYDAY IS GROUNDHOG DAY. Take a day at a time as you never arrive at destination when you're are an artist. Life is full of ebbs and flows, so setting up a daily routine forces you to do something even when you don't know what. Even if you are inspired, it will help you not to waste your time. To set up your routine pay attention to the time you're usually more creative, or the times you can spare from work or family duties. Routine gives your direction and movement. When the day is over, be kind to yourself and remember and be grateful for all the good things that happened to you during the day.  Do to-do lists, they will help you on track.
2/ BUILD A BLISS STATION. Having some disconnected time from our overly-connected overly/shared world and having some silence and solitude will favor your work and creativity as you'll be able to connect to yourself.  
> Set up your work station in the way it works for you personally, something that varies from person to person. Condo's advice is not really relevant for creative spaces.   
> Don't wake up to the news or the Internet. 
> Say no to social interactions that are not relevant to you and say yes to yourself instead. 
3/ FORGET THE NOUN, DO THE VERB. Keep doing what you meant to be doing, writing, painting, sculpting, etc. Don't focus on the thing that you're trying to be or do, but on the work. Don't take it too seriously; work with a sense of playfulness, like children do.
4/ MAKE GIFTS. Forget the art market, put making money at the back of your mind even if this is your way of living. Do what you love for yourself or others. Gift friends and family some of your art.  When we try to monetize, there is pressure, there is adaptation and sometimes we lose our North or genuine self.  If you put your artwork online, ignore the metrics, the likes, dislikes, views, ratings and so on. Don't get obsessed with analytics.
5/ THE ORDINARY + EXTRA ATTENTION = THE EXTRAORDINARY. Pay extra attention to the ordinary, the every day, so you can notice what's special or extraordinary. Find magic in the mundane and translate this into art.  
> Slow down, get outside and draw/sketch anything.
>  Notice what you pay attention to or you usually do. If you want to change your life, change what you pay attention to.
6/ SLAY THE ART MONSTERS. We all have our our monsters and art monsters inside. If making art is ruining your life or somebody else's, it is not worth going on. The world needs more good people not more artists. 
7/ YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. Changing once's mind is perfectly OK. Art thrives on uncertainty. We don't know what we'll end up with when we start each work. We don't know everything. We should be open to change.
>  We need of other people to think us think so that we can think ourselves. Only in an environment that has diversity of opinions we can learn and grow. 
> Like-minded people keep you just where you are. Seek people who are like-hearted, who might not agree with your opinions but do this kindly and help you get a different point of view. 
> Also, revisit the past to get new ideas (as the adage goes, everything has already been said) but put your spin on them, resurrect them, reinvent them, turn them around.
8/ WHEN IN DOUBT, TIDY UP. You’re often most creative when you’re the least productive. There’s a balance in a workspace between chaos and order. Keep your tools organized and your materials messy. Tidying up a studio is a way of procrastination, of deflecting your attention from what you want to do, yet it allows you to clear your mind, or come across stuff that you didn't know you had or where it was.
> Another way of de-cluttering your mind is also having a nap.
> Tide-up your external world. Go an collect rubbish from your local beach for example,
9/ DEMONS HATE FRESH AIR. Exercising is one of the best tools to fight your demons. Walking is good for your physical, mental and spiritual health, great for problem solving and to help you with your artistic endeavors. Art requires awakening your senses and walking/exercising is a perfect way to do that. 
10/ PLANT YOUR GARDEN. Creativity, like the weather, has  its seasons and we need to know which one we're in and be patient in the off-seasons. Our lives have seasons but some people blossom at a young age and others at an old age. Every day is a potential seed that we can grow into something beautiful.
     
PEARLS OF WISDOM
> Nothing makes play more fun than some new toys. Seek out unfamiliar tools and materials. Find something new to fiddle with. Another trick: When nothing’s fun anymore, try to make the worst thing you can. The ugliest drawing. The crummiest poem. The most obnoxious song. Making intentionally bad art is a ton of fun. Finally, try hanging out with young kids. (Page 56-57). 
>  "When you start making a living from your work, resist the urge to monetize every single bit of your creative practice. Be sure there’s at least a tiny part of you that’s off-limits to the marketplace. (...) draw the line between what you will and won’t do for money." (Page 64). 
 >"When you ignore quantitative measurements for a bit, you can get back to qualitative measurements. Is it good? Really good? Do you like it? You can also focus more on what the work does that can’t be measured. What it does to your soul" (Page 68). 
> "When you have a system for going back through your work, you can better see the bigger picture of what you’ve been up to, and what you should do next." (Page 86). 
> "Thinking requires an environment in which you can try out all sorts of ideas and not be judged for them. To change your mind, you need a good place to have some bad ideas." (Page 102).  
> "When you’re only interacting with like-minded people all the time, there’s less and less opportunity to be changed. Everybody knows that feeling you get when you’re hanging out with people who love the same art, listen to the same music, and watch the same movies: It’s comforting at first, but it can also become incredibly boring and ultimately stifling."  (Page 105). 
> "Art is not only made from things that “spark joy.” Art is also made out of what is ugly or repulsive to us. Part of the artist’s job is to help tidy up the place, to make order out of chaos, to turn trash into treasure, to show us beauty where we can’t see it."  (Page 125). 
> "I don’t want to know how a thirty-year-old became rich and famous; I want to hear how an eighty-year-old spent her life in obscurity, kept making art, and lived a happy life." (Page 139).
 
IN SHORT
A very enjoyable reading, full of wisdom, sound advice and food for thought. But it reads more like a blog than anything else, it has too many quotes, and everything he says it has already been said.  

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Steal Like an Artist. 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon (2012)

, 17 Feb 2023

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

I LOVED
> The author's colloquial language and lack of pretense.
> Good edition without typos or language oddities in view. The digital edition is acceptable and can be bookmarked. 
> The illustrations and note-cards spread throughout the book. The illustrations and note-cards spread throughout the book. I thought that some of the discarded task cards were excellent!. 
> The very down-to-earth approach to art and artistic creation. 
> A few good ideas. My favs are:
--- Find your own creative/artistic genealogical tree and position yourself in one of the branches where you stand alone as a result of what has influenced you. The way this is explained is really simple, effective and inspiring.
--- "The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds." (Page 38). 
--- He  puts the idea of the rebel artist in the bin. "I’m a boring guy with a nine-to-five job who lives in a quiet neighborhood with his wife and his dog. That whole romantic image of the creative genius doing drugs and running around and sleeping with everyone is played out. It’s for the superhuman and the people who want to die young. The thing is: It takes a lot of energy to be creative. You don’t have that energy if you waste it on other stuff." (Page 98).
--- "The art of holding on to money is all about saying no to consumer culture. Saying no to takeout, $4 lattes, and that shiny new computer when the old one still works fine." (Page 99).
--- The Logbook idea and focusing just on the good things that happened, which are often overlooked due to something negative taking all of our energy and thoughts.
NOT SURE
> > Kleon sometimes struggles making clear that you have to stay home and work, but at the same time go out and do nothing, procrastinate to allow the creative spark to spark. Like I get that there is a balance, you cannot be consumed by your art because it will consume you and you'll get an artistic block, that ideas and inspiration sometimes come from your siesta, your walk or your music/movie streaming. Yet, the way it 's put in the book feels like he's saying something and then the contrary..
> "Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to"  (Page 46). I agree and disagree with this. My fav art is abstract and surrealism, but what I hand paint is mostly abstracts. I sometimes paint surreal-hinted imagery and I do mostly surreal when playing digitally. So, in short I don't always want to do the art I love the most. Also, the fact that I love surreal paintings (not only digital collage) doesn't mean that I can draw well and realistically. You know what I'm saying'?
> "Don’t worry about unity—what unifies your work is the fact that you made it. One day, you’ll look back and it will all make sense." (Page 63). I also agree and disagree. The cohesiveness of your artwork will come from things that give them unity, like your colour palette, mark making, textures, composition and energy. Yet, if there is not cohesiveness, there is no unity and it's not crystal clear that paint 1 and paint 2 belong to me. So, I worry about unity and cohesiveness.
> "So get comfortable with being misunderstood, disparaged, or ignored—the trick is to be too busy doing your work to care." (Page 93). Sometimes we don't understand some art and consider it 'bad'. I have heard tons of people saying this of Picasso's works because they don't get it neither viscerally or intellectually. But, it's also true that sometimes we dislike something because it's bad art, mediocre writing or not good enough. I can see my own flaws and struggles when I look at my artwork, and in all honesty I can tell when it is good or bad, even if somebody tells me, oh it's really nice. 
> "The trick is to find a day job that pays decently, doesn’t make you want to vomit, and leaves you with enough energy to make things in your spare time." (Page 102). That's the ideal, I agree wit this. However, employability decreases with age and area where you live, and whether the job that feeds you actually gives you enough money to survive. 
I DIDN'T LIKE
> The very lean content. More a booklet than a book due to the small number of pages and the fact that these have wide margins, some of them have just the section or the chapter title, and the font is on the large size overall plus the illustrations.
> The overwhelming presence of somebody's else quotes. I love quotes, mind you. The ones Kleon provides are of my liking. However, I consider constant quoting unnecessary because I guess the author has his own voice and can speak from there. Like, when there are so many quotes, I wonder why the author didn't gather all together and put them cozily packed under the heading, as this would have sufficed to give sound advice. Yet, I think that Kleon has plenty of stuff to say, it's just that he doesn't take the plunge. The quotes are like crutches he leans on when, in fact, he can walk on his two legs perfectly. 
> Some lack of cohesion throughout the book.
> It feels like a published blog. If this was a blog, I'd like it. As a book, I think it lacks depth and tools to really inspire or support emerging artists and writers. Many of the ideas and sentences I liked could be put in a single blog entry. 
> The book is full of platitudes, especially evident those about the Internet and traveling the world.
> Lack of conclusions or summing up of the main points in the book.
IN SHORT 
An enjoyable light reading with some good ideas for emerging artists and creative people. Bloggish and lacking depth, full of platitudes. Nice illustrations. 
 


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Buddha Wisdom Divine Feminine: The Heart of Kwan Yin Cards by Sofan Chan

, 15 Oct 2021

Buddha Wisdom Divine Feminine: The heart of Kwan Yin Cards by Sofan Chan capture the essence of the Pranjnaparamita Sutras or Perfect of Wisdom, a text that represents the divine feminine consciousness in Buddhism. In a way, are they are the highlights of the sacred texts they come from minus the obscure language.
 
GOOD STUFF
> Great affirmations. This is the most spiritual deck in the Rockpool small series, even more than its counterpart the Divine Masculine Deck, which is also beautiful and inspirational. 
> These cards will really help you to ground and center yourself and to look at the world and the people with kind eyes no matter you are religious, spiritual or have an ethical compass.  Each card is an invitation to ponder and will resonate with you no matter you have a religion or not, are spiritual or not as long you have an internal moral or ethical compass.
> Sofan Chan's design of the deck is beautiful, elegant and timeless. Very good lettering and contrast colors. The keepsake box colors and painting are just gorgeous
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.  
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.The box per se is just gorgeous.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid. 
> Perfect deck for people with small hands.
> Great portability. 
I MISS
> There is no booklet or cards explaining a bit more about the sacred texts that inspired the deck, and why these texts are considered feminine and not masculine. 
 > Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image and it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would have loved having Chan, who's a wonderful painter, create different images for each card. The masculine deck has a nicer upper side, as well, so this one feels flat in comparison.

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Fortune Cookies by Sharina Star

, 9 Sept 2021

This is my least favorite mini deck by Rockpool Publishing. Although the quality of the product regarding quality of the packaging and cards is undeniable, the rest is a bit disappointing. Perhaps because the other Rockpool mini-decks I have are just really motivational, inspirational and intuitive, the messages in these cards feel artificial and too vague to be of any use.Perhaps fun to use at a party, not for divination readings.

GOOD STUFF  

 > Beautiful colorful deck.
> Perfect deck for people with small hands.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.  
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic clasp.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid.  
> Great portability.
> The keepsake box is just gorgeous and eye catching.
> Beautiful printing overall.

DOWNSIDES 

> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> Deficient contrast between lettering and background.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image, so it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would loved having more varied Chinese imagery on each card.
>  For example, one of the cards has the following message, "Opportunities, a stranger is about to change your life. Exciting times and plenty of action, plus a special family reunion looks likely". Pardon me, my family is overseas, so it is unlikely. Exciting times and plenty of action means nothing, it is too generic, so unless you mention an area of life, work, family, friends, sports etc. it means nothing.. The first item it is a proper fortune divinatory message. Other cards are equally vague and nonsensical.
> I expected the messages in the cards be really as short as the ones in fortune cookies.
> "You will be amazed by their accuracy" is just nonsense, sorry. 
 
 


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Buddha Wisdom Divine Masculine by Sofan Chan

, 28 Aug 2021

 These cards collect the essence of the Dhammapada Sutra, a Buddhist sacred text gathering the teachings of Buddha, which were originally spoken by him during his life.

GOOD STUFF 

> Great affirmations. This is the most spiritual deck in the Rockpool small series. The affirmations are reminders of what matters in life, of what's important, of universal truths that better our spirit and lighten our soul. The deck affirmations are not only motivational, but also invitations to ponder and they go well with any ethical principles in the major world religions.
> Perfect deck for people with small hands.
> Sofan Chan's design of the deck is both vibrant, colorful, modern and elegant. Very good lettering and contrast. Elegant modern design with great colors and contrast on the top and inner box. In a way I love that the deck is in a vibrant red color and not in a subdue color, it makes me reflect on the fact that Buddha messages are powerful, fiery and strong and not the soft pastel-colored New-Age soft dreamy version of Buddhism.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.  
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid.  
> Great portability.

 I MISS

> There is no booklet or cards explaining which part of Buddha/ism reflect the divine masculine and the divine feminine. Chan has another deck devoted to Buddha and the divine feminine, so I wonder what's the difference. As a non-Buddhist, my vision of Buddha is both masculine and feminine, neutral or yin-yan. I find this association/dissociation in the two decks puzzling.
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> The upper side of the cards has one standard image, so it is not very artistic or as artistic as other decks in this Rockpool deck series. I get that the main focus is the affirmations not the artwork, but I would loved having Chan, who's a wonderful painter, create different images for each card.

 

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Divine Doors: Behind every door lies adventure, mystery and inspiration Cards by Andres Engracia

, 24 Jun 2021

 GOOD STUFF
> Great affirmations that go to the point, aren't too short or too lengthy, and have substance.
Due to the fact that doors are the main theme, the deck as a 'transitional' vibe and messages.  > Very small deck, so it's perfect for people with small hands.
> Beautiful real-life photography of unique doors from around the world.
> Elegant design of the back,on the affirmations side, in white-marble and gold colors.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle beautifully.  
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable magnetic lid.
> Instructions of how to use the cards are written on the inner lid. 
> Great portability.


SO-SO
> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> There is no guidebook or booklet explaining why the door theme was chosen. Because really, there must be one. It might be the case that Engracia came with the messages after choosing the photos himself and meditating on them, but we don't know about the concept that inspired the deck anywhere. A bit of background on the concept might have been wonderful.  > Contrast between lettering and background is deficient on the inner lid.
> Most photos are stock photos from Pexels, Shutterstock except for four of them attributed to Melissa Lee Vernali. There seems not to be much effort put beyond choosing the photos and Engracia's lovely messages on the back.
 

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Aboriginal Dreaming Totems Cards by Mel Brown

, 21 Jun 2021

 This is another beautiful tiny deck by Rockpool Publishing. It has the house trademarks:
> Small stylish deck.
> Motivational messages.
> Gorgeous illustrations/photos/artwork.
> Portability.
> Great quality glossy card stock
> Sturdy practical keepsake box with upper self-closing lid.
> Pleasurable shuffling

ALSO GREAT
> The illustrations are all beautiful Aboriginal motifs in earthy colours. The deck has artistic congruence, as well.
> However, what stands out to me, having as many motivational decks as I have, is that the messages in the cards aren't the same-old messages. On the contrary, the they are original nuggets that will make you ponder.  
 

SO SO
> Aboriginal artwork has a multitude of ocher and earthy tones that makes it both rich and earthy, but this deck lacks colour depth and feels a bit flat in that regard.
> A bit pricey for what they are.  
> Perhaps, not good for people with big hands.  
 
 


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You Got This! Insight Cards by Peter Pauper Press

, 26 May 2021

GOOD STUFF
 > Good-quality glossy flexible cardboard.
>  Cards shuffle well. 
> Good quality printing.
> Nice keepsake box.  
 > Some of the quotes are beautiful and are a good start to my day.
> The flower garlands illustrating each card are just beautiful.  
> A Motivational pick me up in the morning or afternoon.
 
 

DOWNSIDES 
> Artist/s of the artwork aren't mentioned anywhere.
> This is a collection of nice quotes. The Internet is full of free of quotes. Google Play has gazillion apps with free quotes. Just saying. 
> A bit larger than I would have loved the deck to be. 
> A product more than anything else. Something to sell,
> A bit expensive for what they are.
 
 

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Moon Magick: Lunar Cycle Wisdom by Stacey Demarco

, 7 May 2021

 GOOD STUFF

> Nice concept: put together the phases of the Moon with specific affirmations.
> Great affirmations.
> Great portability.
> Very small deck, so it's perfect for people with small hands and very portable.
> Beautiful digital moon-related imagery on the front and very elegant design on the affirmation side.
> Good quality glossy flexible cards that shuffle well and keep dirt and stains at bay.  
> Very good quality keepsake box with upper non-detachable lid. 

> Good value for money. 

 

NOT SO GOOD STUFF

> Tiny deck, so if you have big hands, it might not be for you.
> There is no guidebook or booklet. The instructions are provided on the inner lid and on the cards themselves.
> This might not be your deck if you really want a deck that relates to the different phases of moon. I had the vibe that you could have used other images, concept and title and put the same affirmations and it would have not mattered.


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The Spirit Messages. Daily Guidance Oracle Deck by John Holland & Matt Manley

, 24 Apr 2021

John Holland is not only a gifted internationally-renowned medium, he's also the author of some of my more helpful card decks, as they're uncannily intuitive and divinatory. This card deck is very different from his more tarot-derived Psychic Tarot Oracle Deck  and The Psychic Tarot for the Heart Oracle Deck. I see this deck, despite being labelled as spiritual, more like a therapeutic psychological tool for guidance and self-growth.
 
 
THE ARTWORK 
Manley's work is, as he himself says, "a combination of oil on canvas paintings, pencil and ink drawings, paint textures, photos, direct scans, all layered and combined in Photoshop." Manley's imagery focuses on heads and torsos, gorgeous portraits with conceptual and spiritual elements added to them. The images are captivating, rich, intimate and colourful. I love that there is racial and gender diversity in this deck; it is refreshing because, lately, Hay House tends to produce decks that are overwhelmingly feminine.  

 
THE GOOD
> A deck that is good both for psychological and spiritual introspection, and it can be used in a a therapeutic or home setting. I think this goes well with Myss' Archetype Cards and Segal's Mystical Healing cards, among other decks. 
> The concepts depicted in the deck are, overall, quite original.
> Inspired colourful fine artwork with racial and gender diversity.
> Each card includes a summary of the meaning so you don't have to check the guidebook unless you really want.
> Good sturdy packing box.
> Good quality glossy cardboard. 


THE NOT SO GOOD 

> A bit heavy deck.  
> The cards tend to stick to each other and aren't comfortable to shuffle.  
> The presence of black characters is minimal.  
 > The back of the cards looks amateur Photoshop.
> Average guidebook printing and paper quality.  
> The packaging is overall boring re colour and cover image. It doesn't make justice to the fine artwork inside.  


 

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