So what’s going on?

I’m on the brink of launching a re-work of the Life Design cards. I didn’t think this would happen as I was feeling uncomfortable about the circumstances around the decision to re-make it.

After all, the First Edition deck was beautiful, accessible, and connected with my customer base. I love the fact that it is a problem-solving deck that can function independently or blended with other card decks for a different perspective.

”So why did I withdraw it?

On the face of it, it was not the most cost-effective deck. Having a booklet and differing colours/patterns at the back of the cards made the printing cost much higher than the other cards I have created. It also divided into four different visual styles, which did not help to create a cohesive looking format. On reflection, its instructions for use and numbering were needlessly complex to follow.

But, alas, these were not the reasons I took the product from the market. It was for a much more personally upsetting reason.
About ten years ago, I had undergone a two-week training in Permaculture Design. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and had fun applying the principles to my daily life and garden design. With a background in coaching, I could see how the questions raised within Permaculture could be used in many aspects of life. So, I was inspired to incorporate the principles and tools into a card deck that would find a new audience.

So, I added the twelve design-web anchor points and Permaculture Principles into a newly formed deck along with 24 additional prompts. I tried to honour the original design web-tool by numbering it in a specific order and created spread ideas around the tool (cards 1-12) and Permaculture Principles (cards 13-24). I referenced the origin of my Permaculture web-tool at the back of the enclosed booklet: linking it to a number referencing system in the title of the relevant booklet section.

One day last year, I received a ‘heavy-handed’  email from the publishers of the Permaculture web-tool creator, instructing me to stop selling immediately and to enter into negotiation about a way forward. The email implied I was someone who had deliberately stolen the author’s work for my benefit (it was also cc’d to a host of other people). My referencing was not of a standard they expected.

What happened after?

I have a history of social anxiety disorder, which creates a sense of fear of judgment from authority figures. There is no way on earth I would have intentionally created this harm to another or actively brought this humiliating experience upon myself. I naively thought I was referencing her work and applying it in a new format. Obviously, with the benefit of hindsight, I see what a stupid fool I was to think that. I also completely understand their point of view.

However, I could not escape my perceived harshness of the tone. I was unable to view Permaculture in the same positive light as I had before. Earthcare, Peoplecare, Fairshare had a hollow sound to me for some time afterward. So, I shrunk away from view for a while, licking my wounds, reflecting and pondering what to do next.

Although a workable solution of a way forward was suggested, I did not want to be tied by another party or feel I would have to continue to compensate in the future financially. I want to retain my independence as an artist. I also do not want to create anything from a place of disapproval. It is mortifying to a sensitive person like me! So, I decided to take the deck out of print permanently and move on.

But, email requests for the deck kept trickling in. I remember some warm and beautiful email exchanges when I attempted to explain what had happened. People could understand that it was human error on my part but that all was not lost. There was much more to this deck than twelve cards. They planted the seed for me to gather the confidence to find a way through.
With time, I could see a way forward. I still wanted a thread of the Permaculture Principles to run through it and have done my best to interpret them (for a personal development card deck) with references on every card. I also wanted to remove the twelve-step Design-web tool. After all, the tool was unnecessarily complicating the deck format. When I deconstructed it, it was the headings that many of us use every day (like rest, reflect, obstacles, etc.) I also had many more personal prompts within the rest of the deck, plus a few extras I had collected on the way. So, mixing all the cards into a random fashion made it behave more like a regular deck and took away the strict numerical order that the tool placed on the deck. After all, who keeps a card deck in their exact order? Card decks are to be mixed up and random.

The New Life Design Deck 2.0

I include new visual themes that we are all collectively dealing with in difficult times. So, the Life Design Cards 2.0 is a new deck to reflect these times and evolves into something much more expansive. It is a collection of all that I am, based on experience, skills, and knowledge accumulated over time. I think the new deck is now much better than the old one. It is a grown-up version with a cohesive vision that incorporates Nature, Permaculture, Environmental topics, and the vulnerabilities of being human within a problem-solving deck no matter what subject you wish to investigate. My visual representations are a small aspect of what each card can mean to a person. They provide a visual narrative to help the cards sit well together. They look fresh, and I see myself reflected in them.

So, I hope you can forgive me for messing up. I hope this new deck reflects my intention to create cards that are kind and realistic and that fit nicely within the other three decks I have designed.

Onwards and upwards!

I am writing this blogpost straight out the gate! After all, it’s been a while and I thought it was about time I wrote something!

It has taken a mini crisis to wake me up to this knowledge (that I’m letting many things slip in my business). For the past 8-10 months, I have kept my head down making and selling lovely items in my Etsy shop ‘Whimsy of Nature’. You see, I love to create for creations sake. I am like a machine. When I get an idea into my head, it makes me feel alive and that I am contributing in one way or another. I also like earning money for what I am doing. To actually be able to buy treats and to pay bills!

But, I made the mistake of allowing my work to overload my body.

What happened?

Simply, I have overdone things whilst going through a period of increased stress in my personal life. Trying to buy a home (with a zillion protracted obstacles in the way) and overdoing what I love, has left me in a kind of burn-out state. My body is complaining and now I cannot make anything which is soooooo frustrating! I have so many ideas that I cannot keep up with my train of thoughts….All I can do now is ponder my future and take time to pause and plan next steps!

I think I was also (slightly) running away from the hurt and pain of feeling and then being rejected by a small business group I used to regularly meet up with (they had different plans and expectations for the group and my grieving 2016 year did not measure-up to what they expected from me and I didn’t feel able to keep up with their expectations…I just needed their unconditional support….(clear throat) another blogpost once processed I think!…I digress!).

I should have known

I like to view my creations as a kind of soul medicine that has been needed at some points in my life journey. The Plant Ally cards and Tree Wisdom cards are all about self-love, compassion and kindness in a world ( inner and outer) that can seem nasty and cruel at times. The Life Design cards (LDC) are medicine to restore practical balance in life. You see, I am a kind of organic-ebb-and-flow person who is a little allergic to structures, rules and practical foundations.

However, these last 6 months, I have not consulted the LDC’s–when I probably needed them most. To obtain balance, I require basic structures in place, or I can become lost and overworked in what I do…as I am never satisfied that I have done my best work etc. I checked in with the LDC before flat hunting and they were really helpful.

My partner and I sat on the floor working through the nuances and considerations to buy the best home we can, in a nature-filled location, on our restricted budget.  We balanced the pro’s and con’s of each location and finally decided upon the ideal place for our next journey in life. Fabulous. We hope to exchange very soon.

But, then I stopped using them….

Losing my balance

Without the life-balance, I lost my way again and burned out. If I had consulted the cards, I may have seen the unhelpful work patterns I was adopting whilst going through a stressful time. I would have looked at ways to maintain my momentum. I may have paid less attention to negative news in the media and focused more on catching and storing my energy. The LDC are my touchstone to balance and broader perspectives. I get that now.

What does this mean?

I find the soul medicine I need in life is often what other people are looking for too. So, whilst I create for the love of creating and to reflect on my life journey. I also love making something useful, meaningful and beautiful–that you can keep with you and utilise over time. I need to continue working with the soul medicine cards I make…..because they have a point and a gentle nudge in the right direction to well-being (especially since the world seems to be pivoting in the wrong direction at the moment).

So, if you like the idea of my Life Design cards then do take a look at them on my website or Etsy shop. If you are unsure, you can sign-up for my Nature-threads updates (see sign-up box below) and have access to a FREE e-booklet that showcases the first twelve cards–so you can get a feel for them and discover if they would be useful. I have had some rewarding feedback so far.

I sigh with relief to have written to you today. There will be no surprises if I don’t receive any comments, as how can you expect peeps to stay around if you ain’t creating anything new, right?…. I will keep posting anyways as its good for me 😉

Love and hugs xx