You may wonder what a Tarot designer does all day. Some people see me as a romantic artist, turning out one illustration after another at a fast pace. Often they wonder what is taking so long for me to complete a deck. I am asked, “when will this new deck be ready for sale?” I actually have no idea. I have completed designing a deck in a year, but my Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, for example, took 10 years to complete. Of course, I was working on other decks at the same time. When I received a contract from Harper/Collins for my first deck, The Alchemical Tarot, They gave me a year to complete it, but it actually took two years. Luckily, they liked what I was doing and kept extending the schedule for me. Now I find I do my best work when I draw for a few hours and then leave the work for the day. When I come back to it, I see it with fresh eyes and I can see what needs to be improved.
Besides drawing, I write, and the writing I do involves a lot of research in books and museums. I also teach workshops and lecture on the Tarot. Luckily, my reputation as a teacher has gotten me invited to Tarot gatherings around the world. I have taught on five of the seven continents. (I have no plans to teach in Antarctica, but I would like to be invited to Egypt) But the one thing I do consistently every day, is copy orders, pack them, and take them to the post office. I am there every day and I know all the clerks by name. I often joke that I am a highly paid shipping clerk.
Here is a photo of me that Katrina Wynne took me preparing to pack an order in my library/studio.
