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The Kickstarter Begins in 3... 2... 1...


cover of Workbook for Compass of Creation

The Kickstarter is almost here!


Born in one of the most creativity-nurturing places I know, the Compass of Creation oracle deck took root in my mind and refused to let go. Last fall, I spent nearly a week at the Writer’s Colony in Eureka Springs, deep in the flow, shaping each image, each card, and every concept until I had 54 cards ready to become reality. The four suit cards joined them later.


And then?


I returned home, and my days were filled with the hard work of renovating a rental property.


And yes, I had a crisis of confidence as well. I mean, who was I to tell others how to create, or even think I understood the creative process enough to make it repeatable? I also had enough on my plate, so I walked away from it, and the oracle cards languished. Still there, still waiting.

desk with two cards pen and notebook

In late May of this year, after we rolled out the second rental, and the newly expanded first rental, and things had calmed down - my thoughts returned to those magical questions I love to answer:


  • What book do I want to finish?

  • What project makes sense to work on next?

  • What moves me to finish?


I have so many of projects in various stages of completion. It's just how life has worked out. My writer brain has always liked variety as evidenced by the wide range of subjects I both consume and create in!


And I began, as I usually do, by skimming through my works in progress - books, whole series, one-offs, snippets of an idea. And suddenly, there I was, staring at the cards I had designed and thinking, "Well, why NOT now?" I hadn't just put the concepts into card form in that week at the Writer's Colony. I'd also written at length about each one, researched Carl Jung, pulled from multiple books on shadow work, oracle, tarot - and I realized I had done 90% of the work. I just needed to shape it up into a clear system, format the manuscript, and see if I could get it out into the world.


That little voice that had said, "Who are you to tell others how to create?" was quickly silenced. Especially when I realized the truth of it. I'm not telling you what's stopping you from starting, the obstacles that keep appearing in front of you, or how to unlock your creativity... you are. The answers to what stops us from starting, or continuing, or even finishing - is unique to each of us. And we know, innately what the problem is, we just need to listen.


And that's where the cards come in. As a means of focus, clarity, or even reassurance.

one of the spreads in the books

The Compass of Creation is, at its core, an invitation into the creative process. Mine. Others. Yours. The mountains and valleys, the hard road, the Flow, all of it. And because I wanted it accessible to all, I created not just the guidebook that usually accompanies tarot or oracle decks, but an intensive workbook full of exercises to get your creative life back on track, and the Soul Companion, for those who need a gentler, more intuitive approach.


And before I start slinging the terminology around, I need to specify that there are four different books in the Compass of Creation:


  • The Guidebook (same size as the cards and part of the oracle card pack) It gives you the basic meanings of the cards and a small exercise/thought experiment.

  • The Workbook (a trade paperback also available in ebook format separately if you aren't interested in the oracle cards) that is a deep dive past the basics in the Guidebook. Several exercises, and a deep dive into the aspects of Jungian shadow work.

  • The Soul Companion (a trade paperback also available in ebook format separately if you aren't interested in the oracle cards) that is more evocative, with different spreads suggested that will connect and resonate with your feelings and emotions of the moment.

  • The Notebook (an 8 1/2 x 11" spiral-bound lined notebook for writing in, it includes quotes that center around the different cards in the deck)


When I am at a hard stop and not sure where to go next, I'll pull a card or turn to one of the spreads listed in the Workbook or Guidebook, and then dig into one of the exercises listed in the Workbook.


If I'm feeling a little less driven, more exploratory or whimsical, I turn to the Soul Companion for its own unique spreads and move through those gentler exercises.

the soul companion ebook and a cup of coffee

The Compass of Creation Workbook dives deep into Jungian shadow and has multiple exercises to try with each card. The Compass of Creation Soul Companion is more "feelsy" and evocative. And this is where the Kickstarter is so important - because you can get both approaches, for the different seasons when you feel either more vulnerable or more ready to take action and jump right into creation.


All of it - the oracle deck, the Workbook, the Soul Companion, and more that I'll detail in a moment, is all there in one place. After the Kickstarter, the oracle deck will only be available on my website and in very limited quantities. Several of the digital add-ons will also be available only on my website, not through online booksellers. The Kickstarter is where you can get it all, in one place, and months before anyone else does.


And because Kickstarter can be a little bit confusing if you are unfamiliar, let me detail for a minute just what I'm offering, so you can see it easily in one place:


Just the Deck...

If you are interested in just the oracle cards and Guidebook, or even two decks, you will find them both on the Kickstarter. Be one of the first twenty to order and get the deck, guidebook and drawstring bag for the early bird price of $40. After that, the price is $45 or $85 for two decks.


compass of creation workbook and soul companion ebooks side by side

Just the Books...

Whether the Workbook or Soul Companion appeals, and you are just interested in the concepts, creative exercises, and not the oracle cards, there is plenty to glean from the books alone. You can buy them as ebook sets ($10) or as two paperbacks ($38).


Package Deals...

The real gold (in my opinion), is in the physical package deals -

  • Creator Pack ($85) - cards w/Guidebook & bag, Workbook, Soul Companion, & Notebook

  • Premium Creator Pack ($99) - everything in the Creator Pack, plus the Permission to Create audio series, the Indie Author Mega Pack, bookmark, stickers, & pen

permission to create audio series with lamp with candle, an upright phone screen and headphones

Add-Ons...

For those who wish to mix and match, there are additional add-ons. These are somewhat limited. For instance, you can't add on physical items like a bookmark if the rest of your order is all digital, but you can add-on digital items to a physical order. The add-ons include:

  • eBooks and eBook bundles - I've written 17 other books, so I'm offering them as single standalone books or bundled by series - $5 for single ebook to $10 for the specific bundles of 3

  • Random card draw from the original deck I designed and a reading with a note from me mailed to you with your cards and/or books - $5 (limited to 50)

  • Indie Author Mega Pack - downloadable digital resources for the aspiring author - $10

  • Permission to Create audio series - $10


So that's the Kickstarter in a nutshell. To be able to afford to print the decks, I need to meet a target of at least $2,500. That's my mostly break even point. I think this will go much farther than that, but only time will tell.


I hope you will follow the link, and click the Notify Me on Launch button to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live on July 15th. I'll see you there!






 
 
 

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