How The Desert Oracle Deck Made Me a Better Designer
For those of you that don't already know, my path to web design was very long and windy. You can read all about that on my about page, but basically, my point in bringing that up is that I was never formally trained as a designer. Because of that, when I started down the path of becoming a designer, I thought I had to be overly professional in order to be taken seriously in the space. I didn't realize that a large percentage of web designers didn't have formal academic training in their field. I also didn't realize that no one really cares about your education when you work for yourself. As long as you know your stuff, that's all that matters.
As someone who deeply values education, I did take the time to get a certificate in web development and design at my local community college at the start of my web design journey. I thought this would build up my credibility and give me the tools and techniques necessary to take on 1:1 client work and actually be able to smoothly get through it. And while this certificate program did help me out a lot in teaching me the programs and philosophies necessary to be a good designer, it didn't cover everything that encompasses my design style and philosophy today. I gained that knowledge outside of the classroom, from completely different areas of my life.
I decided to become a web designer after a period of self-discovery through the practice of yoga. Beginning to practice yoga completely changed my life and I became a better, more well-rounded person because of it. Yoga transformed me so completely that I decided to quit a job I hated and start working at my local yoga studio. Luckily for me, I was good at my job and very quickly became assistant manager. It was there that I developed a passion for social media, graphic design and eventually rediscovering a love for web design.
I enrolled in my web design certificate program while continuing to work at my local yoga studio. This meant that I was still immersed in a space of transformation and spirituality while also advancing myself professionally. For me, this meant that two of the biggest and most important facets of my life collided at this time, and created space for them to co-mingle. It was in through the experiences I had at this time that the philosophy for my design practice would develop.
The Story of The Desert Oracle Deck
At the beginning of my web design course, I was still on that path of self-discovery. I was practicing a lot of yoga at the time, and looking for ways to grow as a person. It was in this spirit that I decided to plan a camping trip with some friends out to Joshua Tree, CA. I had never been and I had heard it was a transformational place. I knew the experience was going to be amazing, but I could have never predicted what happened next.
When I visited Joshua Tree, CA, for the first time, it really was like entering another dimension. The stage was set with a mind-blowingly beautiful sunset followed by a full moon in Gemini, and the Geminid Meteor Shower. These events were both beautiful and energetically charged, allowing me to turn inward in a way that I previously never had before.
It was through the experience of watching the meteor shower and staying up all night under the full moon that I knew I was destined to create something of value for the world. At that time, I was of the belief that individual actions can change the world for the better, and I wanted to do something in that spirit. It wasn't until the following morning though while we were driving through the national park where I discovered a symbol out in the depths of the desert—it was in that moment that I knew I had to capture that symbol and create an oracle deck.
Why an Oracle Deck?
It was through my yoga journey that I first became acquainted with oracle and tarot decks. They fascinated me and really inspired me. I loved that they were a practical tool people could use for self-discovery. I also loved that they shared meaningful messages that allowed for growth and reflection among the people who used them.
For me, I was overwhelmed by tarot when I began practicing with decks. I didn't like that I had to interpret so much symbolism and figure out deep meanings to cards that I really didn't understand. They felt very advanced and didn't feel approachable for me to work with. In contrast, I was super drawn to oracle decks. I loved their simplicity and depth. I loved that they shared meaningful messages that weren't super hard to interpret. The only thing I didn't like is that I felt there weren't many decks that I truly resonated with.
A lot of oracle decks are all love and light. They skip the shadow. They skip the depth. I also felt like a lot of the oracle decks I came into contact with did not cover topics grounded in reality. They are very much "up in the clouds," as some people say, and don't address topics or concerns that we deal with in our everyday lives as humans. Furthermore, a lot of decks are not geared toward beginners. They feature topics and imagery that are very out there for someone just stepping into their intuition and spirituality for the first time. From my own objective experience, I thought there was space in the oracle deck market for a deck with more nuance.
All that is to say that prior to my trip to Joshua Tree, I never thought I'd create my own oracle deck. It was something that I thought dreamily about while playing with cards, but not something that I seriously thought I could accomplish. Not only did I have no clue how to create one, but I also wasn't 100% sure what it would be about. What I did know is I had wisdom and messages to share—I've had enough life experiences that have taught me loads—but the actual logistics felt difficult and far off.
How The Idea Flowed Through Me
Like I said earlier, once I saw the symbol in the desert that day in Joshua Tree, I knew I had to create a deck. It's hard to describe, but I felt like something was compelling me to do it. I didn't exactly know how I'd do it, but I trusted that I could figure it out.
Luckily, part of my web design certificate program was learning how to use Photoshop. It was with this practical knowledge that I was able to take the symbol I saw out of my mind and bring it into reality. I spent the next week after I came back from Joshua Tree creating the artwork that would become the back of my oracle cards. I immersed myself in my Photoshop coursework to figure it out and was so impressed with myself when I finalized the first iteration of my design.
From there was the hard part—creating the messages for the cards. Going into it I thought the messages were going to be difficult to pull out of me, but luckily the opposite proved to be true. I believe that a force other than my own—what I now call the spirit of the desert—helped me channel the messages and meanings for my cards with ease. When it was all said and done, it only took about another week to channel 53 unique messages for my cards.
The final step of the process was figuring out how I would deliver the messages on my cards. My goal for my deck was for it to be easy to use and pleasant to interact with. I decided that I wanted to create a deck for beginners because that was the journey I was experiencing at that time. I put the messages for the cards directly on the deck itself, simplifying the deck itself so it would not require the use of a guidebook while reading spreads. I did this because I thought it would reduce the friction for people using the cards, and make it easy for them to hear the messages meant for them and interpret how they relate to their own life.
Intuition & Design
Creating my oracle deck was the first time I ever interacted with a force other than my own. Something grand that was compelling me to create art. I didn't know why I was doing it, but I knew I had to.
Prior to this experience, I never would have thought of combining spirituality with my design practice. And truthfully, it took a long time for me to figure out how my oracle deck fit into the design practice I was developing for myself as a career. Two years after I finalized the files for my oracle deck, I finally printed them and made my deck a reality. And one year after that I started to see the connection of how my oracle deck informed my design practice.
What my deck taught me about my design practice is that my ideas are co-created with my connection to the universe. Not everything is based 100% on strategy, as is the main focus for a lot of designers. I rely on my gut, my intuition, and signs from the universe to create educated design decisions for my clients (you can learn more about my approach to design here.) I don't think I'd be able to design in this way if I hadn't experienced this firsthand through the process of creating my deck. I didn't know it at the time, but my deck set the foundation for helping me carve a unique path for myself as a designer.
Feel like the deck is right for you?
The Desert Oracle Deck is a transformative oracle deck meant to help you find clarity and a deep understanding of yourself through meaningful messages from my own life and spirit. Save 15% this week only (October 1, 2021 - October 8, 2021) during the deck's anniversary sale!
Ready to take your business to the next level in 2022?
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Take care and talk soon,
Alex
