Tag Archives: The Work

So,What’s This ImaginAction Thing?

ImaginAction began as a challenge to myself In 2012. I wanted to design another original Tarot Spread. And, then I thought, Cool. And, how limiting is that?! One spread? That’s like someone in a relationship saying they’ll die for you. WHAT?! No. No. Do you hear what you;re saying? All you have to do is do that once, and I’m left with the bag of moving forward. How ‘bout LIVE for YOU, and let’s rock it together? You do that once? Nope, that doesn’t give me warm tingles of support. I feel that’s a cop-out.

Yup, There’s an Intent

But, how does that intent come across? What’s expressed there? Excellent, an undying love… but, by dying? Look I’m into the light in the dark and vice versa which is a Both-And and certainly not dualism. Was there an intent to devotion and want to be with someone? Plus, why do you want to die for me?

Sure. It’s expressing a magnetic connection of how far you’d go, though, how about go to right here, right now, and look your troubles in the eye, and in Silent Empath wholebody hearing them out find both their message and inherent opportunity for workability they offer by enhancing you as you enhance them listening to one another?

I won’t go into how that kind of gesture may be hopped on limerance or infatuation or other sell-me-the-whole-farm in a single statement kinda thing a bit like a used car salesman with good intentions. Commitment includes tomorrow + we’ll also never know the future, and adaptability, together.

So, What Was All That Up There? ???!!!

That? That was what went through my head in that series of moments in 2012 when this portion of my work began? I was 10 months out from publishing Tarot in the Land of Mystereum with Schiffer Publications in Feb of 2011. 2012 was coming to a close, and I was a gestation cycle of working and resting my bigger works to rejuvenate their well. It spoke to me not about that single death-creative-event-one-off-quick-fix. It spoke to me about how designing one spread was cool and all. People do it all the time. There’s no requirement for how few or many you create and make, or any at all. But, the shallow roots of the quick fix? Nah, that’s not my gig to just skip stones on the top of the water to get to the other side. I’ll dive deep and literally go to the other side.

Series Work

The fact that I work much better in series work, the long-form processes where I complete many things along the way. Where I explore a theme. Where I set off on a path in a direction whether I blaze a trail or not. I don;t compete with myself. Because, if I win, I just beat myself. That kinda cancels shit out, huh?

When you focus on the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ of your fellows, you make an opening in your heart for maliciousness. Testing with, competing, and criticizing others weakens and defeats you.

Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido in John Steven’s translation of The Art of Peace.

I firmly feel that expression from Morihei Ueshiba directly applies to how we treat ourselves. And, that day, I wasn’t competing with myself. I felt a self-born challenge being built like clay on a potter’s wheel becoming as raw earth is made into something with water and air, and ultimately to be tempered so to speak in the fire. If you’re a vessel, you stop there. If you’re a sword, you have the added opportunity to explode when taken straight from the fire into the cold and clean water. You make that, you get the heat and I’ll dip to bring out your textures.

A Challenge Built

I get it, I said. I see. I feel what’s up. In regards to spreads 78 is an arbitrary number that has to do with the card count in a deck. Heck, why not? Stick to them. Rip that number out into the crucible Heat of the challenge. Do 78 spreads. 78 original spreads inspired BY your artwork, and WITH the artwork integral in them rather than molted like a snake skin after. No chrysalis here. Transform this here in the open.

So

So in that series of moments I decided to do 78 original Tarot spreads in 78 days. No exceptions. Hard deadlines them all. No multiples. No inter-relationship directly in the making except one 78-part community. Each would open up an ablution pool of its own world for people to immerse in and heck… can I do a Tarot spread where you don’t even need cards? What about a Tarot spread for people who could give a rat’s ass about Tarot?

So

So, I did. They were sale for a short bit as a package deal Of only the spreads, though wonderfully, 10 months later they went dormant. Went back to where they came from? Nope. It was time for me to garden some more, literally. Hands in the dirt with dahlias and roses and pansies and creeping time and building a stone walking path through the garden to the car and (pointy orange glowing things), and a 7th generation heirloom fern peony. The spreads were simply the proper beginning of a great seed for me.

Went to Sleep

Those spreads went to sleep for 7 years. Nascent. Dormant. Dormant, until 2 weeks before the 3/19/20 shutdown where at 3a I bolted up awake to sit in the stark and steep in a wonderful and wordless joy. When you purchase your download of ImaginAction, you’ll realize that this is a counterpart Creation Story to what really formed it. I love the way they dovetail together in the process of ImaginAction‘s birth.

Q: What is ImaginAction? What if I don’t get this Tarot and Divination thing?

R (response): Excellent. Do you meditate or enjoy when you are invigorated when at peace, like a walking meditation or just getting in the zone, your zone? Do you work with mindfulness or clarity or directly getting to the point? Oh, then this is certainly not for you with all those words up E. Shaking head. You can take a joke, right? What do you get?

R2: Oh, I get it when things are clear and valuable and there was a solid reason to do them.

R: Cool. ImaginAction is just for you. Stare into the paintings with your question in mind. Say it out loud as you slide into Empathic Silence. Just listen. I know, right? 3 whole minutes? 4? That’s an eternity to be quiet and not be getting something done. Really? Is it? How long are your breaks? What do you come back from them with?

R2: I come back refreshed.

R: Excellent. I’m gathering the eSpa of these 78 Ablution Pools will do at least that, though most likely… well, I’ll have to let you jump in and see for yourself. I’d say what’s to lose at the price of a coffee, though I can’t devalue the eSpa that way. Looking forward to trying it.

R2: Price of a coffee? Really? $3.80 for 103-pages with 78 in full color? One, simple download? What’s the catch?

R: Don’t know what’ll be biting today. Depends on the quality of bait you use I guess. Ok, there’s a catch. I’m not sure the automatic send of your download works yet. So, there might be a lag until I swing back around to click plaid in full. I know, right? It depends on the time of the day. Once I click the button, it’ll send you your download email with a link over on the right. Don’t blink. When I tested the file optimization on my slowest device. It literally started and was done. Oh, and you can download 3. One for each device? One for you and two to share. You’re call.

R2: I think I will. What if I have questions after?

R: O that’s simple. Plug them into the comments on any blog post here. I tend to see them all. 😉

R2: Ok then. See you soon. Going to the eSpa for $3.80! This feels good. Reservation for one or more any time from phone, iPad, ‘putter. Love it. No cards required. Hmmm… I’ll have to see if that also means the pools are even better with cards…

ImaginAction. Sometimes…

Sometimes off-trail so to speak, most often that off-trail is a myth in the creative process as you’re still experiencing from my perspective. Heck, going to a hot spring… is often off-trail. Going down a long dead end road, and finding a perspective or jewel or landscape vista or new inner vista from the experience? Immersing in ablution and having your own Inner Inheritances make you their executor In the Ablution Pools? Worth it to me. I’ll look forward to see the worth to you. It doesn’t seem a stretch to say, to see the value of you increase. Heck, Talk a good game, but can’t box when the mouths close? Nah, doesn’t apply here.

Enjoy Your Self-Refilling ImaginAction 78 Ablution Pool eSpa once you’ve downloaded the pdf and settled in. What’ll you get?

I gather you’ll get more of yourself with ImaginAction