Reviews of tarot decks and books (split from Wow! never had.. slating)

[baba-prague]

"The crux of the biscuit
is the apostrophe"
Well you know, the man that was talking to the dog
looked at the dog, and he said
Sort of staring in disbelief
"You can't say that"
he said
"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
it hasn't, it isn't, it even ain't, and it shouldn't
it couldn't"
He told him, "No, no, no"
I told him, "Yes, yes, yes"
I said, "I do it all the time
Ain't this boogie a mess"?)

The poodle bites, the poodle chews it...


I think that sums it up quite nicely

Where is Firemaiden when you need her?

 

[Debra]

It's interesting that there's such a diversity of views on these questions--even more diverse than is revealed on this particular thread. The differences of opinion I think may correlate with whether the artists have commercial interests and a market on the forum (professional deck designers and publishers), those with commercial aspirations (but not in the business of producing tarot) hoping to find a publisher, and those with more purely artistic or expressive motivation (working on a deck as a personal project for the artistic challenge or self-exploration).

Another artist with a deck in progress has weighed in on her creation thread (post #124):

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=1589869#post1589869

 

[gregory]

That's a very good point Debra - anyone hoping to sell a deck will want people to know about it, and to want it ! but the corollary is, of course, that if they REALLY want to sell it and get negative views on their work, they would be wise to listen and not throw a wobbly.

But no-one, in their heart, likes to hear the negative about their work - however nicely it's expressed. Some do take it into account and some don't. But does that almost suggest that a different TYPE of feedback is appropriate for someone who is making a deck for their own use and just says - e.g. - my devil isn't quite right yet, any ideas ? and someone who is planning to sell their deck to U S Games ?

 

[Debra]

Well as an example, Gregory, I recall perhaps two years ago commenting that I liked the (already published) Baroque Bohemian Cats but found the fancy borders a bit fussy and felt tempted to trim them. Baba (hi, Karen!) wrote that she and Alex LIKED the borders.

I felt that my comment about the borders was taken as ... well, as not appropriate somehow. Well fine, ok. I shut up.

Some time later...they redid the deck without the borders in two new editions.

I can recall similar examples with LoScarabeo decks--for example, the historical decks they publish with coins labeled "pentacles," which Ric has since said was a mistake.

 

[gregory]

Yes - I can recall similar examples. But not so much with personal decks, where comments are more commonly taken in good part, in my experience.

 

[Debra]

I can think of many people who have asked for comments and accepted them as constructive, and with grace. Some made changes; others didn't, but goodwill was assumed in the discussion.

What comes to mind: discussions of decks in progress by Wings, Dean, adriayna's Tree Tarot, Lillie's Frog tarot, MrsOnePotato's Little Window Tarot, and Mythos' tarot.

 

[gregory]

I can think of many people who have asked for comments and accepted them as constructive, and with grace. Some made changes; others didn't, but goodwill was assumed in the discussion.

What comes to mind: discussions of decks in progress by Wings, Dean, adriayna's Tree Tarot, Lillie's Frog tarot, MrsOnePotato's Little Window Tarot, and Mythos' tarot.

AFAIK none looking to go very commercial ? which perhaps reinforces....

 

[All Is One]

Where is Firemaiden when you need her?

Just click your heels together and say her name three times.

If necessary, I'll summon her.

Can I do that??

We'll all have to wait and see.

I have great faith that Firemaiden will come if we ask nicely.

I would love for her to jump in.

It would be great to hear from her.

First try: Firemaiden: please help us out ...

Stronger measures might be called for soon.

Let's wait.

Zen patience would be nice, but in my case....not bloody likely.

 

[Sidhe-Ra]

Just on the subject of constructive criticism, the original idea for the T.T.'s court cards was quite different, until a couple of people expressed a real dislike for them and I changed them radically. Constructive is just that- constructive!

Em xx

 

[Kiama]

I was going to reply several times before, but everybody else has already said what I thought of. All I'm left with is the following:

Speaking as a deck creator, deck collector, and deck reviewer, I have been the giver of many a criticism of a deck in my time. My old reviews on Tarot Passages often critiqued decks, but I made it a point to weigh these against the deck's good points and say them in a way which even the artist could accept. There's a big difference between saying something and saying it constructively.

Then I created a deck. And I posted about in on Aeclectic. It got some praise, and one critique which I answered constructively, since it too was given in a constructive manner. And then the deck was published, and nobody said anything about it at all...

And from a creator's perspective, having nothing said about it is far worse than having good or bad spoken about it.