The Coming of the Scar

Choose a card, I say, holding the pack out face down, and as she reaches forward I whisk them away saying, but not before you have a pure thought! Do you have a pure thought? After a moment she draws 'The Coming of the Scar', OK, I will tell you my story of the scar, then it is your turn, and this is how the story telling begins.

Last night I went to The Creatives Club and decided to take along these cards I have made, they are inspired by Edward Gorey's 'The Fantod Pack' which are macabre and quirky in equal measure. I knocked out 48 in all (8 up on A3) and was surprised to get past 20, in fact I have more in mind and can't seem to stop.

So off I trot to the Creatives Club with the cards in my bag, and great intentions about divinating deep truths through using them in a Tarot style affair but when I arrive I found it easier to just ask 'do you have a pure thought? Followed by, 'then please choose a card'

Firstly people are curious, then a little apprehensive (especially when I say the cards are a little dark!) then intrigued. Confusion quickly follows as they draw and read the card, but then the cards trigger some memory and thats where the storytelling begins.

Would you like to choose a card?

of fish, flowers and flesh

These are two pictures I took this morning on Dunster Beach, I love the contrast of both light, colour and mood. When writing my tales I feel this is often the dilemma that I face, on the one hand hyper real, sickly sweet, then on the other gritty, stark and immediate. Separating the two into elements which co-exist and compliment is tricky and is possibly the test of any author when looking for a voice to tell their tale. But without contrast how can you illustrate?

For me it is easy to fall into the darkness, and avoid pinks and peppermints, but then I pull myself short and try and flip it around. These pictures are the same place, the same time, the same weather, but the narrative is totally different, and I love that. Its a reminder to me that everyone sees differently, hears differently, responds differently, and finding a narrative and place which can resonate with the viewer across these islands is the test and the fun.