By Allan T. Ritchie
I have a new obsession. Okay, it looks a lot like my old obsession. I love Tarot decks and I love collecting them. My first decks were published by U.S. Games Inc. Then I found decks to love from Llweyllen and Lo Scarabeo. Scrivener and Blue Angel have created decks that I adore. The big publishers are the gateway for Tarot enthusiasts to discover the classic decks and many of the new decks that are released each year. Yet we are seeing a revolution in the avenues in which tarot decks find their way to the marketplace. There have been self-published decks in our collections but they have been few and far between, though there are a couple in my collection that I have purchased from etsy.com. My new obsession is crowd sourcing decks. The recent development of Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) and Indiegogo (www.indiegogo.com) we have seen a wealth of decks being published with crowd-sourced funds.
Crowd sourcing is a the process of inventors or creators gaining contributions from supporters that then in return give a set reward. For many small market artists or a newcomer to the scene, this is a way that they can see their projects to completion without dependence on a large house publisher. The process is driven by social media and self-marketing to get individuals to contribute. This process is normally supports a small print run of decks and books.
I believe that each tarot deck holds the promise of an original view of tarot, also every deck is a gallery of an artist’s work, and then the hope that a new deck will read really well. There are many artists with inspiration or an idea for a tarot deck that might not be picked up by a large publisher and the only way that they can get the deck printed is with the help from others. The community is immensely creative and imaginative. Crowd sourcing gives a chance for those voices an opportunity to give their ideas a physical form and an audience for their voice.
Support of the community is a reward all on its own. There is a maxim that an artist only gets famous after they have died. This is a tragedy. There are artists in our midst that are looking to bring inventive considerations to the craft and have limited options to promote their work. With crowd sourcing a project we as a community can prevent a tragedy. Also this is a chance to be a small part of an artist being able to make a living off of their work.
Finally there is another important consideration we have to face. We need new voices and the energy that new creative influences brings our community. The future of tarot is always at stake. What will be the next revolution to the craft? When will that next Pamela Coleman Smith arrive? Tarot will not remain stagnant. It will evolve. With crowd sourcing we have a chance to be a part of the revolution even if it is with our money rather than our own creativity. With our small contributions to a campaign we have a chance to share our voice to the future of Tarot. The future of tarot is born by our choices. Crowd sourcing a creator’s project is a powerful way of lending your voice and support to the creation of the future.