Behind the scenes: creating a card deck!

It was a dream of mine, one I'd cherished for years: creating my own card deck! I love using card decks. Just for inspiration, wonderful! But all the decks I could find just weren't my cup of tea. They were either too vague, too abstract, too general, or too specific, and I'm not at all interested in angels... so I wanted to create one myself that would be absolutely perfect! In this blog post, I'll take you through the process of creating them, because: how do you do that?!

Think before you leap... not my strong suit

I love just getting started when I have an idea, but it's not always the best approach. In this case, I did take some time to brainstorm, make lists, try to figure out production costs, and test the feasibility of the entire project before enthusiastically starting to paint. But soon enough, I just got started. I had my list of animals, and I just started!

A long breath

Okay, this was a massive project that required a lot of patience. In total, I spent over 30 hours researching videos, I suspect the same amount of reading, and over 50 hours painting and illustrating. I have to say, I always find long projects quite challenging, but lately, it's getting easier. If I prepare myself, don't plan tight deadlines, and above all, do what I love, I succeed! So, it might not surprise you to hear that from brainstorming to holding the product in my hands, it took me over a year and a half.

I often get questions or comments from Instagram followers or cozy friends from the shop that they'd like to try it too. But when I explain how much time and perseverance it takes (not to mention the production costs, which I'll discuss later), many people lose interest. So my golden tip: only do what truly energizes you, and you'll succeed!

Production conditions

Thinking, writing, and creating is a big job, but easy to do yourself, of course. But if you want to launch your passion project, it also needs to be produced, and that's precisely what's so difficult. I spent months searching for a good production company. As a small business owner, it's incredibly nerve-wracking, because I didn't want to have 10 made, but many more. It also involves a lot of money, and you suddenly find yourself in the "business world," which you don't often encounter as a freelancer.

Luckily, I already had experience with production, having had my Advent calendar and, of course, my picture book produced last year. And experience is great, really great! It gives you a better understanding of what to look for, what firm agreements you want to make, and any contractual stipulations you might need. Another thing: proofing such large quantities isn't possible because it's offset printing, so it's still a bit of a gamble, and I won't see the final product myself until all 1,000 copies are delivered. It's incredibly nerve-wracking, but also incredibly fun!

And then the time has come!

After all that time, work, deliberation, excitement, and stress, you finally hold your own card deck in your hands. Just the way I like it: not too vague, completely nature-focused, with an eco-friendly paper booklet and many other things I find important: HOORAY!

Would I recommend it?

Yes! But... yes, always a but, of course. It's expensive, you have to be willing to invest, and you have to (and I should be doing much more of that) invest time in marketing and sales, or have a wide reach to sell it. Because it's wonderful to have your own product in your hands, of course, but you also want to make as many people as possible happy with the hidden treasure you've created!

That was the behind-the-scenes story, and now you'll want to know more!

Or shop this project of mine or one of my previous projects below!