Tarot has always been a powerful tool for introspection and guidance, with its symbolic imagery often invoking deep and sometimes intimidating emotions. However, artist and creator Gianna Lucci has taken a unique approach with her Craft Felt Tarot Deck, a project that reimagines the traditional tarot using felt as the medium. Through bold colors, hand-cut designs, and playful symbols, she has softened the often heavy imagery associated with tarot, making it more approachable and fun while preserving its depth and significance.
In a recent interview, she shared insights about the inspiration behind the deck, her creative process, and the rewarding journey that led her from felt greeting cards to a full-fledged tarot deck.
1. What inspired you to create The Craft Felt Tarot Deck, and how did the idea of using felt as the medium come about?
I’ve had a big drawer of felt for a long time now that I use to make greeting cards for friends and family, so using felt wasn’t necessarily a new thing in my life. It just happened that I was doing a tarot card reading for myself one day and was contemplating some of the more “negative” cards, wishing they could feel a little less scary. I was trying to think if I illustrated those cards, how I would soften them. And the whole felt vision popped in my head right in that moment. I imagined a rainbow of cards with simple felt shapes that would be playful and fun to use.
2. You’ve mentioned wanting the traditionally heavy tarot imagery to feel softer. How did you translate this vision into your designs, especially for cards like Death or The Tower?
For the Death card, I was trying to focus on the positive aspects of the card and so I chose a very colorful butterfly shedding bits of it’s old self. My tower card is perhaps a little scary still… it’s a tornado with objects chaotically flying around, but the objects look almost toy-like because of the felt and simple shapes.
3. The Craft Felt Tarot features hand-cut felt designs. Can you walk us through your creative process, from sketching the cards to photographing the final product? What’s the average time spent on a card?
I try not to think of the time I spent on the cards (lol) because it is so much. Probably about ten times what anyone would imagine. There is also the added fact that I had never deeply studied tarot before. So not only was this project a huge artistic endeavor, but maybe even more-so an intense research project, and even more than that– a spiritual journey I didn’t expect.
My process order was generally – Research, meditate on the card, brainstorm, sketch, cut, arrange, photograph, edit, and then write the haiku.
Each of these aspects were pretty challenging. Felt itself is a pretty fussy medium. It sticks to everything, and everything sticks to it. Often one wrong move could mess up the whole thing and I’d have to start over. Also, I am a professional photographer and yet found that felt was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to photograph. It was difficult to get right.
4. You worked on this project for over a year and a half in secrecy. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during this journey?
Probably the biggest challenge was remaining patient and trusting that it was going to work out. With all of the cards there was an initial excitement, then stress, then dread that it wasn’t working, then back to excitement and relief again when I finished. This is the roller-coaster of being an artist and I always wish I could skip those negative parts but haven’t quite figured that out yet!
Once I did complete the cards, the next biggest challenge has been figuring out the world of business, numbers, Kickstarter, choosing card stocks, working with printers, and figuring out complex matters such as international shipping. I’d rather be cutting out felt! lol
5. The guidebook for your deck pairs each card with an original haiku. How did you decide on using haiku, and how do they complement the tarot’s symbolism?
Much like the cards themselves, I wanted my guidebook to feel uncomplicated so that it would be easy on the mind but also vague enough for intuition to come into play. I found myself not feeling excited about the idea of writing a lengthy book of card descriptions and then it occurred to me that it could really be whatever I wanted it to be. Haiku are easy to read but can also have an incredible amount of depth, which is what I hoped for my cards to be as well.
6. Your artistic background spans many different mediums. What drew you to craft felt, and how does it differ from other mediums you’ve worked with?
I used to love making greeting cards with things like paper, but when I started using felt I was amazed at the way a simple shape could suddenly hold so much more power, weight, and joy than a paper shape. Felt makes people smile or often reminds them of childhood. It really does have a softening effect on the mind and heart, and I think we all need that.
7. You’ve incorporated playful and bold designs in the deck. How do you balance the whimsical aspect of your art with the deeper meanings behind tarot cards?
With the Rider Waite Smith cards, there are often little things in the illustrations that a person may not even initially see at all, such as the bridge in the 5 of Cups, a hugely important symbol of hope. I tried to take some of the little things like that and bring them forward in my cards. There is less searching needed in my cards which can be relieving for a beginner, but the traditional symbolism is still there.
8. How has the response been to your Kickstarter campaign so far? What has surprised or moved you the most about the feedback you’ve received?
I couldn’t have guessed what was going to happen with my Kickstarter but the response has been amazing. I started the campaign with no social media following, so I feel very lucky and grateful that it’s going strong.
Also, when I first started the project, I didn’t really know if photographed felt designs would be as compelling to people as actual felt, but people still love them. Amazingly, even when felt is photographed it really retains the “three dimensionality”, so much so that people think the cards are actually felt even when I hold them in my hand.
The feedback I’ve received has been transforming as an artist, as feeling supported is really all an artist could ever want. I have such drive to keep doing more projects now.
9. Looking back on your artistic journey, from photography to jewelry making and now tarot, what has been the most rewarding part of experimenting with different forms of creative expression?
The aspects I focus on most in any creative projects are color and composition, so when experimenting with a new medium, it’s really fun to just watch and see what my mind is going to come up with and how it’s going to use those elements in new ways.
10. With this deck completed, are there any future projects or themes you’re excited to explore in your art? Perhaps a different medium?
I may stick with felt a bit longer and see what else I can do with it. I have a fun vision of creating larger original felt pieces to sell. Other mediums I hope to work with in the next few years would be stained glass and printmaking.
11. What advice would you give to other artists who are thinking about creating their own unique tarot decks or embarking on large creative projects?
I think art has a tendency to be more powerful and unique when you come in with the idea of doing it for yourself, first and foremost, rather than wracking your brain trying to guess what others would like. Any time I would get in a creative rut during this project, it was often because I was thinking too much about what others would want me to create. It seems too simple but asking yourself “What do I want?” can be all you need to move forward again.
And on the practical side of things, make sure you know what dimensions you will be printing the cards in before you do any artwork. You don’t want to run into sizing issues later and have to redo your art.
12. What card or cards are you most proud of and why?
I really love the way my Tower card turned out and the way it moves into The Star. I decided to make The Tower black and white because I think when you are going through Tower moments, it can feel like the color is gone from your life. But then in my Star card, I have raindrops of color coming back down into the same scene, and water filling the space that the tornado left behind. I love the healing, hopeful feeling it brings and the story that these two cards tell together.
By transforming the often heavy imagery of tarot into something softer and more approachable, Gianna has created a deck that welcomes both beginners and seasoned readers alike. To learn more about The Craft Felt Tarot or to get your own deck, visit the Kickstarter campaign page. Stay tuned for future updates and creative projects by following GiannaLucci.com or @GiannaLucci on Instagram.
Leave a Reply