Question for Tarot Creators and Aspirers.

Hi all,

I have been wondering. Do you all who are creating Tarot decks, and sharing your ideas and your work on the forum, never fear that your ideas may be stolen? I say this only because for ages I have been dying to share my original ideas for my own Tarot across the forum, but I daren't, because if someone was to steal my ideas, and then end up publishing, or even just creating a full deck with ideas plaguerised from me, I would be nothing short of devastated!

I also feel this way about putting out original ideas for Tarot spreads, or my own personal, and possibly unique ways, of reading the cards, because if I was to read a Tarot book only to discover that the author has stolen my ideas from across the forum, then again, I would be totally devastated.

Does anyone else not worry about these things, or am I just paranoid?

I am not a deck creator but if I was I would not hesitate to show the results over here. To get advise and to be encouraged to go on!
People could use the pictures for their own personal tarot, perhaps even use cards from different artists and even use collage and whatever. I would have no problem with that.
If people went with my cards to a publisher to get the deck on the market with their name on it, that would be something different. But how do you think that would happen? When we all witness a deck being born and suddenly for example US games comes with your or my deck and we get no credits and money, what will happen? Don't you think we have a worldwide community on our side? Would it not be very easy for any lawyer to sort things out? I remember that some vague publisher printed the cards of the Golden Tarot by Kat Black. It didn't take too much time to find out (by tarotlovers!) that all was done without strict permission of the carddesigner.
I would not worry too much about publishing here. Instead I would enjoy the input of so many dedicated people. That is, when I were to make a deck.
Blessings

Hi
Well, at one time I was concerned. Then I realized, what would anyone do with it that could possibly be harmful to me? In fact, in keeping it very public people already know what work is mine so it is virtually impossible for someone to ever try and pass off one of my images as their own. To put it on the internet is to publish it.
Now I do have an idea I want to do when I am done with my current one and I have kept quiet on it more for copyright reasons, but as soon as i get that sorted out and do a few cards I will be happy to make that public as I work on it too.
I don't know your specific situation but chances are good if you put it online it will be known by the tarot community that it was your idea.

Hope that helps

Marie

Hi !

I want to say, that I think, in the case, someone would try to steal my work, I have the proof of the earliest publication on several sites. I don´t really know, how justice works in other countries, above all in america, but I don´t think, it would be to hard, to show, the ideas came out of me, and I´m able to paint the way I do. And I have the original paintings. I think, that´s a lot. I would fight, of course.
I really thought about this problem. I´m not afraid to get any problems with that.

I have no problem at all with copies for private use.

Stephan www.langustl.de

Hi
I think there is alot of people here who is in the process of creating their own original deck's i sometimes think it maybe risking showing your work, it might be best to show any of your deck images on a Low - res format, then the image quality won't be any good to print them if someone is thinking of copying your work ideas.

I have to admit, this was something that was intially a worry. However, I also felt that this is the sort of online community where there is real respect for other people's work. Also, I take copies of not only the finished products of each card, but the pencil and pre-colour versions of each card. So, as previously mentioned, it would be fairly easy to prove that the cards were initially mine. I think it's partly about weighing up the risk -any possible hassle for me was made worth it by having the comments of an intelligent and knowledgable community to take into consideration. I guess make sure you're safe by having some sort of proof of the process of creation, and 'obliterate' the image by having a copyright across it, so only you have a perfect image.

Don't Worry,be happy...

I decided when I got my first scanner that I wanted to share my art...it's a gift...I'm almost 60 years old and have been working for "the Giver of the Gift" full time since I was 40...no pension...but the promise of daily bread has always been fullfilled...I agree with most of the replies on this thread...a lot of well thought out commen sense...to me Tarot is about communications from one level(or demention) to another...and the messages is do not fear you are so much morethan you ever dreamed or imagined....
Aloha Wings

Occasionally syncrynisity (sp) raises it's head and it seems like someone else 'borrowed' too closely when they actually got the idea independantly. You can't stop that and it's not worth worrying about actually. Everyone's art has their own distinctive feature to it, so do what you want, show what you feel comfortable with (with or without watermarks over the images), and don't worry about the stress. It's a lot of effort to do a deck, and it would be a really rare thing for someone to take all your ideas and bet you to the punch.

What I create is non-commercial anyway and free for everyone to use. I would get angry if my ideas would be used comercially, yes, but as others said, it's proven here who had those ideas so I'm not really worried.

I feel very reassured by all of your responses, in that they were all so positive and have made so much sense. As you may have seen, I have expressed some ideas about creating a Vishnu Tarot, and what would be a good and original idea for the four suits, although I hesitated as I would be hurt to have the idea stolen and capitalised upon before I have had chance to get creative myself upon it. I have had very many other good ideas regarding such a deck, but I will keep these to myself until I have got some of the artwork down paper, and then I will reveal more and more, bit by bit.

I suppose that you are all right. If anyone was to rip off someone elses idea, then it would be obvious that they have done this, and I doubt that would win somebody much respect on the forum. Also, there isn't really much reason to rip off other people's original concepts off anyway, because there are endless possiblities when it comes to ideas, themes and concepts for Tarot decks, so why would creative people want somebody elses ideas anyway?

So, now I have seen sense, and I will get drawing and submitting soon, for your feedback, comments, criticisms and inspirations.

thankyou all for your reassurances.