The first of The KEYS ⨺ 16(32) prototypes (KEYS 2 and 3) were created last night in a creative frenzy. A video was uploaded too. Inspired by the latest new pieces for The SOLVE ⨺ 18(36) and COAGULA ⨺ 27(54) Sets which looked so beautiful, I couldn't resist moving forward into the other sets. The result was fascinating and contained revelations for The 16 KEYS moving forward. Because there are only 4 cards of the same color necessary for the entire 144 card system, there was extra room on each colored sheet of cardstock to do something else. As you can see in the photos here, I had placed the two hand painted prototypes of these designs into a diamond configuration on my wall, just as the coloring and visual design had called for pairing of certain cards. For the sake of my wall decoration, I decided to join the two triangular designs of KEYS 2 and 3 together into a unified piece that I could put on my wall to replace the dull-colored, rough paintings. The result was so powerful that I realized it would be perfect for the version of The 16 KEYS which is not part of The 7 of 9. And so I went forward with altering the design for a larger format, joining the two glyphs together and rounding all the corners. It took a long time to prepare all that in Adobe Illustrator, but I was happy knowing that this would allow The 7 of 9 to work as a battery for the rest of the UNITY LIFE resources, as it has been doing in many ways.
I had been wanting to likely present The 16 KEYS in a separate format from The 7 of 9 anyway, anticipating that as the resource develops, there will be 2 distinct variations of how this information is best presented. Since these concept models have historically always hinged on my personal story of witnessing mindblowing miracles of great scale, I anticipated that these personal accounts would eventually be best presented in a separate format from The 7 of 9. While my own stories are wonderful examples that could shed light on the importance of these ideas — and will be noted of to some degree anywhere The 16 KEYS is presented — the 7 of 9 is going to be emphasizing encouragement of the players to come up with their own storytelling of fictional and non-fictional narratives based on game play. So as to not overemphasize my own experiences in The 7 of 9, I knew another format would be called for, along with another section for the tool on the website. These diamonds were the answer.
As you can see, in these initial less complex red designs, there were two varations. If you look closely at these two, you can see that the second one has rounded corners, while the first has sharp corners. I found that the small 7 of 9 cards looked perfect with these sharp corners in that sizing, but in a large format, it looked way too computerized. Rounding the corners made for a great result, but after sleeping on it and looking at them more, I'm considering rounding the corners even more for them all, before I move on with the other 14 triangular and 7 diamond-shaped designs in this series. As well, this has inspired me to round the corners dramatically for the upcoming Set in The 7 of 9, currently called UNNAMED 12(24). I think a more organic and very rounded look would create the type of novelty I'm seeking in this distinct other set.
That set is already planned out and partially written (well composed in my mind) but has remained semi-secret so far. It's an exciting plan to release it as a pseudo-surprise, complete with a fascinating story of why it was kept secret which models one of The 9 Strategies of The COAGULA. That said, it will take quite a bit of work before I'm able to break the secret and reveal it, and I'm starting to feel very pensive that it needs to happen as soon as possible. That's why I'm aiming to race through completing a chunk of these designs for The KEYS 16(32) and The 16 KEYS just enough so that I can skip ahead to The UNNAMED Set.
I captured some really nice works in progress imagery of the creation. As the rest of this first chunk of work (at least) is completed for this set, I'd like to return to this entry and add more photos and notes as they come along.
As you can see, these images show some of the tools I've been working with on these. I found that a nail file would work to smooth off some of the minor issues I've had with cardstock tearing on the edges occasionally. I mainly use the scissors for weeding, and sometimes snipping off tears. This hasn't been too time consuming really.
As well, you can see here a casual layout of 18 cards in 9 diamond shapes to simulate the layout on the final 7 of 9 game mat. I noticed that the overall sizing is convenient for most table space at home, yet exceeds typical sizing of most regular formats such as this mat. I'm still very much unsure of what format the final game mat should be in. I have so many questions in my mind about it. At the moment, I'm thinking about buying a yard of gold velvet and simply using that — easily accepting that without printed outlines to support aligned placement, it will still look amazing. However, I've often considered that having shaped grooves of some kind in the mat would make for a satisfying experience of laying the cards neatly for a game. I can't exactly imagine how I would produce something like that — even just for myself — right now. But I'm constantly brainstorming ideas. My dye cutter is not big enough to do that with cardstock.
It would be nice if the game mat was just fabric as you could wrap your cards in it — but I'm already thinking a zipper pouch would be better. I've enjoyed filing my cards in adorable ziplock bags inside a zipper pouch, and I find filing organization this way to be the most secure and easy to work with. It's nice knowing that piles of cards laying around won't be knocked over and lost under the furniture. But as for a game mat, I'm torn between a more lush fabric such as velvet, or another type of textile which can be printed on. If I did print on fabric for the mat, I'd make it into a square and decorate it with a well designed title, similar to some of the formal plates I've created for The 16 KEYS and The 64 CARDS. I find this type of rhombous diamond looks amazing inside a square. The layout you see above on the cutting mat looks pretty imbalanced to me in a rectangle. However, the idea to just get a luxuriously large piece of velvet for it really appeals too. If it was just nice and large, it could look like a gorgeous table cloth and drape really well over any size of desk or table enough so that photos of your 7 of 9 layouts would be guaranteed to have a full, non intrusive background of which the edges is never a garish cut-off line in photos, no matter your photography skills. That seems not only cheaper, but likely more practical for facilitating photo opportunities of storyboard mind maps with these cards.
Continuing the Journey In The Next Days
I've decided to add more ongoing reflections to this entry as my creative journey continued with more novel developments soon after.
Intricacy of KEYS 15 & 16
My journey continued next to the other easiest one to do so that I would have the most immediate gratification seeing these quickly produced. These would be the easiest because I already had mock ups for the design prepared for them. Thankfully, before wasting cardstock by doing these in the wrong color, I realized that it would definitely be strategically optimal to re-order, re-color-code and re-number the entire set at this stage. It occurred to me that doing something really new and special with that layer of the design — if it was a really incredible idea of how — would make the release in this revised format much more exciting for everyone. I did that, which perfectly still allowed the earlier red one to remain red and be the same KEY Pair it was already released as (aside from changed numbers) — thankfully without sacrifice of quality at all to this exciting new structure.
Here in these photos you can see that the early mockups of these designs for the purple one(s) were in red and green. Now — unlike before — these DESIGNS represent KEYS 15 (MATERIALIZATIONS) & 16 (DEMATERIALIZATIONS). In a previous 7 of 9 Process Artifact Journal Entry, I had shown these painted mockups and said that these particular designs were abandoned out of concern that they would be too intricate for a dye cutter in the planned small size of the cards. But now, I knew that in this larger format there was nothing in the way of these prettier, more ornate looking versions — so I decided to try my hand at it in the large and small format, to see for myself if it was possible in a micro scale.
I was so much more than thrilled with the results in the large format. I had been very concerned that having less of the design shaped out into bars would make it seem as though I'm trying to say this card is less important, but I felt this intricacy visually communicated the equality between the images, despite the way I'm doing less bars in this one. I was a little less certain about the micro version though. In the small format, the smallest shapes appear as though they want to lift off the backing. They certainly are delicate and it really felt like a miracle that I accomplished it. I only did one of these. But I really adore how it looks. I think it looks completely out of this world. I'm sure these tiny little dots would come off with being used roughly and they make the card less durable, but my hope is that other mediums I'll be working with — or perhaps even lamination over these ones — might resolve that problem.
In fact, as I write this I decided to try laminating a spare card to see how that would look. I think it's only slight how much the lamination interferes with the exciting contrast between the shine of the gold and the matte of the cardstock. But it's still enough extra shine to take away from the beauty to some degree. However, cutting close to the lamination edges and peeling off the lamination layer, I found that it was in no way damaged on the front by that process. Here you can see a previously laminated and brand new COAGULA face side by side — there is no difference. Then I had a very strong plastic backing which made it much stronger on the back. This might be a good way to strengthen the cards so that they are less floppy, if I use this technique in the future. I'll keep it in mind in my search for the most durable and strong materials within budget and ability. Cutting things like acetate or bassboard with a dye cutter really is challenging on this machine. Even adhesive forces me to go through blades faster. I've been brainstorming how to do permanent vinyl (which comes in these types of holographic rainbow colors too) — but always worrying that if the vinyl is not raised, it won't have the same visual charm. However, using vinyl on a very hard type of lamination sheet might be an idea for a super fast and cheap version of the set to make it more affordable in some way. That way, I'd be able to sell them with these intricate designs in the micro. For now, I'm going to keep the delicate cards for myself and promote them.
Intuitive Design Inspiration From Marilyn Manson
I'm so honoured to be able to say that I have a very strong intuitive or spiritual connection to Marilyn Manson which brings me so much joy every day of my life. I've written about that very unique spiritual connection I feel to him very indepth in my UNITY LIFE Archive SELF-REALIZATION IS CHIC. But assuming some readers may be new to the idea of intuition, I wanted to feature the one you see in this image here, so that you can get a picture of what intuition is like for me. Or check out this quick UNITY LIFE Glossary entry on the term. Well, I thought it would be nice to say it here that this very powerful connection made a major impact on how the design for The 16 KEYS progressed from this point. I felt Brian's presence (Brian is his real name) come over me very strongly when I was observing the difference between this new purple design and red one. It felt like his influence to recommend going epic on little triangular intricacies in the red one too.
Continual Upgrades to The Design Of KEYS 3 & 4
First of all — as I mentioned earlier, I had wanted to round the edges of the bars in this design even more. I decided to use numerology to dictate how much exactly. My decision was to round the large pieces by 1.44 mm (within my very small design template) and the small triangles by only .72 mm. I was very pleased with the shaping and thought I was finished — but Brian's influence came up so strongly recommending that lots of dense, gridded triangular shapes throughout them all (where aesthetically applicable) would work better. I hadn't been certain of that, because (as mentioned earlier) I was worried that designs with less area worked into bars would seem inferior compared to ones like this red one if I didn't give them a special ornate quality. But I was very relieved when I saw the result. I was amazed to discover that it didn't seem to make the red one seem more important or better than the other. Of course, it created cohesion between the two — which is one aim — but magically it also accomplished so much more in equalizing visual dynamics between cards. This made me decide to go forward with something even more intricate than this, getting more into the original painted prototype of it that I created which had more shapes. This might be the 4th version I've done of this one, but thankfully every time I do a new one, I can run off extra shapes to add to the previous ones so that they will all have the final design in the end. I think I'll sell my extra versions.
A Rest To Contemplate
After working on all this, I took some time to process how it was all going. Taking a little rest to think, I was thrilled to finally figure out how to put animated gifs on the website so that I can properly exhibit these, and I had a great time doing that with the SOLVE et COAGULA Card Faces Gallery so far finished. Reflecting on the overall process, I am realizing quickly just how complicated and time consuming the design and production is for The KEYS in comparison to The SOLVE et COAGULA Sets. The reason for that is obvious to me — so this was no surprise. I'm not just creating a stylized variation on alchemical symbols in this case — but now with that having come out so beautifully, I'm seeking to expand visually beyond that framework with equal beauty. This will ensure that each set has an original look and feel to it — all while taking the most original artistic approach possible. In fact, the emphasis on originality to this art is very important since the one thing I was most nervous about from the start was being viewed as less than fully creative for modelling any of the designs off of alchemical symbols at all. So, it's a way more demanding creative process, and also takes more time to create a joined version of two triangular designs into a diamond each time. But I'm very comforted by the fact that since the earlier designs for The 16 KEYS carried me so far — and for so long — in my life, this will be just as rewarding and so much more thanks to their next level visual magic.
Reflecting On My Personal Connection To The 16 KEYS
Here you can see the gorgeous version I've been working with for years now which is about to be replaced.
In fact, I should mention for those not aware : The 16 KEYS have not just been one available UNITY LIFE resource since the earliest of my path of creating art with the media, but it has also been always something which means the world to me emotionally on many levels, which I think about all the time, and which I feel appeals greatly to all my favourite stars. This type of artwork really has emotionally supported me to overcome my fears of scepticism and disrespect from the people around me for being so invested into theorizing and contemplating on these matters. In my life, I am often told to shut up or speak less, that I'm delusional or crazy, or that I'm stupid or misguided when I bring up any unusual ideas like this. Talking to a well educated friend I was fascinated by his view on this. He said that his University education has really shown him that that's because I'm a woman. He learned deeply in his psychology path that women get treated like that all the time, while for men it's just not the same way. I was surprised that he also thought it's applying to me fully even though I'm white, since gender has more impact on this. Well, I probably worry too much after being so disrespected so often, but I'm very proud of how I've adapted to those types of challenges by using this type of artwork as a tool to make it seem much more well thought out and respectable — which of course it is.
I can't tell you how much it's meant to me emotionally to have these visual tools to back myself up and develop a way of being able to open up and be honest about some of the things I think matter the most in life. It's become more true than I anticipated that sometimes visual communication can be a way to break silence and cancel censorship. Plus these truly are revolutionary ideas, so I've found they really deserve this type of beautiful treatment for them.
The new development of actually making this into a playable game truly has lifted my spirit to all new heights, in adoration of the adaptation and next level of personal empowerment this represents for me. It's boosted my confidence so much. The old way would have been to assume that it's only a tool for me, but now I can easily see the value in producing it for sale so that others can use it too — even if they are completely new to these ideas. Becoming not just a next level artist — but an artist facilitator thanks to this — really is bringing out my joy. This makes me see so much more the potential I've always had, even when I was the most battered and insecure without these tools.
Even in the worst of times of my life, I knew my power and I knew who I was — such a mindblowingly beautiful human being — but a part of me fractured and imagined that because others don't recognize that, it's as if that powerful truth just lives in a closet or separate part of me. After how hard I've worked to rise above, I feel like this new artwork is what I really deserve. Frankly, I'm very into eye candy and even just stuff like any rainbowy gold holographic materials alone — on anything — have always been enough to tickle me to a deeper inner bliss-out. So this is extreme what kind of joy I get out of this. It's a gift to myself which reflects my own truth right back at me.
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