Rik Garrett Photography

Designed as artist prompt cards to help move past creative blocks or writer’s block. Function on several levels, and in different ways depending on the use. They can be used as an immediate prompt in an improvisational scenario – improv music, acting, etc. They can be used more broadly to inspire change or break through writer’s block when the need arises in solo creative ventures. Alternately, they can be used as a reminder / focus for meditation by choosing a single card (either at random or deliberately) to focus on as a theme for a period of time (day / week / month).

This is an online mock-up to test the cards out. I am hoping to see whether others find something like this to be valuable, and get some input as to how helpful they are.

When I was young, before the Internet, I went to the library and read a lot about music that was not even available for me to listen to. I read about John Cage, introducing chance in his work with methods including I CHING. I enjoyed John Zorn’s COBRA project – a way to introduce chance in group musical improvisation. Since this time, I have often included chance as a component of my work. These cards are one product of this, and I see these as a way to break out of a creative rut.

I created these images photographically, in the darkroom, without a camera. The images are color photograms, unique images created by manipulating the settings on a color enlarger and placing various objects between the enlarger lens and the photographic paper. In keeping with the theme of this deck, the images were created spontaneously, without preconceived plans. While I was able to exercise a certain amount of control over the images, there was always a degree of serendipity involved. I was working in an entirely darkened room, and could only predict generally what the final image might look like.