Sacred Willow

I recently had the opportunity to delve deeply into the design process and my creative spirit. Christine, one of my oldest and dearest friends was not only pregnant but in the developing and launching phase of a new career. She and I met in college and walked side by side and even head over heels through some crazy adventures. We've always had deep conversations about God and spirituality and since I've known her she's been exploring her mind and her ability to see, see deeper than what exists on our level of consciousness as we know it.

Being a bookkeeper by trade along with a background in project management, she decided a few years ago to move her life and career in a different direction and began to take classes to develop her psychic nature. This was the birth of Sacred Willow and her desire to provide intuitive counseling for people.

She originally hired a designer in hopes that someone who didn't know her could more easily translate her thoughts into a design she loved. They would be open to her ideas vs. imposing their own. What actually happened was the opposite. The designer read her bio and looked at samples of designs she was drawn to and then gave her his interpretation of what he thought she would like. When it was off the mark, she didn't feel that there was an open flow of communication so that her inner vision could be discovered.

This is something that I find common when designing for people. They know what they want somewhere inside of them but can't find the words to express it. I often describe the way I work to be chiseling away at a big block of stone to carve away and expose the jewel inside. It can be a process but it's a process that I enjoy.

Her original thought was to have a willow tree in the center of the card. Something graphic but that showed a flow of energy. Green and white being the color palette to work with. When she came to me with her original design and described what it was that she wanted and what it was that wasn't working we started the process of exploration. At first, I too tried to stay within the structure of a willow tree but then we moved to branches. She found a great photograph of bare branches that we tried but it felt dark and not very inviting. This sparked a thought to shift the "dark" aspect of the branches to something more modern and fresh. Something that felt open and healing.

She wanted her cards to be oversized and to double as appointment cards. Such a great idea! Once the front of the card was landed on, together we created the back. I had the basic layout designed and then she suggested using the leaf as the graphic element to tie it all together. This is the collaborative piece of the puzzle that I love. My client being a part of the design not just the recipient.

Here is the fruit of our labor and the birth of her new business. Christine I wish you all the success in the world! You have a gift and the people who come to you will know this.