It’s a well-known thing that both creativity and art have deep roots in mysteries, symbolism, and the profound. Taking into account the rich archetypes of the tarot cards, it is not a surprise that many artists of all kinds use the decks as a source of endless inspiration. It does not matter who you are – a sculptor, a singer, a painter, a writer, or someone else from the niche – you have cards at hand to unlock the most unexpected pathways and boost your work. Needless to say, the latter is not just the job but the vocation, and you know it.

Before you check how you can benefit from tarot archetypes to fuel your artistic journey, ensure you understand the power of archetypes. Basically, the tarot cards are an illustration of people’s emotions, experiences, narratives, etc. Archetypes like The Empress, The Tower, or The Fool speak to us because they all represent something that is common to human nature. To get a better idea of archetypes, learn the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the cards’ meanings. If not sure of your skills, get pro help at TarotAtlas or any other trusted online tarot reading platform. They’ll guide you at the beginning of your tarot-based artistic journey.

Tarot Cards Are Excellent Prompts
Even better than you expected! To be more precise, using a deck as a prompt is one of the simplest ways to use cards as part of the art that you create. For example, you can pull a card and interpret its message based on the symbolism and imagery. Let’s say, it’s The Lovers. The latter means you should consider exploring themes of connection, duality, and/or choice. As for The Star, think of crafting a song or/and a painting that symbolizes renewal and hope. The Death, in turn, might inspire you to write a story or part of it that goes about rebirth, transformations, and endings. Your creative process can have the colors, themes, and imagery as trusted guides.

Use Tarot Personas to Create Unique Characters
As you have already noticed, every tarot deck is full of compelling and vivid characters that can serve as perfect muses for, let’s say, visual art or storytelling. If you at some point draw The High Priests, it might inspire you to give life to a mysterious and intuitive character for your screenplay or novel. A dynamic and resourceful character for your next graphic novel or painting can be something that comes to your mind as you look at The Magician. You’ll also find a rich archetype in The Hermit card that enables one to explore themes of wisdom in tandem with solitude in any of your works.

OK, so what it all comes down to is that all the elements like settings, backstories, or/and visual representations can be easily developed on the basis of the traditional card’s meanings and your personal interpretation.

Dig Artistic Inspiration from the Journey of the Fool
Simply put, The Fool’s Journey is a narrative context that frames your personal and spiritual development through all the cards of the Major Arcana. As an artist, you are welcome to use The Fool’s Journey as a universal structure for writing stories or any sort of artistic series. For example, artists are welcome to craft various paintings or/and illustrations that inform people about every step that a person should take on a transformative path. In addition to that, you can write a range of short stories or/and poems that are inspired by this or that stage of The Fool’s Journey. Finally, why not compose music? Create your personal masterpiece that reflects the emotional progress of an individual from The Fool's innocence to The World’s fulfillment.

Imagery + Symbolism = Meaningful Work
If you’re looking for rich symbols, tarot cards offer tons of those. Use them all to add more meaning to your work. As you do, we recommend focusing on the recurring motifs like suns, moons, and stars. They all represent clarity, intuition, and guidance. As for animals (for example, you can see the doggy in The Fool and the lion in The Strength), they are the symbols of loyalty and instincts. And remember the natural elements! Things like mountains, fire, and water usually make us ponder over spiritual and emotional states. When busy with your artwork, infuse the symbols above into it. The best thing – it will evoke both introspection and curiosity in your target audience!

Create Your Art Based on Cards
Are you one of the visual artists? Perfect! Design your own set of works inspired by the archetypes of the tarot deck. For instance, you’re welcome to provide your own interpretations of the archetypes; however, do not miss an opportunity to add your own unique perspective and style. If you do not know where to start, think of crafting a brand-new arsenal of archetypes that reflect your personal (unique!) experiences or worldview. If it doesn’t work for you, reconsider the conventional deck and integrate up-to-date themes or some cultural elements. Finally, you are free to create a mixed-media deck. It’ll be something that combines collage, digital art, painting, and anything else to your taste.

Find other Artists and Co-work with Them
One of the most incredible things about tarot cards is that they can serve as a solid foundation for…collaboration! You can approach other musicians, writers, painters, singers, performers, or sculptures and encourage them for teamwork. This might eventually turn into a fruitful co-work that enables you all to create amazing pieces inspired by tarot cards. If you have no idea of where to start, try co-working with a choreographer. Together, you’ll create a dance performance on the basis of The Fool’s Journey. If you’re into writing, partner with a poet. This alliance might result in verses for a tarot-themed art exhibition. Or, as an alternative, work on a soundtrack and see how the cards of the Major Arcana come to life.

More than just mystical images and symbols – tarot archetypes – serve as mirrors of human nature. All of them can make depth, universality, and emotion an integral part of your art whatever it is. The key? Let your cards guide you on your artistic path.