The Firefly House: Alternative pentagram

Being a graphic designer, I think about design all the time. For everything. Even pagan symbols. I came up with this pentagram 2 years ago. It was one of the first things I put down in my fledgling BoS. I was inspired by the imagery in the Gilded Tarot. The minor arcana pentacles suit has a similar coin design (pentagons within coins). I was inspired. It is a very discrete, yet powerful symbol. I really love it now. I intend to make it into a piece of jewelry in the future. I am also coming up with designs for a full art piece (painting or drawing) too. For now, this logo stands as my image on my paganspace and witchbook profiles - and my own custom "gaia" file folder on my laptop (where I keep all my witchy files and goodies). This image is one of many version of the the design (and my current favorite).

	Re: Alternative pentagram - my personal pagan logo by Allura Darkelf - Sunday, 21 March 2010, 02:24 PM
	Your pentagram is so pretty! My friends and I have also designed a pentagram for our small coven. It is a five pointed star inside two cresent moons facing each other and there is a triquatra in the back. Im going to college this fall to be a graphic designer. Any advice? Show parent \| Reply

Hi Molly! Thank you. Glad to meet a fellow designer/artist. The only advice I can give is what has made a difference for me in my studies. I'll include them for you in hopes that some of it may be useful.

If you don't already, keep a sketchbook with you at all possible times
- I myself don't do this often enough, and I'm frequently sorry when I see something I want to record and can't.

Surround yourself with artistic inspiration, both from your own imagination and from what you find in the world around you, and sketch it down
- This will help keep you motivated and inspired. There's nothing worse than loosing your artistic mojo. It's like loosing your super powers. You feel useless.

Label and date all your sketches, include details when you can, and jot down Why you liked the image or resource you found
- You'll never remember all the details of each sketch when you look back at just random sketches. So, jot down a) when you drew it, b) where you found it, c) the original artist/designer if not yourself, d) why you liked it, and e) how you might implement the imagery or ideas into your own work. Additional details can include anything you find interesting about the art, or situation you were in when it happened. It's really fascinating to re-read all the details.

Make yourself known through your work, and make your artistic identity accessible to others
- If you want to benefit from the artistic community, you have to contribute to it. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to make your work accessible to others. You can be formal or informal about it. You can ask a peer to critique your work to help generate questions, comments and advice. Utilizing all your potential canvases is another way to put yourself out there. Draw on your note/sketchbook cover. Draw on your jeans. Create a deviantART account. Create a web-folio. Let others see what you are working on. Put your homework projects out where your peers can see them in progress. Above all, don't be shy or reclusive about your work.

Establish a responsible and committed work ethic - it’s your education after all
- Don’t be a flake. I’ve already developed a reputation of being a flake. Trust me, it’s not good. Bad habits speak louder than good results. Don’t work hard to just produce good Products. Work on being a good Process person. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Turn your homework in on time. Be in class on time. Take responsibility for your own education. Don’t wait for prompts to begin a project. Above all, don’t become known as the kid who (although, may be very talented) can’t be counted on. With accountability comes respect. This actually makes it easier for others to work with you (collaboratively), and helps your artwork speak for itself. (I’m working on this too.)

If you receive a useful critique about a project you’ve done, and you agree with the opinions, follow it through in your work, then seek that person out to discuss the work further
- Meaning, put the advice into action by actually making the proposed changes in the art piece - preferably asap - and check back with the advisor to show the changes and receive further advice. (Do this Only if you agree with the advice that was given, and Want to change your work to improve it!) This will serve several purposes: 1) it shows good faith that you can take criticism, 2) that you respect your peers, teachers, and artistic elders, 3) you are willing to take chances to grow as an artist, 4) you are dedicated to improving your own work, 5) you take responsibility for your own progress, and 6) you are a collaborative member of the community. You’ll be more likely to continue receiving helpful critiques when you have proven that you listen to them. (If you can’t bear the risk of “ruining” the work that you’ve done, you can always secure some tracing paper over the original work, and draw out the changes on top of it to illustrate them. As long as you have something to show and discuss with the person or teacher, you will accomplish the goals above.)

Be generous with your knowledge
- If someone wants to know how to do something, and you know how, show them. Establish an “open source” policy when it comes to your skills and techniques. After all, someone was generous with you and that’s how you learned it in the first place. Don’t be a doormat, but be as supportive as you can.

Remember that your reputation as an artist begins at school
- The kids you go to school with will be the adults you work with someday. Graphic design is a very narrow field. People in this field all seem to know each other. And “word of mouth” is taken as prophecy. If you have a bad rep at school you can be sure it will follow you. I’ve already seen this happen. So remember, someday, the kid you sat next to in class will be in a position to recommend you for a job. Be recommended.

Be yourself
- This is self-explanatory, but it’s also an extension of the previous list item. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. That way lies madness and failure. It will only trip you up, and you’ll end up coming off as unsure of yourself. You set yourself up to fail when you try to take on someone else’s personality traits, artistic style, ideas or methods. Be your own artist. Be your own person. (And please forgive the next corny statement...) Be your own role-model.

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Thank you so much for your advice. I will keep all of this in mind as I begin my journey to becoming the artist I know I can become. I hope to one day be a comic artist and use my comics to teach people a little about paganism and the truth about the beliefs and practices. That has been my dream for a long time now and I feel that it is what I was meant to do. I have always been talented with artistic and musical abilities and I feel that I was given these gifts by the goddess and the god to help others understand what Wicca and paganism is really about.

Sorry for getting off topic. Anyway, thanks again for the advice and I'll post a picture of my covens symbol soon

Show parent | Reply

Not off topic at all. I'm thrilled to hear of your plans. That sounds awesome! Sounds like you might be going into some illustration and animation to go in that direction (comics). Those kids are a fun group. They nuts. They have a lot of fun. The club at my school is the best. I've never had so much fun in my life. A lot of the time, I wish I were one of them (an illustrator or animator). Graphic designers have a tendency to take themselves too seriously. Not out of pomposity, just personality types, ya know? All artist's are different. I love love love your idea. Blessings on that journey. It sounds like a hit(!) - and it would fulfill a need. Not to mention a unique approach. I say - do it with ART! Go girl.

P.S. I can't wait to see you pentagram! I love looking at everyone's different interpretation.

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I too take myself too seriously sometimes. I get a little frustrated at times and my boyfriend has been a poor unsuspecting victim of that frustration. You should have seen the bruise on his forehead after I chunked a canvas across the room because I couldn't draw something right and had spent two hours trying lol. I tend to throw things a lot so I have learned to take a football and throw it as far as I can when I get mad (at the pleading of my injured bf lol). I make it sound like I have anger management problems lol.

I think might start posting some of my comics on the forums to get some critiques. I know that I have a long way to go before I can actually realize my dream but I'm going to work hard and never give up. If I get discouraged by a low grade on an art project i think about how if just one of my comics can help just one person who hated pagans to undertand us and see how wrong society has been about us and our practices, then it will all be worth it. I have dreamt of this since I began my life as a Wiccan and nothing will stop me from reaching it. Not rain, nor sleet, nor klu klux Klan, nor Politically correct government suits will stop me. I will stick it to the man and hold my head up high! (it's sad when I can quote my high school psychology teacher lol)

I'm having some trouble posting pics on the site, so it may be a while before anything gets posted.

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	Re: Alternative pentagram - my personal pagan logo by Allura Darkelf - Tuesday, 23 March 2010, 04:29 PM
	This is a rough sketch of our pentacle. I'm working on a colored design and we're going to make final decisions soon. Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Alternative pentagram - my personal pagan logo by Natalie Mnemosyne Carlson - Tuesday, 23 March 2010, 08:25 PM
	Very cool. I love the integration of the three symbols. And even a fourth because the two halves of the moon make a full moon. I also like how the triskele knot is implied but also looks like leaves or flower petals. Nature, sky, and spirit. Really nice symbol. Unique and personal. Beautiful. Show parent \| Reply

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