United States of America
Think-a-lot Toys
New Card & Book Set of Everyday Symbol Cards is a Welcome Addition to One’s Personal Growth Tool Kit.
Boulder, CO, July 22, 2010 -- Archetypal images have been used throughout history because of their simple power. Many of the most popular and highest grossing films, like Star Wars, Finding Nemo, and Shrek, owe their success to the power of the archetype especially when they are connected to "the hero’s journey." The Insight Story , Cards ( http://www.think-a-lot.com ) provide a simple, yet profound way for people to connect with their own hero’s journey, either by themselves or with their close friends and partners, and in doing so can lead people to greater psychological well being.
In our rush to reach happiness and enlightenment, many people have become increasingly stressed out. The average person needs a variety of tools on the path. Simple, visual cues or archetypal images provide the easy access needed to the inner workings of the subconscious-and can bring a little peace and internal connection.
Nurturing one’s inner life has always been an important task for living an authentic life. William L Shirer, the 20th century historian and journalist knew this when he said, "Most true happiness comes from one's inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline." Finding ways to access one’s inner life and feelings that aren’t overly complex or simplistically gooey is important for the average person and The Insight Story Cards seems to have accomplished this task.
The Insight Story Cards ( http://www.think-a-lot.com ) are comprised of 90 easily recognized symbolic images from the world common enough for most anyone to relate to. For example, the Gate, Wheel, Earth, Rose, Shield, Cake, Snake and Sunrise are all familiar images. But they also have rich symbolism, which when looked at more deeply can connect us to the deeper parts of ourselves and lead to psychological health and well being; and it doesn’t involve eating more chocolate.
The cards are simple to use. One picks a card at random and sees what message it has for them that day. Or one sits down with their spouse and each picks a card that relates to what is going on inside them so the couple can begin a conversation about topics and feelings that are vitally important. Basically, the cards are used as a doorway into the richness that lies just below the surface.
The Insight Story Cards ( http://www.think-a-lot.com ) came about as the result of seeing just how effective a similar deck of simple symbol cards (now out of print) were with educators. Rachael Kessler, one of the pioneers of social-emotional learning who was willing to talk about the importance of nurturing one’s inner life in schools, used the cards in her workshops with educators as a way to connect participants to their inner life. She couldn’t use Tarot cards because of the connotations and prejudices people had towards them. But she could use the symbol cards she had at the time-and people loved them.
This success led Randy Compton, the creator of the cards and an educator, mediator, long-time practitioner of social-emotional learning and close colleague of Rachael Kessler, to create a new set of cards similar to the ones out of print. The cards were created in collaboration with her lead trainer at PassageWorks Institute and other practitioners in the fields of social-emotional learning, yoga, and archetypal symbolism.
The illustrations are striking in and of themselves. A mother and wife said, "The card set is beautiful, thoughtful and makes you think about our world. The images are a great way to remember the things in your life you are grateful for and some things to aspire to." A marriage and family therapist felt the cards could be used very effectively in his practice saying, "They are an exciting and provocative way for individuals and couples to discover new insights into their own and their partner’s inner journeys."
In a world where many people are looking for ways to work on their own emotional and spiritual development, The Insight Story Cards are a welcome addition to one’s personal growth toolkit. This card set has the potential of becoming a classic.
About Randy Compton and Think-a-Lot Toys: ( http://www.think-a-lot.com )
Randy Compton is the author and creator of The Insight Story Cards. He is an author, trainer, and inventor. He obtained his master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an emphasis in Social Conflict. He was the executive director of the Colorado School Mediation Project and taught numerous classes and workshops to educators and youth. He is the co-editor of Kids Working It Out: Stories and Strategies for Making Peace in Our Schools. He is also the CEO of Think-a-lot Toys, the company publishing the cards. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. Think-a-lot Toys is a Boulder based toy and game company founded in 2005 that creates toys and games that make you think. Its mission is to create games and products that provide entertainment, joy, and learning while stimulating imagination, memory and interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. They also make StoryPlay Cards for kids and families, which use many of the same images for storytelling, card games and conversation starters.
If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Randy Compton at 303-449-2737 or e-mail randy@think-a-lot.com. Further information can be found at www.theinsightstory.com and http://www.think-a-lot.com
Press Contact:
Randy Compton, CEO
Think-a-lot Toys
1600 Zamia Avenue
Boulder, CO 80304
303-449-2737
randy@think-a-lot.com
http://www.think-a-lot.com
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