Finding Grace in the Heavy: Story Behind the Emotion Oracle

There are mornings when standard productivity simply isn't on the menu.

When I woke up today, I was carrying a heavy weight of emotions. My jaws felt clenched, tears were sitting just under the surface, and my mind was buzzing too fast to organize basic tasks like money management or logistics. I was completely in the grip of Overwhelm.

I sat at my desk trying to force standard tasks, but every step felt like moving through wet cement. Then my eyes caught a framed note hanging on my wall—a beautiful piece of doodle art sent to me years ago by my friend Naida. It reads:

"Paula, when you are sad ... make art! When you are frustrated ... make art. You are CREATIVE, find joy by feeding your soul."

It hit me: stop fighting the feeling and start creating with it.

From Heavy Energy to a Gentle Deck

I had recently purchased a set of 20 monster illustrations by Mariia at BlossomKidCo (on Etsy) that I’d been itching to work with. Instead of trying to fix or suppress what I was feeling, I decided to give those unnamed emotions a physical shape and a compassionate voice.

I poured myself into designing, and by late afternoon, The Emotion Oracle: The Monster’s Journey was born.

Every emotion holds a "monster" inside it—not a scary beast, but a small inner creature that guards your truth. When you meet it with curiosity instead of resistance, it can show you what you need or what wants to be understood.

Understanding the Process

To keep the experience simple and spacious, I created a two-sided guide card that sits right at the top of the deck. It gives children, adults, and anyone reconnecting with their inner child a gentle framework for meeting their emotions without judgment.

A Gentle Reminder for Busy Days

I know that having an entire afternoon to drop everything and create a full project is a luxury—not everyone has that kind of time in their daily life.

But the lesson isn't about the size of the project; it's about the shift.

Even if it's five minutes of doodling on a napkin, writing two lines in a notebook, or simply pausing to draw a single card, giving your emotions a creative outlet—no matter how small—changes how heavy energy moves through you.

There are no right or wrong answers. Just you, your feelings, and the gentle monster within.