Alexandra Eldridge

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Santa Fe-based artist Alexandra Eldridge about intuition, illustrating the tarot deck, and the importance of trusting yourself.

By Ben Nussbaum

You’ve said that when you start a project, you don’t have a plan. It comes to you as you go. What guides you? What do you call it? Do you call it intuition?

Alexandra: Definitely. Intuition, or reaching the unconscious, which I spend a lot of time cultivating by reading poetry or looking at art or other deep soul experiences; I’m kind of cultivating this all the time.

It’s almost a prayer to the imaginal realms to come forth. I’ve been at this for so many years since I was a young girl. I’ve really been working in these realms. It’s just a constant conversation with the other realms.

Blake said this wonderful thing, “Art is conversing with eternity.” When I came upon that in my 20s, it was like “Oh my heavens, someone is finally putting words to what I’ve felt for many years.”