I was so close to calling the Enso Oracle finished. The paths were set, the 44 cards were balanced, and the framework felt solid. And then, almost out of nowhere, a single image and idea rose to the surface — The Honeybee.

I kept thinking about the kind of artist who thrives on exploration. Someone who moves from one material to another, from idea to idea, gathering inspiration like pollen. Their work is enriched by variety — not scattered, but woven together from what they collect. Many of us know this way of working. Many of us are that artist.

The Honeybee acknowledges the beauty of that temperament: the flexibility, the curiosity, the openness to what’s new. But it also recognizes its challenge — the risk of never landing long enough to make something fully realized. In my own practice, I’ve seen both sides of this. I’ve been down many rabbit-holes and stayed down there too long. That’s why this card felt essential, even at the very end of the process.

Some of the things that I have learned and worked with, sometimes even taught, and wished I could stay with longer –

• Eco-dyeing with plants
• Saori weaving
• Silkscreen / screen printing
• Handmade artist books and zines
• Monotype printing

I’ve kept little shards of technique from all of these but there just isn’t time to do justice to everything I want to do! Do you ever feel that way?

This card wasn’t part of the original plan. It arrived late, quietly, but with a kind of certainty. And sometimes, that’s how the truest symbols find their way in — not with a grand entrance, but with a simple nudge that says, don’t leave this out.

The Honeybee reminds us that exploring widely can be a strength, but at some point, we choose when to stay still long enough to make something real. For all the artists who gather widely before they go deep: The Honeybee is for you.

Which of these have you sampled?

• Gouache
• Oil painting
• Ink drawing and brushwork
• Botanical illustration
• Needle felting
• Natural dyeing
• Surface design on fabric (e.g., block printing)
• Knitting and crochet
• Rug hooking or punch needle
• Hand-built ceramics
• Wheel throwing
• Cyanotype and sun printing
• Metal clay or simple metalsmithing
• Resin casting
• Found object jewelry
• Fiber + bead hybrid pieces
• Calligraphy and brush lettering
• Papermaking
• Origami or paper sculpture
• Polymer clay sculpting
• Paper clay or air-dry clay
• Rust printing and patina experiments
• Ephemeral land art
• Digital collage
• Synthographic image generation
• Digital drawing or painting tablets

If you’re like me, you’ve tried at least ten of these. A “Honeybee” creator often:

• Mixes two or more of these media in one piece.
• Returns to favorites but rarely stays still for long.
• Values process and discovery as much as polished results.

This is such an appealing oracle card to me – it describes both the frustration and the satisfaction of being a mixed-media explorer. 

I’m almost at the end of creating the Enso Oracle, and this unexpected addition reminded me that creative work is rarely linear. Even when we think we’ve reached the finish line, something new can emerge that feels absolutely right. The Honeybee will join the other cards as part of the Path of Discovery, honoring those whose practices are built on curiosity and connection.

Sometimes, the last piece isn’t an afterthought — it’s the one that makes the whole feel complete. Stay tuned!