Mussar practice starts every morning with a mantra – a recititation of a phrase to help frame the day. By repeating, or singing, the phrase over and over again, we are making an impression on our soul, and heightening our awareness of how that soul trait comes into play.
I am excited to announce that we are in the final stages of designing mantra cards to go with The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions.
Rather than write the mantra on a sticky note, or on an index card,
why not just get a high quality set of cards? Just grab the card for the soul trait you are working on, and put it on your bed table.
We need your help to pick the final design. In the comments below, please let us know which design 1-4 you like.
Or alternatively, you can join the conversation on the American Mussar Facebook page.
Don’t be shy about leaving a comment. One the American Mussar Facebook page, 2 and 3 have the most support.
Number 1 is the most humble design (small, empty, alone)—the others are too bold to indicate humility. You don’t shout humility.
Thank you Kenneth
I like 2.
Thanks Marjorie
I also like # 2. The landscape is easier to read, seems more like a post card, and the design is subtle.
kol ha kavod.
Thank you Sarah for your feedback.
I like #2 also. Easy to read, and the screened-back image ties more closely in with the book. #1 is my second choice.
Thanks Susan!
I am also a ‘2’ fan. Couple of thoughts : what about 1 & 2 as 2 sides of the card ? Sometimes, vertical works better , sometimes horizontal – on desk, in folio, on bulletin board, in notebook, in pocket with phone,, as bookmark in journal, etc.
Also, the subtler the background image the better. Humility is good design principle for all mussar cards.
Thank you Estee. Interesting idea about having two designs. The back of the cards will be the book cover. However, I am considering having two copies of each mantra card, perhaps one landscape and one portrait. .
Visually, #2 is the most appealing to me, but I find the print harder to read when it’s overlaid on a design. If the tree behind the print were smaller, I think that could work.. For clarity, I like the aesthetics of #4. I don’t like the bold black border on #3. In general, I prefer the horizontal layout.
Thank you Sheri for the thoughtful feedback.
I like #1 and #2 but a little bit more #1.
These are fabulous tools that I will look forward to using and sharing with my students and framily. Thanks Greg!
You are very welcome Camille.
I like #4. It is the easiest to read. It has the simplest design. It easy to get to the message without background interference.
Thanks Peggy!
I also prefer #2, and I agree with Estee about printing portrait on one side and landscape on the other. Personally, I’d rather “deal” with 13 cards (printed front and back) than 26 (printed one side only but in both formats). For one thing, it’s less paper and therefore more ecologically sensitive. Also, what size are the cards anticipated to be? If you mentioned it somewhere, apologies, but I missed it. I favor a playing card size, provided the text is minimal; otherwise, it will look “squished” and be hard to read.
Hi Al – thanks for your feedback.
Yes, they will be about playing card size- more of a poker sized card than a bridge deck. I believe the dimensions are 3.5 x 2.5 inches.
The pictures you see are made in proportion to the final size – so what you see is what they will look like. To my eye they look pretty readable, even the mantras with the most text. However, I am sharing them like this to make sure the community agrees with my assessment.
Number 1 immediately stood out for me.
Thank you Nancy