Card work

Card work

Card work – access through image and word Some topics cannot simply be talked about. The question “What's on your mind?” is often met with a shrug – even though things have long been stirring inside. This is where card work comes in: picture, motif or word cards act as projection surfaces. What we see is connected with what moves us – the card becomes a prompt for conversation, not the result. Working with cards usually follows three simple steps: choosing (“Which card appeals to you – which one puts you off?”), placing (“Where does this card go – in the centre, at the edge, next to which other card?”) and interpreting (“What does this arrangement tell you about your topic?”). As the cards are laid out, a picture emerges that can be read like a map: centre and edge, closeness and distance, order and chaos reveal something about inner structures. And because the cards are moved by hand, the body comes into play – insights become more tangible and are easier to remember. Card work can be used independently of any particular method: when clarifying goals, in the first coaching conversation, in work on values, in teams and in large groups. It lowers the threshold for getting started (“Talk about the card, not straight away about yourself”), speeds up finding the topic and opens up spaces that closed questions would shut. The tool implements this method digitally: choose cards, add your own question, lay them out freely on the table and arrange them – with guiding questions that accompany every step. Ideal as an opening for sessions, for self-reflection or in online formats where traditional card decks are not available.