Creativity With Attitude!

Welcome! I’m Elisa R. Goodman and thank you so much for taking an interest in my work. I’ll get right to it and answer the #1 asked question I’m always asked: “What the HELL is a CURMUDGEON CARD? Here’s what I can tell you…

CURMUDGEON CARDS is not about the types of cards I design. It’s about the person behind the name. You may have noticed my hilarious baby picture which is offering a preview of who I will endeavor to become – a comedic being with attitude. Even from a young age, I was told I was funny – and my quirky style was on full display at my HOBO-themed birthday party when I was about seven. All I can tell you is that I come from an artistic line of curmudgeons – and the way I like to define our lineage is, “Lovable, but Crusty.” Hence, my tagline is “Creativity with Attitude!”

I came up with the name CURMUDGEON CARDS back in 2000 and thought it had great, snappy alliteration. My father, Hal Goodman, had been a well-known comedy writer and although he had passed away in 1997, I knew he would have loved the name. Over the years, many of the store owners who carried my handmade cards told me that the name was memorable and that I shouldn’t change it – even though the kinds of cards I was designing were (and still are), very high-end, arty, and blank.

I never envisioned that I would be designing another STYLE of cards that incorporated digital illustration because I didn’t have any formal art or graphic design training. My comedic storytelling and my “digital doodles” have become another way my artistic gifts have been enjoyed. Call it Back-Ass Branding or bad marketing because, after twenty-two years, I’m still explaining what a Curmudgeon Card is…or isn’t!

After I retired from a 20-year career as a casting director for movies and television in 2000, I felt the need to reinvent myself. I had a mishmash of un-credentialed skills – I was a visual creative, a self-starter, an idea-girl. I loved writing and talking to people and figuring out what lit them up. I was a natural connector and influencer. People loved to pick my brain about business, art, and reinvention. I knew how to curate experiences. And, unbeknownst to me at the time, I would ultimately come to have a unique perspective on the subjects surrounding creativity and grief.

My dark night of the soul came in 2006 when I embarked on a life-changing, caregiving journey with my now-late-husband, Ken. Ken had undergone a successful kidney transplant in 1982 when he was only 28. Unfortunately, after being on low-dose anti-rejection drugs for almost 30 years, he found himself dealing with an advanced form of squamous cell skin cancer which ultimately affected his ability to SEE. Because Ken’s health had been compromised at such a young age he was always very mindful about TIME – an important life lesson he tried to impart to anyone who would listen.

I started to dabble in digital illustration in 2008 when Ken’s vision issues were having serious consequences. At that time, I was also attending a cancer support group for caregivers and I would bring my art and writings to my weekly support group to share. The group found my designs and my use of “skewed” humor to process my own grief very positive and uplifting. I decided to design a line of encouragement cards for people going through hard times – whether it was from an illness, a career transition, a divorce, or from the loss of one’s spouse, parents, siblings, or friends. The theme was also to be mindful of TIME and just get your life in order and Get On With It. Ken did pass away at the end of 2010. He was 58.

I realized that the way we choose to LOOK at our individual situations can definitely help the way we move into (and through) our own grief experiences. I wanted to explore the in-between white spaces of not knowing what to say to help bridge the emotional gaps in conversations to help connect people – and bring a bit of levity into the situation when it felt appropriate to do so. I felt that what was being offered to consumers in the greeting card industry was outdated and wasn’t reflective of the situations I was experiencing. My whimsical illustrations and writings (The I’m Skewed Collection) are quirky and spiritual, colorful and snarky. My muse blends my observational humor, along with my life wisdom, to offer up some witty, yet comforting truths.

Whether you need to send a handmade card that delivers the WOW factor – or you need a little WHIMSY to ease someone through a difficult time, my greeting cards and art can help you up-level any occasion. People are craving connection right now and are so deeply appreciative when you take the time to find the perfect card – or send out a Paper Hug.

And so I leave you with this. I had a hand-analysis session back in 2007 with Baeth Davis (www.yourpurpose.com) who revealed these essential truths about my artistic nature in my hand reading: I am an Artist. A Writer. A Mentor and a Healer… In the Spotlight. “In the Spotlight” means that I cannot keep my GIFTS to myself – they must be shared.

I now understand that my unique art form is dedicated to enhancing lives through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication, and Inspired Art!

Thank you for enjoying my work!