In Conversation: Linda Spåman

Revenge, love, and obsession fuel Linda Spåman – an artist who finds stories everywhere, from tram rides and tarot decks to the exorcism she never accepted.

Text by: Anna Falkenland

“I don’t believe in creative blocks. I believe in discipline and continuing forward.”

Tell us about yourself and how you got started with art.

- My name is Linda Spåman and I work as an artist, graphic novelist, and event fortune teller. For as long as I can remember, my father told me that I must become an artist – since adult life was terribly boring with an ordinary job. He encouraged me, exposed me to art, and pushed me into it. It was very good advice.

What has been your most surprising success as an artist?

- The fact that I made some graphic novels is very surprising to me. Sometimes, when holding a book I created in my hands, I don’t understand how in the world I managed it – it feels like a total mystery.

Do you draw inspiration more from your environment, emotions, or ideas?

- I’m totally driven by emotions (which is something I look down on). For my graphic novels, I like to eavesdrop on public transport and watch bad television for inspiration. In my tarot work I dive into magical conversations with other readers, while in my art practice I work with ideas and dreams.

Has your work been influenced by other fields – for instance science, literature, music or travel?

- I’m very influenced by human interaction. Everyday life is full of sparks that can later become art.

Do you have any rituals or routines before you start creating?

- I need to go to the art store and buy many pens – it gives me comfort and hope. I’m really good at postponing work, procrastinating, and doing everything but starting. And I do think that’s the first stage of my creative practice.

How do you overcome creative blocks?

- I don’t believe in creative blocks. I believe in discipline and continuing forward.

What motivates you to create?

- Revenge, love, and obsession.

What’s your favourite part of the artistic process, and what’s the hardest?

- Somewhere early in the process, when I tell my friends about my fantastic new idea. (This is the best part – and also a big mistake.) I can go into melancholy and sadness when it’s over, but I think the middle part is the hardest.

Can you walk us through your process from the first spark of an idea to the final piece?

- First I think – too much – until one day it’s impossible not to begin. Then I just work, blocking out everything else. When it’s finished, I simply know it.

Tell us a little bit about your collection.

- My collection is some of my favourite drawings from my latest tarot deck The Outgrow Yourself Oracle and Tarot. I made the deck as a tool for self-growth and discovery of every human being’s ultimate inner potential. I wanted to make a tarot deck that could easily be understood and used by everyone – even if you’ve never used a deck before. This is my third tarot deck, and I’m very proud of it.

“I’ll always regret not accepting their offer of an exorcism – it could have become a great graphic novel.”

How do you want people to feel when they experience your art?

- I want people to start a conversation – with themselves or with someone else. I think conversation is the most important thing we have, and we don’t have to agree.

Is there a piece you’ve created that feels especially personal or vulnerable?

- My latest book, which came out this spring about my father’s last year of life, made me nervous in a way I’d never felt before. Before he died, he asked me to write a book about the disease ALS, which he was diagnosed with in 2021 and which also ended his life. The work just felt very personal – in a way I had never expressed myself before.

Has there been a failure or “bad” work that, in retrospect, taught you something unexpectedly powerful?

- Too many to mention,but as they say "Failure is always an option"

 What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?

- The biggest challenge for me is finding time to experiment, or simply be in my studio working without purpose. That’s something I long for.

How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist?

- I love working and i think i live my life inside my work,and i think the best way to spend time with a friend is to work together.

How do you navigate the business side of being an artist?

- I see myself as an entrepreneur of my own work. It was difficult in the beginning of my career, but now I enjoy and embrace it.

Have you ever had to defend or explain your art in a way that changed how you think about it?

- Yes, many times. With my tarot illustrations I’ve often encountered prejudice – for example, at one exhibition I was confronted by a Christian group with strong beliefs that my work was satanic. They tried to inform me of this in every way possible. The experience made me more reluctant in how I speak about that part of my work. Still, I’ll always regret not accepting their offer of an exorcism – it could have become a great graphic novel.

Do you see your art as storytelling?

- Yes, very much – a long story with many chapters.