Graye Smith

On Day 2 of my Bar Codes design sprint, I focus on the first step from The Universal Traveler: acceptance. That means facing the realities of design head-on—defining clear rules, knowing who I’m designing for, and embracing the possibility of failure. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. This post breaks down how accepting limits, input, and risk opens the door to creativity that actually works.

The Turning is out, but I’m torn. What if my so-called cousin Joe is right about these Arcana symbols? He warned me I don’t understand what I’ve unleashed, that some stories should stay buried. I want to believe it’s just a game, a creative project built from letters and folklore. Still, there’s a part of me that wonders if I’ve made a doorway instead of a deck of cards. If you’re reading this, be careful. And if someone asks about the Arcana, it might be safer not to answer.

As I prepare to launch The Turning, the first game in The Saga of El Castigo, I’m met with warnings from a so-called cousin obsessed with a town lost to history. Joe claims the letters and documents I’ve based the games on are the last clues to El Castigo’s location—a place that was never meant to be found. I don’t know why I’m helping him search for it, but the story is too compelling to ignore. Stay tuned for what comes next.