A Langley artist in search of support is hoping her unique idea might help people put pen to paper and get past their writer’s block.

While serving on a federal grand jury, Meredith MacLeod challenged herself to draw 100 portraits within 100 days. For a time, the drawings were displayed in the Bayview Cash Store and visitors were invited to jot down their first impressions of the characters.

Nearly five years later, MacLeod has turned 50 of her portraits into a nifty deck of cards, which are paired with writing prompts.

“I really felt the portraits offered something to people. It was an engagement and a surprise when people actually wrote about the portraits,” she said. “Somehow, I wanted to give them another life.”

MacLeod decided to seek backing for the project which is called “Cast of Characters” through Kickstarter, a crowdfunding website. By donating, people can choose from a variety of awards, such as the deck of cards itself, a coffee mug or a one-hour writing session with friends over Zoom with MacLeod.

Search “Cast of Characters” or “Meredith MacLeod” to find the project on kickstarter.com.

Although MacLeod already reached her goal for the project, backers can continue to donate through Nov. 12. More donations will guarantee that more decks get printed. MacLeod is hoping to gift some of the decks to classrooms so that teachers can incorporate them into a writing program.

There are other places where she could see them being used.

“I have this fantasy that it would be great to have them in doctor’s waiting offices – people are sitting around and having conversations about them,” she said.

Although she’s fulfilled several artistic pursuits over the years, from glass tiles to greeting cards, she feels that the portraits represent her strongest body of work.

She admits to having used the cards herself while writing.

“Writing is a really powerful tool to me,” she said. “I’ve experienced a gift that it’s given me in confidence and just surprise. I want others to experience that.”

Prompts on the character cards vary.

“What is that noise!” a disgruntled-looking man wonders.

Another character ponders running for office. Another one wants to tell you about her best friend.

It’s a bit like people-watching.

“There’s a certain resistance people have to giving themselves permission to be creative or write,” MacLeod said. “There’s so much inner critic in us.”

She created the characters from looking at art books in the Seattle Library. None of them are people she knows, except for one self-portrait and one of a friend.

For her next project, she hopes to make a book out of the 100 portraits with a guide in the back saying how to use them. She plans to gather testimonials from backers about how they’ve used their own decks.

She also thinks it might be fun to make a “limited edition” second deck with the 50 leftover portraits that were not used in the first deck.

And eventually, she’d like to start writing her own novel about a young illustrator.

Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record Some of the cards from Meredith MacLeod’s Cast of Characters.

Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record Langley artist Meredith MacLeod displays cards printed with her portraits and writing prompts.

Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record Meredith MacLeod, photographed here with Mika, is the illustrator behind Cast of Characters.