I have a hard time with text because I don't like it to overwhelm the piece and I also want people to be able to see it? however, I prefer dimmed/blended words because they tend to fit into the piece better. however, that's unfair of me because I know that some of the concoctions I've made are difficult to read.

I wrestle with all those issues as well. And I've worn glasses since I was a kid so for me the text has to be legible or not be there at all. But I've admired (envied) the ability to make fonts translucent over the image, to adjust the opacity of the letters so the text is intergrated rather than plopped to the side.

The tara icon is an obvious exception - using illegible "handwriting" as an effect in and of itself was delightful because I'd always wanted to do that. I liked the idea that Tara was, in her act of courage, fulfilling a prophecy (or going against one); or maybe it was a letter to or from her mother. We don't see Tara writing in the series that I recall but I always assumed she did - journals, letter, poems, spells etc. I can see that as another thing that connects her with Dawn.

And thank you very much for the feedback on it! that's quite a compliment as you know I admire your icons so much. I didn't go in with a concept on that one, I was just playing with it, so - serenedipity.

The other exception of course are "comic" or meta icons where the text really is the point.

otherworldly is difficult for me mostly because text icons bother me and I find most of them unattractive - unless the composition is completely wholistic and nothing feels out of place.

I wouldn't have guessed judging from your entries, they seem entirely assured. I've been extremely impressed by the overall quality of OWL entries lately (and by the female-centricity of the submissions). I've been looking at some of my "older" icons lately and deleting them because they look ugly to me now.