8 Creative Archetypes
Earlier this year I recognized that many of the creatives I knew were more motivated by something other than their medium. As such, I was able to come up with 8 Creative Archetypes to help people lean into their own special magic & learn how to harness it to create work that resonates with their purpose & how to use that to connect to their ideal client. Below I am going to layout the general way each of these archetypes show up!
Healers focus on the experiential aspect of their service/art and the intent of the intended product or service is to provide some sort of healing experience for the client. Perhaps it’s a photographer who focuses on using the medium of photography to help their clients heal their relationship to their bodies. Or maybe it’s an artist that creates paintings that do it so that when the viewer looks at it, it heals a part of their inner trauma. Perhaps it’s an embroiderer who teaches embroidery workshops to help people heal their relationship to their emotions through highly focused craftwork. Regardless of the medium, the outcome = healing.
Story tellers spend their time creating stories with their creations. They usually find a main storyline for their process and fill in all the elements to bring the story home. Think of a filmmaker documenting the protests in their city to bring awareness to the story. Or the whole purpose behind the Humans of New York instagram/book/etc. is to help people tell their stories and give them a safe place to share. Consider a story teller in the form of a textile worker who connects the past to the present by using vintage textiles woven into present day textures. The motivation for story tellers is exactly what it says: TELLING STORIES.
Revolutionists can also be called change-agents, disrupters, and occasionally - shit disturbers, lol, because their whole intent and purpose with their work is to shed light and start, well, revolutions with their work. They might be a graffiti artist plastering their paintings all over the side of a building drawing attention to the impacts of capitalism, or perhaps it is a photographer gathering nude women together in the middle of the city to fight the patriarchy (I’m looking at you, Lauren Crooke) They are not afraid to cause good trouble in the pursuit of changing the culture for the better. Now, it’s important to note that not all revolutionists are loud, brash, or angry - they might partake in what I call “passive activism” - using their art to bring attention to local community challenges, such as the anonymous knitters who knit scarves, mittens, and hats for the homeless by putting them on extravagant statues that surround the legislative building. Revolutionists change the world a wee bit at a time.
Connectors are the bridge builders. They work to connect people to themselves, to each other, or to the world at large with their work. They create experiences and opportunities for folks to feel less alone in the world. Whether it’s a writer who loves to connect seemingly unrelated things to help them make sense to the reader or maybe it’s a videographer who uses groups of people to demonstrate the idea that we are all connected to each other (Ahem, Rob Woodcox). Connectors use their creations to bring people together and realize that we all play a part in this big ol’ thing called life.
Alchemists are magicians - they take the inputs from the client and create one of a kind expressions. It might be a dress designer taking all the things a person loves about themselves and turning it into a couture gown or a photographer and AI artist who asks a handful of questions and then creates an unexpected, one of a kind piece of art that represents the client’s experience (check out Chris’ work here!) This type of artist focuses on one of a kind, customized experiences/pieces specific to the client. They are motivated by the creative process and using their gifts & skills to create the OOAK (one of a kind) outcome.
Educators get bored reeeeeal easy and see everything as a learning opportunity. They love to share their knowledge through their medium and use each output as a way to explore their hypothesis’, theories, and ideas. I identify as an educator and if you look at my whole career as a boudoir photographer, the majority of my motivation was to collect data on body image so that I could understand and educate people on how to move through it. I constantly question everything and am pleasantly surprised by my findings. I also go into things with little expectation and am open to how things unfold so I can report back! I usually say “I’ll go first so I can let you know what it’s like”. I enjoy the figuring it out process (even when I’m crying and frustrated - I know it’s gonna mean something later). Educators also have 0 secrets and love to share their findings when and however they can! I like to think of the potter who quickly masters it and then leads a class or perhaps the dancer that loves to test out new methods and share them with her troupe.
Dream Makers are here to make us forget reality. They love to transport us into magical and mystical worlds that cannot be found in our day to day life. Whether this is a huge sensory experience like MeowWolf , high end fantasy photoshoot experiences with elaborate wardrobe, or music that transports you to another time - dream makers help us forget our problems, our realities, and allow us to live more joyfully, freely, and play! Disneyworld is a massive expression of a dream maker. Imagination drives the bus for Dream Makers and nothing is impossible!
Truth Tellers are the opposite of a dream maker and focus on bringing the truth to the light. They persist despite resistance from the public who prefers to soften the truth or hide it all together. It’s important to note that like revolutionists, truth tellers aren’t necessarily aggressive or mean in their approach - they can tell the truth in soft, beautiful and powerful ways. One of my favorite truth tellers is Shooglet, whose work shows the reality of fat, queer love and life. It’s not always “beautiful” the way we’ve been taught it “should” be and it certainly isn’t something everyone is ready for, but for those that are it’s a breath of fresh air. Truth tellers can be seen in the form of fashion designers who promote slow fashion and talk about the realities of fast fashion. Truth tellers are needed.
Which Archetype do you resonate with the most? Are you a mix of them? Feel free to comment below or comment on the instagram post! Stay tuned because over the next few weeks I will be sharing different ways you can connect to your ideal Archetype in order to communicate & connect more effectively with your customers, clients, & colleagues.
