Hello!
It took me a sec to get everything switched over and I ended up writing quite a bit on this week’s topic… but welcome to our new home on Substack 🙂
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Now that we’ve got that lil update out of the way - onwards!
I told you last week that I’d be sharing a mini-exercise on how to create an archetype + aesthetic based off a goal, so here is my rough process inspired by the one I learned from Michelle of Holisticism (sign up for her newsletter to learn when she’s teaching classes on this concept again!).
Definitions
Aesthetic: a collection of visual schema that creates a ‘mood'
Example: “this tiny mug will fit my garden fairy tea party aesthetic perfectly!”
Archetype: an original model after which other similar things are patterned
Example: “The main character of my book is modeled after the hero archetype – like Harry Potter, Katniss, or literally any Marvel character”
Step 1: Pick a goal
If you used the 2021 Year in Review + 2022 Visioning worksheet, you might already have a list of a few goals or intentions you’re trying to actualize this year. Pick just ONE from that list to work from.
Example: this could be becoming fluent in another language, getting a promotion at work, making time for an art project, or expressing your personality more in group settings (that last one might be one of mine 😅).
Step 2: Identify the qualities you need to achieve that goal
After you’ve identified your chosen goal, make a list of the qualities, traits, or skills you would need in order to achieve that goal.
Example: Let’s say your goal is to create time for a new art project. And that creating this time would require you to be dedicated to your art, unleash your creativity, and sidestep your fear of judgement.
Step 3: Create an archetype from the selected qualities that would support your goal
You don’t need to have a deep understanding of archetypes to create one! (But here’s a list if you need some inspo) Once you know the qualities required to achieve your goal, you can start to sketch out the outline of the archetype. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:
What are the positive attributes of this archetype?
What are the negative attributes of this archetype?
Does this archetype remind me of any characters in books, movies, tv, etc?
Does this archetype remind me of any famous figures or people I know IRL?
What does this archetype look like? What do they wear?
What kinds of practices or rituals does this archetype participate in?
Example: To make time for your art project, the qualities you might need to call on are those of an accomplished artist.
Positive attributes: committed to creating, unafraid of what others think, surrenders to the process
Negative attributes: consumed by their art, loses track of time when creating, can be overly stimulated by the regular world
Fictional characters: couldn’t really think of any, so skipped!
Famous figures / IRL people: Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo
Looks like / wears: one of those artists that wears a lot of linen, smocks, and baggy jeans they aren’t afraid to get a little dirty. Inspired by the natural world, they often weave flowers or plants into their hair. They love knitwear and finish their outfits with chunky scarves, fingerless gloves, and cozy beanies.
Favorite practices / rituals: brewing big mason jars of tea with herbs from their garden, taking long walks without their phone, listening to nature sounds while they work
Step 4: Name your archetype
Since this is your first archetype, no need to get hung up on the name. It can be straightforward like “Artist Archetype” or a little more embellished like “Innovative Artist-in-Residence” or “Kooky Art Teacher.”
Really depends on what vibe you’re going for, and acknowledging that it can change, shift, and adjust over time! It’s also okay if it’s super cheesy. This is just for you.
Step 5: Bring the archetype to life with visuals
In my opinion, this is the most fun part! You’re going to be creating a vision board of sorts, but you can choose the medium. Create a new board in Pinterest, a page in Notion, or a saved board on Instagram to save images and inspiration to. You can also do this the old fashioned way and clip images out of magazines.
Once you have collected your images + inspiration, I encourage you to collage them (physically or with a tool like Canva) into something that you can display where you can see it on a regular basis. Like saved on your desktop or used as your phone lock screen. Mine are visible on my Notion Daily Dashboard.
Final Notes
Michelle recommends choosing 3ish archetypes to work with each quarter. This is what I’ve been doing so far, but I feel like I’ve ended up working with mainly just one, and the others feel supplementary.
I’m a big fan of this method because I feel like it gives us permission to amp up different parts of our personalities and play dress-up. Especially living in a place like Seattle which is pretty toned down when it comes to personal expression, this is a fun way to empower yourself to start experimenting - no matter where you live!
You also get to choose how heavy you want to dive into this. Maybe it’s a subtle shift, like wearing a pair of earrings that your archetype would wear. Or maybe you cut your hair, change your name, and move to a different country. Archetype or identity protection program? Up to you!
Finally, this can be used to segment and toggle through the different facets of your personality. I used to feel so split up when it came to how I showed up with coworkers vs. family/friends vs. the wellness community. Employing archetypes helps me feel like I still show up authentically, but with an understanding of how I’m choosing to show up while still protecting the core of my being.
Got questions about this process? Want to share the archetype you came up with or get help workshopping one from a goal? Head over to the comments to share and spark the discussion! I’ll see you there 🙃
Until next time,
Hannah
📚 Things to Read
There are benefits to anxiety?? Tell me more (NYT)
This article made me feel so much better about being a bad texter (The Atlantic)
Is anxiety the theme of this round-up? Maybe. Here’s another one on why watching stressful shows might be… calming (Huffpost)
Yes, even witchcraft can be girl-bossed (Salty)
🍴 Things to Cook
One Pot Greek Chicken & Basmati Rice - we love a one pot meal. Don’t skip the basil!
Crispy Tofu - my tofu has always ended up mangled in the pan, until I tried this baked recipe (the secret is cornstarch).
Farro Broccoli Bowl With Lemony Tahini - I’ve made the dressing multiple times for other recipes. A classic bowl recipe.
💪 Things to Try
You know I’m a sucker for a desktop soundscape. Here’s one with nature sounds from different parts of the world.
One of my friends recently signed up for a knitting subscription and has influenced me into giving it a try. This site has kits that include yarn and patterns you’d actually want to wear.
A 7-day skin cleanse from my favorite local aesthetician, Vanessa Maisonpierre.
A new virtual embodiment series from Sterling Rung. The next one is all about self lurvvv.