There are many concepts we can observe in our everyday lives that are products of archetypes. For example, we have the notion that a customer service employee is sociable, highly likable, and well-connected. Therefore positions like these will require the person to have the skills and present a resume that is highly aligned with this position. This is an example of a profession that acts as an archetype.
Archetypes refer to a specific pattern and collection of attitudes, behaviors, traits, skills, and actions a specific person can have. If someone uses the archetype to profile someone, then the profiled person is the representative of the archetype.
Archetypes can act as a template you can use to make the whole character creation process efficient and stable. Not only that, but effective usage of an archetype will allow you to generate a character that is empathetic and relatable.
Begin by obtaining a list of working archetypes you want to use or utilize for your character. This will allow you to have a working reference and structure you can easily apply to the character. Select an archetype to integrate into your character.
After you have chosen the archetype you will model your character after, you must determine which physical, emotional, and mental characteristics you will use in your character. This will set the tone and theme of the character.
When you have finished choosing the characteristics of the chosen archetype, you will now create a basic outline of the character. The profile should include basic physical characteristics and the traits said character has.
When you have finished creating the character profile, you should then create a backstory or a short text that will preface why said character has those traits. The length does not need to be similar to the length of a short story or book, the backstory can span a single paragraph.
In Psychology, Carl Jung theorized and postulated that archetypes are an innate pool of collective knowledge and categories that are inherited, innate, and unconsciously absorbed by people. Amongst the archetypes Carl Jung postulated, he put a large emphasis and focus on the four archetypes called the anima, the shadow, the self, and the persona. These four archetypes deal with the specific characteristics a person possesses. The persona refers to the way the person outwardly presents themselves, the anima is the masculine side of a female and the feminine side of the male, the shadow archetype refers to the survival instincts of the person, and the seld refers to the total person.
Tarot cards draw a lot of inspiration from various cultures, ethnic groups, ethnicities, and meanings. Because of these inspirations, the meanings of each card in the major arcana hold specific characteristics and meanings that the person can translate and relate to. For example, the Magician Tarot Card creates an archetype that illustrates a person who has a specific skill set (Both hard and soft skills) and resources to achieve their goals and objectives. Each card in the tarot deck represents specific human characteristics that can be applied to people as a structured archetype.
Myers Briggs Type Indicator or the MBTI test is a personality self-assessment tool that tries to categorize a person’s personality into twelve rigid categories. These twelve personality types are examples of archetypes you can easily identify with. This is because each personality type category of MBTI provides a title, a category, characteristics, and descriptors that are associated with the personality type. Some companies and businesses integrate MBTI into their requirements alongside the person’s resume as a way to gauge the person’s personality. Therefore the categories of the MBTI are observable examples of archetypes.
Archetypes are observed patterns or models of characteristics and behaviors that can act as a representation of a specific personality or character. These patterns are easily recognizable and relatable which allows them to have a variety of uses. One can use archetypes to create the best resume one can make, while others can use archetypes in their artistic pursuits to create an empathetic or relatable character.
