The Hero’s Journey is not just the blueprint for a successful script. It’s also an incredibly powerful tool to use in your own life. That’s according to Emmy and AACTA Award-winning producer turned screen sector executive coach Ellenor Cox, who here delves into the monomyth and provides a timely brush up for anyone about to head to Screen Forever to pitch their latest project.
If you’ve enjoyed a film by Pixar, Lucasfilm, or Marvel Studios recently, then you’ve probably seen the Hero’s Journey at work.
At its core, the Hero’s Journey is a story of transformation typically featuring a positive character arc. It sees the archetypical Hero undertake a journey to overcome an internal flaw to fulfil their destiny.
First identified and defined by Joseph Campbell, the Hero’s Journey was theorised in 1949’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces. It has been researched and taught by great minds, including Carl Jung and Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
But how does the Hero’s Journey apply to our own lives?
When we can see how this story aligns with our lives we have a powerful goal setting and motivational tool at our fingertips.
Most of us feel stuck because we don’t see anything except what’s happening right in front of us. We’re in the trenches and, without a bird’s eye view, believe we’re not going anywhere.
Recognising the universal humanity of the Hero’s Journey is a great process for injecting hope. It allows us to pull back and see light at the end of the dark tunnel. We can see that whatever we’re going through is temporary and has meaning. Once we are able to find meaning in something, it’s then much easier to accept, lean in, and push through.
Review the Hero’s Journey below and ask yourself where you’re at right now in your own journey. What’s your call to adventure and what does your dragon look like? Most importantly, what does it look like out the other side? Allow yourself to imagine returning to your known world with theelixir of knowledge and experience from this journey.
The known world
The hero’s journey begins in their known world, a familiar place in which they live a relatively mundane life. Typically, they’re eager to take the next step as they’re itching for an adventure or change.
We meet Luke Skywalker living on his uncle’s desolate farm who’d rather enrol in the Imperial Academy than do his chores.
Could this be you right now as you look into 2022, keen for something new to focus your energies on?
Call to adventure
The Call to Adventure disrupts the hero’s everyday life, presenting the hero with the choice to stay or go. Often the hero hesitates to accept this call because they fear the real or imagined dangers ahead, deem themselves unworthy of the adventure, or feel duty-bound to remain in the status quo. Sometimes there is no hesitation because they’re eager for adventure and unencumbered by responsibility or because something terrible would be at stake if they refused.
For example, Katniss immediately volunteers to take Prim’s place when chosen for the Hunger Games, as Prim is young and highly unlikely to survive.
Initially Heroes feel very mortal as they’ve taken no heroic steps just yet. They’re filled with self-doubt and fear which makes them highly relatable. Are there some possibilities in front of you that you’re hesitating to take advantage of?
The mentor
Upon accepting the call to adventure, the hero encounters a being of famed or supernatural origin who aids them in their journey. Often this mentor will gift them a special object or train them to use their unique power
Gandalf, Glinda the Good Witch, and Albus Dumbledore are all great mentors.
Who could be someone you could turn to this year to provide you with guidance and wisdom?
Crossing the threshold
The threshold is the literal or figurative door between the known and unknown worlds. Armed with the proper training and support, our hero sets out on their journey.
In Dune, Paul Atreides sets off to the hostile planet Arakis armed with nascent skills learnt from his mother’s bloodline.
What could this door look like for you? Is it committing to a new training course or starting work on a new production?
Experiencing the unknown world
The hero now experiences a series of events that opens their eyes to the wonders and dangers of the unknown world, and solidifies both their goals and greatest fears. The trials, allies and enemies that the Hero encounters enable them to grow and change.
The action scenes in Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter are filled with these moments and have created billions of box office revenue in the process!
We can only grow through the experience of trial and error, and this path is filled with doubt and challenges. Take a moment to reflect on previous challenges that you’ve overcome to find evidence that you’re up for this next round of uncertainty.
The innermost cave
To fulfil their quest, the hero must enter the heart of the unknown world, a place full of danger and wonder.. To emerge victorious, the hero must draw upon the lessons they’ve learned throughout their journey.
This is the point in the James Bond films where 007 performs the seemly impossible mission into the villain’s fortress… but usually there’s a further twist to come.
What does your dragon look like that you need to slay? Is it ending a relationship? Or maybe starting one? Do you need to conquer a fear or dissolve a false belief? How are you going to be once victorious or what’s it going to look like if you avoid this challenge altogether?
The reward
For their valiant efforts, the Hero must acquire the goal. Yet often the goal is revealed to be inadequate. Usually this takes the shape of the Hero reaching a crisis in their inner journey, where an inner need (for justice, peace, morality, etc.) comes into conflict with the reality of the physical goal and what it provides (like wealth, fame, comfort, etc.).
In Star Wars, Luke’s reward is the rescue of Princess Leia and the escape from the Death Star, but there are more dilemmas to come.
Have you ever had a situation where you’d placed so much expectation on an achievement and yet were left feeling dissatisfied once you’d achieved it? Perhaps there are more lessons still to be learnt from this, or even just the realisation that the physical rewards of life never satisfy as deeply as we hope.
The road back and resurrection
After the Hero acquires the goal, there must be a flight or return back to the Known World. Because of the experiences of their death and rebirth, the hero is forever changed and they recognise that something remains amiss.
At this point they encounter their final battle and the stakes have never been higher. This moment marks the climax of the Hero’s Journey, as well as the hero’s true rebirth and the full acceptance of their new identity.
In The Hunger Games, Katniss kills Cato as a form of mercy and finds a way for both her and Peeta to maintain their dignity in the face of the Capitol’s demands, ultimately ensuring their survival.
Have you ever felt like you’ve ‘slayed your dragon’ and yet an unexpected final obstacle or test was still ahead? It takes persistence and resilience to experience true growth and laser focus on achieving the goals you set out to conquer.
Returning to the known world
Having achieved their goal and attained some form of peace or satisfaction, the Hero returns to their known world and community bringing gifts, blessings or hope to share with others. Key to this journey is the sharing with others. The Hero is now changed and wants others to benefit from this transformation.
The Hobbits return to the Shire after the destruction of the One Ring and Sam’s journey has transformed him into a braver version of himself, leading him to ask for Rosie’s hand in marriage.
How can others benefit from your journey? What do you need to instigate, improve upon or continue that provides a focus on community rather than just the individual?
Being conscious of the Hero’s Journey allows us to see that life isn’t just a spinning dryer of turbulence but rather a cycle and a process. We are all on a journey, each and every day.
Our Hero’s Journey can also be an internal one. Our dragon can be eating better, speaking up for ourselves with challenging colleagues, or finally sending that email asking for work.
The Hero’s Journey’s tools help us pick up our sword and embark on our journey, knowing there is a better us on the other side.
Ellenor has a range of free resources available to the screen sector at www.ellenorcox.com and is available for individual and team coaching and workshop facilitation.
The original version of this story appeared in IF February-March #204. Subscribe to the magazine now to get your first two issues for just $2, with additional access to 30 back issues.