The Creator. The character in the workshop, busily inventing new things which will make a huge impact on the storyline. Hugely innovative. Full of ideas. Always thinking about new ways to solve problems. Without them, the hero will not win. Creators are highly sort after for their conceptual thinking.
Archetypes are recognisable patterns of human behaviour - often amplified in stories. Stories are the way we make sense of the world around us. Therefore for those involved in the discipline of 'managing meaning' archetypes become a powerful tool which enables brands to tell powerful stories. They help teams build extraordinary brands and create remarkable creative work because archetypes help to communicate on a deep psychological level with their audiences. More on the power of archetypes here. In this post, we will review the Creator archetype building on the work of Margret Mark and Carol S Pearson in their book "The Hero and the Outlaw".
An introduction to the Creator Archetype
Who do we go to when we need new ideas? When the stuff around us is not good enough to solve our problems or bring us the delight we desire? To whom do we turn when we need something produced which impresses our peers? Who has the vision to imagine what is not yet in existence? Who can design a better future? This person is the Creator.
Desire: to create something of enduring value
Goal: to make a vision a reality
Greatest Fear: not delivering
Strategy: to inspire, to develop creative skill
Vulnerability: trying to be too perfect
Talent: creativity and imagination
Motto: "If it can be imagined, it can be created"
Always seeking to be making something of lasting value the Creator uses their imagination to produce things. They desire to keep making and use skill and creativity to give form to their imagination. Their ideas can sometimes run wild and they can get frustrated when obstacles get in the way of what they are striving to produce.
Creator archetype Examples
Lego is a good example of a Creator brand
Examples of images and brands which embody the Creator Archetype can be found on my specially curated Pinterest board here. Note: I will be frequently updating this board as I come across new Creator images so bookmark it!
Brands which embody the Creator: Lego, Canon, Adobe, Crayola.
Motivations of the creator
According to Mark and Pearson, the Creator sits in the quadrant of archetypes which serve the customer motivation of 'Safety'. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this archetype, therefore, serves one of the basic levels of human needs.
The archetypes motivation is that of stability. They want to create things which will bring positive value. They want to use their creations to help others succeed in overcoming a challenge or find delight.