BREAKING #36

The Hero's Journey

Nicole Ex

Column

December 2020

Nicole Ex

Column

December 2020

A week ago, by chance, I clicked on a film about American literary scholar and language prodigy Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), unknown to me. Idolised by stories from around the world, he made a deafening discovery: although it seems we tell each other a dizzying array of stories, we actually tell only one. That one story, that monomyth, he called The Hero’s Journey.

Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, The Matrix or Star Wars, they all share one pattern: the protagonist is given an assignment that separates it from her normal world and sends her on a journey. On an uncertain journey in which she is assisted and betrayed, she must defeat the dragon as the ultimate test. Afterwards, the hero returns home with a new insight or reward. What does the hero bring back for those left behind? A new story. Which gives another the courage to go on the journey.

The message of this monomyth is: ‘Follow Your Bliss’, Campbell’s life motto. Bliss, in short, is that which you cannot do. Or that which you prefer to do when time and money don’t matter. ‘Follow your heart’ is every auntie’s swishy and sweet advice, but when it comes to following your true path, that bliss is by no means kumbaya. Because there is a connection between your deepest passion and greatest fear. And I can tell.

Founding See All This is my Hero’s Journey, a journey I started seven years ago. Something I was advised against by everyone, including myself, because to choose paper as a medium and to do something with art is to swim in the red sea, but I couldn’t not do it. Whether I encountered the dragon? You bet. But with the release of the anniversary issue, I have been handsomely rewarded for that.

What we try to do with See All This is to connect art with life itself, by telling stories of heroes that are infectious enough to consider an adventure journey of your own, big or small.

Nicole Ex writes a personal column every week. Subscribe to our art letter.