When looking into renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung’s work on the 12 archetypes, I found each archetype outlines a character’s needs, wants, and fears. These characteristics are everything needed by movie, play, and book writers to put three-dimensional characters together with obstacles that will test their character. However, storytelling isn’t only about knowing how a character will react based on their internal nature, storytelling is also about the world in which the character lives—the external character traits, the location, and the era of the story. When all of these elements are combined, a plot emerges that will entertain audiences.
Story Almanak is a set of beautifully illustrated cards that allow writers to apply Jung’s 12 archetypes. The artwork is inspired by the 19th century Arts and Crafts movement, which took inspiration from Medieval art and architecture. Fonts were chosen by looking at old books and Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. Every visual element was chosen based on the idea that great stories are constantly being retold no matter how old they are. The card content was also audience-tested to help you visualize Carl Jung’s archetypes.
© Stevenson University 2020
