Character Archetypes 101: The Creator

It took a little work, but I got the Creator away from composing songs on the guitar in order to spend a few moments on my couch. In archetype circles, the Creator is also known as the Artist, Inventor, Musician, Writer, or Dreamer.

The "Good"

Obviously, Creators have creativity and imagination in spades. They find inspiration in the most unlikely of places, and their inherent ability to find expression--be it through music, art, design, invention, poetry, literature, or photography--helps them think outside the box, using metaphors and abstracts to create something of lasting value.

Creators most like to see new ideas take shape, and the icing on top when these ideas are non-conformist. The love unique, unusual, clever, and visionary creations. They find joy in demonstrating their innovation, individuality, and freedom from societal constraints and convention. They get excited being able to express themselves, which includes finding and accepting themselves in relation to the external world.

A Creator will dedicate his or her life to finding beautiful aestheticism. Their talents are often the sole pursuit of a Creator, whose life can be dictated by applying learned and experienced artistic expression. They can be incredibly focused internally, and rejoice with a feeling of wholeness when they are able to prove reality outside of their minds.

The "Bad"

The shadow side of the Creator might not be too hard to guess. Artistic types are often perfectionists and/or prima donnas. They might lose sight of the forest for focusing too much on the trees. As a result, they might come up with bad solutions that show an irresponsible side to themselves. They can also be outsiders, separated from average joes by their incredible talents.

Some Creators want to play God. Not in a grandiose way, believing themselves to be God, but in a destructive way, where they use their creativity to the exclusion of reality. Their art--or whatever medium they choose--can become like a god to them, and they might sacrifice anything and everything at its altar. In certain cases, some Creators can literally lose their mental stability and physical well-being in pursuit of their craft. 

Likely Goals

To create things of enduring value
To see a vision realized
To hone artistic control and skill
To create culture through self-expression 

Likely Fears

To have a mediocre vision 
To only execute a vision half-way
To believe all is an illusion
To remain unchanged/unmoved by beauty

Examples in the Media

Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens in La Bamba 
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe in Friends
Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon  
Winona Ryder as Jo March in Little Women
John Cusack as Craig Schwartz in Being John Malkovich 
Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City
Ewan McGregor as Christian in Moulin Rouge
Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock in Pollock   
Glee ensemble members

Archetypes Who've Completed Therapy

The Innocent
The Orphan
The Hero  
The Caregiver
The Explorer 
The Rebel
The Lover

Let's Analyze

In my research, I came across one source who indicated that a large goal of the Creator was to "prove reality outside of their minds." What exactly do you think this means?