Do you feel like the Hero, tirelessly fighting battles for others? Or the Wicked Witch, branded for your ambition and defiance? Or perhaps you’re stuck as Rapunzel, trapped in a metaphorical tower and waiting for rescue. Plot your escape …
These characters are instantly recognisable because they feature in stories we’ve been told for centuries. Across cultures and time, the same archetypes reappear: the Ruler, the Healer, the Damsel in Distress, the loyal Sidekick.
Why have we kept them alive for so long? Is it because they touch on familiar elements of the human that help us see ourselves in a character’s adventure? Or were these archetypes crafted to fit stories before lifting off the page and into our lives, boxing us into a manufactured reality?
Ideally, these roles would dissolve the moment we close the book or watch the credits roll. We’d be free to be whomever we wish. But they linger in the cultural ether, subtle yet powerful, to shape how we live, the choices we make, and the ways we’re judged.
Trapping Women and Men in Stereotyped Characters
These archetypes are ones we are handed when we arrive on the world stage, fresh from the womb. In fact, we’re typed, cast, and directed into characters and scripts that were written long before we were even conceived.
For women, they often feel like a trap. If you’re cast as the Madonna, society criticises you for being a prude. But step into the role of Queen and you’re vilified for daring to wield power. If you’re killed, an archetype is sure to be rolled out to explain why you had to die: She was The Whore, your Honour, cheating on me with another man.
Men are also boxed in when they’re handed scripts that demand they be the fearless leader, the stoic protector, or the endlessly sacrificing provider. In Australia, we see evidence of it every day with men’s mental health worsening as they struggle to contain their emotions and avoid straying into the gentler, more ‘helpless’ roles that they’re told are strictly to be played by women only.
Breaking Free: Writing a Role That’s Truly Yours
Breaking free from pre-written archetypes starts with awareness of your current story. Ask yourself:
- What role am I playing right now?
- Did I willingly step into this role, or was it handed to me by family, culture, religion or circumstance?
- How does it serve me?
- And most importantly: how is it limiting me?
Once you recognise the narrow parameters you’ve been operating in, don’t try to rewrite the script for this particular character. You don’t need to twist and reshape yourself to find a version of it that works for you.
If you’ve been typecast as the Wicked Witch, I’m not going to tell you to “embrace your ambition” or “reclaim your power” as the Queen. Why play inside the boundaries of a role you had no say in designing?
Instead, I invite you to walk away from the storyline entirely. Start fresh. Design a completely new archetype that suits where you want to go and how you want to be seen.
Becoming the Hero/ine of Your Own Story
Your archetype doesn’t need to fit the templates of Hero, Mother, Lover, or any other label from centuries of storytelling. It can be something entirely new, but it must feel expansive and uniquely yours. This isn’t just about redefining how others see you; it’s also about shifting how you see yourself.
Ask yourself:
- What role would I want to step into if fear and judgement weren’t present?
- What does my new archetype value?
- What strengths does it showcase?
- How does it allow me to move through the world in a way that feels right?
Maybe you’re the Trailblazer, forging paths no one else dares to tread. Or the Creator, building worlds that didn’t exist before you dreamed them up. Or an entirely new creature that has been flitting at the edge of your consciousness, waiting in the wings to step into the spotlight?
The beauty of this approach is that it’s limitless. You’re not bound by tropes or expectations. You are the author of your own story, free to cast yourself in a role that is as complex and layered as you are.
Start Rewriting Your Story with the 12 Brand Archetypes
Ultimately, this process of #restorying your life is about stepping into a role that feels alive, expansive, and aligned with who you truly are: not the version shaped by others’ expectations.
If the idea of creating a new archetype feels daunting, rest assured that you don’t have to start from scratch. My Personal Brand Archetype Quiz will give you a starting point as your inspiration. It’s based on the 12 Positive Brand Archetypes we use in marketing (which are somewhat different to storybook archetypes).
Take the quiz, and see how your new journey might unfold. You’re the author of your own story, and you’re free to write a narrative that is as dazzling, complex, and layered as you are!
