The Hero's Journey helps artists create mysterious brands
Artists can create mystery and conceptual work using classic story structures
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The Hero's Journey helps artists create mysterious brands
The best artist narratives give fans enough to connect with while maintaining the mystery that keeps them returning for more. It's not about hiding but revealing the right things at the right time.
This storytelling framework gives artists a simple structure to build intrigue and depth.
Why it matters
Social media has pushed artists toward extreme approachability and constant content creation. While sharing everything has proven to be an effective strategy, I also observe a growing appetite for the opposite: mysterious artist brands and conceptual work.
Artists who carefully manage their narrative and refrain from sharing everything can create powerful intrigue.
Creating mystery isn't random; it requires structure. The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a storytelling pattern identified by Joseph Campbell in 1949. It provides a blueprint for constructing narratives that balance revelation with restraint.
This framework is utilised by or can be applied to significant entertainment brands, from Star Wars to Daft Punk.
How it works
Campbell's complete monomyth has 12 stages; these six are perfect for artists building narrative-driven brands:
The ordinary world: The artist's starting point, their original sound and aesthetic.
The call to adventure: Something pushes the artist to evolve: new influences, life events, creative urges.
Crossing the threshold: The artist commits to change and breaks from their earlier work.
Tests, allies, enemies: The collaborations, conflicts, and challenges that shape the evolution.
The ordeal: The creative crisis or personal struggle that forces transformation.
Return with the elixir: The new work that emerges, transformed by the journey.
It’s essential to withhold from revealing everything. Artists can strategically share certain aspects while keeping others hidden. This selective sharing creates narrative gaps that fans enjoy filling with their interpretations.
Yes, but..
I support critical arguments that Campbell’s vision reflects a Western bias rooted in patriarchal social structures, exemplified by the male hero saving the princess. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the Hero’s Journey; artists should apply these insights to their perspectives on the world.
Mystery does not imply inaccessibility. Even the most enigmatic artists provide fans with something to connect with. The Hero's Journey helps determine which moments to share and which to keep private.
Every artist brand is unique; not all artists should embody mysterious brands. Artists should consider whether mystery aligns with their artistic vision before embracing it.
Take action now
Artists aiming to build more mystery into their brand could adopt this approach by identifying which stage of the Hero's Journey their current work embodies and crafting content that suggests deeper meanings without revealing everything explicitly.
Your thoughts
Further reading
The Hero’s Journey and Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell Foundation)
Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Pantheon Books.
The “hero’s journey” isn’t as universal as you think (Big Think)
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