what’s your creative archetype?
In mythology, archetypes are used to describe models of human behavior and patterns of characters. They serve as heroes, foils, and sidekicks, and, while we might personally identify with a primary descriptor, we can often relate to many different ones.
Archetypes also serve as mirrors to the human experience, and indicate the sides of ourselves we may not easily see – as well as the ones that tend to hold us back.
When I created these archetypes, I did so by using my eight years of creative coaching and mentoring to identify the most common creative personality types and patterns I’d witnessed women falling into—the ones that define us and how we show up in the world and often, without our even realizing it, also hold us back from moving forward on our goals.
Take the quiz below to get your score of which archetype most embodies the way you show up to your creative work. Track your answers, then scroll to the bottom for your results. Revisit this quiz periodically as your tendencies may shift as you gain clarity and experience.
_____ 1. You wake up in the middle of the night with your next great idea. When you (finally!) get around to sitting down, you start by:
a. Making a master to-do list of all the things to work on to see how this idea will fit into your life.
b. Dive into google to see what else has been done and start learning everything!
c. Text your bestie, your coach, and your mama to see what they think!
_____ 2. You’ve dived in and gotten started on that project of yours. What’s most likely to happen next?
a. You start losing steam—there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done!
b. You want to start but realize that it’s never going to happen—there’s just too much to do at work, and Thanksgiving is on its way… #sadface
c. WAIT. This is hard. Maybe you need to go back to the drawing board?
_____ 3. How do you typically deal with fear?
a. Not gonna lie—it comes up! But I am used to doing hard things, so I power through!
b. You dive into what’s known and what’s certain. The indecision and perfectionism almost always get in the way. But that’s just how it is, right?
c. You spin your wheels and spin your wheels and spin your wheels.
_____ 4. Someone gives you advice that goes against your idea. How do you proceed?
a. You hear them, and also know that you’ll just prove them wrong. You always do!
b. You know deep down that the advice isn’t quite what you want, but you try to figure out a way to appease them while also seeing your vision through.
c. Uh oh. Time to hit pause. They’re probably right. This won’t work. You aren’t ready.
_____ 5. When something amazing happens, you can most often be found:
a. Dancing in the aisles and immediately starting to prep for your next thing. You can celebrate later—there’s work to do!
b. Phew. Exhale! It worked, it worked! Now you get to sleep off all that anxiety!
c. Yay. And also: eek! Every success brings with it the fear that you won’t be able to make it happen again.
_____ 6. You’ve got competing deadlines and your boss at the day job comes in with a last-minute request. How do you deal?
a. By staying up late to get IT ALL DONE. Naturally. Because I always get it all done.
b. You stop everything to get your boss’s request done. Like you always do. Everything else will have to wait. Like it always does.
c. You hit pause on your own project, but feel secretly relieved: You know how to do this work project and don’t mind going the extra mile for your boss.
_____ 7. PLOT TWIST! That thing you were planning takes a left turn and you find yourself not sure which way to proceed. What do you do next?
a. Put on your Get ‘Er Done hat and come up with a whole new project map, deadlines, and task lists. YOU CAN DO THIS.
b. Find yourself back in research mode and try to come up with even more contingency plans before deciding which move to make next.
c. Feel overwhelmingly discouraged and wonder if this isn’t a sign that you should just stay put or wait things out a bit longer.
_____ 8. You’re ready to go full steam ahead on your (great + scary!) idea but you hear from a few friends that they aren’t sure you’re making the right move with this risk. What do you do?
a. Get even more energized to make it happen. You always rise to every challenge!
b. Wait, what?! Oh man. Maybe you should hit pause and make sure that you have all your moves mapped out before you get going. Yeah. That’s what you’ll do. For now, it’s back to the google.
c. You knew it! You knew this idea wasn’t going to work. Siiiiiiigh. Now it’s back to the drawing board to find the idea that’s definitely going to work.
_____ 9. The things that keep you up at night include:
a. The to-do list! The ideas! The things you need to wake up to write down so you don’t forget! The never-ending task of figuring out how to get it all done!
b. Wondering if you’re going to get everything done on time! The things everyone else needs from you! Trying to map out your escape plan from that pesky job!
c. Trying to figure out how your fave IG’er grew her audience! Wondering what you can do to finally get it right! That thing your mom said the other day…maybe she’s right?
_____ 10. It’s the weekend! You can typically be found:
a. Doing it all—spending a little time on that project of yours, then hitting the gym, before you hop over to your neighbor’s bday party and then home to get ready for date night. When Sunday comes, you start all over again!
b. Doing what everyone else wants. Which is totally fine. You love your peeps!
c. Trying to decide what the best way to spend your time off is. Maybe a movie? Maybe lunch out? Maybe the farmer’s market? You hardly ever stray from your go-to list of things to do!
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