On Archetypes

Archetypes are the string that connects humanity. I felt inspired by recent readings and decided to channel the creative energy into the creation of a zine discussing human archetypes.

I wrote and designed each page, aiming for a chant-like, transendent text that was informative, inspiring, and haunting. Each chapter reads like a Truism; they cannot be denied and require further exploration.

Months ago, I wrote down a series of thoughts on a page in my notebook, which I typically use for work notes and sketches. I can’t recall right now where they came from – I’m sure I was inspired by something I heard or read. These thoughts read as mantras, but as I reread them, I realized they possessed a certain eerie quality.

Recently, I was listening to an episode of my favorite podcast, U Up? with Jared Freid and Jordana Abraham. In it, a listener writes in about a dating dilemma, starting her lament with, “I’m not sure if anyone else is experiencing this.”

Jared cuts in, delivering the quote that inspired me to work on this zine:

“There’s no unique experience. That’s the great disappointment of the internet; finding out that your beautiful, wonderful personality is not that far away from everyone else’s.”

This was a passion project, combining a few different interests of mine: editorial design, which I want to do more of, and writing, which I have been doing more of. I feel I need to note that I used free images sourced from Unsplash, font from Pangram Pangram, and ChatGPT to help source factual information and edit errors.