The Archetypes
“You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms, the most convenient definitions.”
Archetypes. Clichés. Labels. So many names for what is often a singular essence. Do we ever fit into just one box? Of course not. But life likes to sort us that way.
Earlier this week, I found myself thinking about the people in my circle and how I might “label” them. Not to confine them, but to reflect on how I see them. To remind myself of the qualities I love most. The patterns in their strength. The threads in their becoming.
That quiet pondering turned into a collaboration with AI to create portraits of some of my nearest and dearest based on my descriptions of them—intentionally loose on physical details (though some came out eerily accurate), and deeply specific about their hearts, their energy, and the elements that feel core to who they are.
Once the images were finished, something clicked. I had recently heard the phrase, “You are not the sacrifice. You are the altar.” So I reached out to my island of misfits and asked them to rewrite it in their own voice.
The result is a series of digital pieces inspired by tarot archetypes—modern, personal, a little irreverent. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Tell me in the comments: what’s your archetype?
