A Real Life Hero’s Journey
Is there a formula for the human experience? Author and professor, Joseph Campbell believed that there was and he described it in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In this work, Campbell combined his extensive knowledge of world-wide mythology with modern (at the time) psychology to theorize and describe a monomyth that all humans are invited to journey throughout their life. He hypothesized that we are all “heroes” being called (or pushed) into an adventure that will both challenge and transform us if we should choose to accept it and persevere through it. Campbell breaks down this journey into 3 parts: 1) Departure 2) Initiation and 3) Return. After the hero returns and is transformed by their journey, they then have the keys to guide others through similar journeys. 1
Since Campbell’s book was published, it has been an inspiration and even a formula for creative, informational, and transformational works all over the world. In fact, I was first introduced to Campbell’s monomyth theory through the work of Donald Miller in his book Building a Story Brand and subsequent book Hero on a Mission. In these books, Miller makes Joseph Campbell’s monomyth practical for storytellers and professional communicators. Miller describes the essential elements of story using Campbell’s monomyth as a guide and proposes that all good communication must include the elements of the monomyth for it to be effective and evoke change. 2
Per Campbell and Miller, there are four primary characters in stories: 1) the victim 2) the villain 3) the hero 4) and the guide. 3 At certain times in life, each of us play one of these roles. 3 However, Campbell and Miller assert that it is only the hero who actually transforms and overcomes the obstacle or challenge at the heart of the story. So the question then becomes, which type of character do you want to be in your own story?
As the Creative Director at Messiah St. Charles, I use Miller’s Story Brand framework (and therefore Campbell’s monomyth structure) each and every day. Every email my team writes, each sermon series we develop, and every video project we undertake, is created through the lens of story, with the recipient being positioned as the hero and (usually) the church or Jesus being the guide. This structure of communication, based on Campbell’s monomyth, has been a game-changer for inviting people into God’s story of redemption and transformation through Jesus.
Campbell’s monomyth has implications for leaders as well as individuals. As leaders, we have the power to position ourselves as any of the four story characters, but our role is best served in being the guide and allowing those we lead to be the heroes. A well differentiated leader (per Friedman) 4 has been the hero in her own story and now seeks to offer the wisdom and guidance she has gained to those she leads, so that they can transform into the best versions of themselves. A good leader knows she cannot do that transformation work FOR those she leads. They must accept the journey themselves or they will never make it to their own freedom.
Authors note: In 2018, I wrote a manifesto describing my own heroine journey. I utilized several themes from The Hero with a Thousand Faces including Campbell’s motto of chasing your bliss, the dark night of the soul, and the hero’s return. You can read my personal manifesto here.
1 Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, 3rd ed. (Novato: New World Library, 2008)
2 Donald Miller, Building a StoryBrand (HarperCollins Leadership, 2017).
3 Donald Miller, Hero on a Mission (HarperCollins Leadership, 2022)
4 Edwin H. Friedman, A Failure of Nerve Leadership in the Age of Quick Fix (New York: Church Publishing, 2017)
About the Author
Laura Fleetwood
Laura Fleetwood is a Christian creative, certified Enneagram Coach, doctoral student at Portland Seminary and Creative Director at her home church, Messiah St. Charles. As a published author, national faith speaker, podcaster and self-described anxiety warrior, Laura uses storytelling to teach you how to seek the S T I L L in the midst of your chaotic life. Find Laura at www.seekingthestill.com4 responses to “A Real Life Hero’s Journey”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hey Laura,
This is great. Thank you for sharing how Campbell and Miller have shaped you personally and how you use it as Creative Director.
Can you share more about how you use the framework for sermon series?
I often want Miller to elaborate on his framework for the church setting, in particular, to see how it plays out in the messaging for a church.
Hi Chad – Sorry for the delayed response. We use a worksheet for every message series that the worship planning team fills out. I will happily send you a copy of it right after I post this comment. I think you’ll find it very helpful!
Laura, Thank you for these thoughts and the connections that you made. Your last sentence intrigued me and I wish we could talk further about it. “They must accept the journey themselves or they will never make it to their own freedom.” Is freedom the goal or the purpose of the journey?
Interesting question, Sara. I was thinking in terms of freedom from whatever the “problem” or obstacles was that launched them into the journey. So, freedom in the sense that the hero has made it to the other side of that particular quest.