Firstly what are Archetypes – they are a universal and symbolic representation that teaches us about life and ourselves. Archetypes are the architects of story and life. There are literally hundreds of archetypes that have been our teachers through the medium of story telling for centuries. They live in the realm of fairy tales, mythology, theatre and now film. So through the process of an individual telling their personal story they are able to recognise their personal archetypes.
While an Icon – An icon is often an individual who has lived or is living out a very public archetypical journey, they are recognizable by their fame or celebrity and often have become immortalized by their charismatic nature. The public usually become somewhat fascinated with their lives or beauty simply because they are to some degree playing out the roles of demigods, teaching us about light and shadow attributes from a far, but not so far.
My discovery of why we do this kind of seeking and obtaining;
- Perhaps we are instinctively attempting to pull away from our parents. And in doing so we often connect strongly to a particular public figure, who’s either in music, film, fashion, sport, television or literature. We may do it in a creative and somewhat expressive manner, like identifying with their music, their dress and their culture.
- Perhaps it is simply for the purpose of developing a new identity outside ones current family unit.
- Perhaps we do it because some where deep within our nature we know there is something about our chosen iconic figure that is just like us.
- Perhaps what we are really doing is looking for an alterative tribe, a new leader, a mentor, a role model who has similar values to our own and who isn’t going to tell us to do our homework or clean our room.
At this point I would like to add who my iconic influence was as a teenager… DAVID BOWIE!!… and also because it’s a year since he left our world, it still makes my heart weep to know this amazing artist has left us, along with others such as Prince, Carrie Fisher and Alan Rickman and thats only to name a few.
Simply put we are intuitively looking for someone else to look up to, other than Mum and Dad.
For me BOWIE was perfect, he was a risk taker, a change agent, a true creative creature, a fashion icon and an absolute artist at heart… My spirit recognized him, because after all I also longed for all those things!!! So much so that I cut and coloured my hair like his, did my make up like his and even created costumes for others to wear similar to his, which were all influenced by his creative, flamboyant, androgynous, but very stylish appearance and progressive music.
Amazing how life shows up for us… I found a quote by Bowie just recently and of course it is very similar to what I now believe as an adult.
David Bowie
- I’m just an individual who doesn’t feel that I need to have somebody qualify my work in any particular way. I’m working for me.
Elizabeth Ellames
- Who am I? I am all that is, all that was and all that is yet to come… And my responsiblity to you is to be me.
For some of us we need to connect to something or someone outside our family to feel like we belong, I know that’s how it was for me. I had faced many challenges as a child all connected to abuse, so I am indeed extremely grateful for the creative influence that David Bowie provided, he became my Angel Prince from a far away Star Kingdom, who gave me my precious and most beloved gifts of CREATIVITY and HOPE.
I now known how important it is to be authentic when sharing your gifts, reason being, you never know who may be watching and truly counting on catching a little of your spectacular light that could grow into something greater within themselves some day.
Bravo Bowie, for it was you, who saved me from the shackles of convention and compromise.
Here are a few examples of other famous icons – Ghandi, Joan of Arc, Ned Kelly, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana. All these iconic figures have been major influences for many people, some even influenced nations.
Can you recall any of your most loved or admired ICONIC figures of present day, resent history or even ancient history?
Elizabeth Ellames 