Dominic Prevost is an award-winning creative director and design educator. In advance of his workshop at DesignThinkers Vancouver, we spoke to him about Creative Archetypes, how he came up with the concept and why it’s so valuable for you to know yours in today’s ever-evolving design industry.
What’s a Creative Archetype?
With the democratization of our tools, the rise of AI and the fact that all the inspiration we’ll ever need is never more than a couple clicks away, I believe that the best way to level up our creativity is to look inward first. Creative Archetypes are my attempt to help define and organize the way in which all of us tap into our creativity.
The concept behind this workshop has been on my mind for years. Over the last six months, I created an entire methodology from scratch, beta tested it with colleagues, friends and students. I’m super excited to unveil it at DesignThinkers.
How many Creative Archetypes are there?
Sixteen actually! All of them are unique but—without revealing too much—I’ve split them into four categories that share distinct traits: The Navigators, The Dreamers, The Wildcards and The Wise. If you want to know more, you’ll have to attend the workshop. That’s all I’m willing to tell!
What’s with the illustrations?
I’ve illustrated each Archetype based on their core traits. I won’t tell you their names, but some are round, others are boxy, spiky, layered, squishy… Whatever their shape, they’re all meant to illustrate the core principle behind each archetype. I had a lot of fun bringing them to life.
What can attendees expect during the workshop?
Growing up, I’d sneak into my older cousin’s bedrooms, past the scary Jim Morrison “Jesus pose” poster (you know the one) to steal their Filles D’Aujourd’hui magazines (think Quebec’s French version of Seventeen) to take the quizzes. Who wouldn’t want scientific, empirical, impartial answers to fundamental life altering questions like “Are you weirder than Avril Lavigne?” (Yes, I was scarier than Scary Spice), “What’s your dream date with Jonathan Taylor Thomas?” (Rollerblading), “Which Buffy character is your style icon?” (Spike, obviously). I want my workshop to capture that tingling feeling you get by filling up a quiz and comparing your result with your friends.
However, what I promise is actual value that each attendee will be able to apply. Because let’s face it, as trustworthy as Seventeen is, I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to have cheese fondue with Titanic-era Leonardo DiCaprio to see if we’re actually “a match made in heaven.”
By the end of the workshop, you’ll get a pretty interesting portrait of your creative personality, your strengths, areas of growth and your inspiration drivers to help you chart a part forward in your creative journey. I could go on forever, but to answer your question, the workshop will be one part personality test, and one part vision quest. If you’ve attended my previous talks or workshops, you know I’ll make every minute we have together count!
Why should we all know our Creative Archetype?
We so rarely take the time to think about how we think. The creative process is not one size fits all, and there are many different ways to harness our creativity. By unlocking your Creative Archetype, you’ll get to know yourself a bit better and (if my calculations are correct) gain a deeper understanding of what gets your creativity flowing.
Join Dominic’s workshop on finding your Creative Archetype on May 28 at 1:00 p.m. Spots are limited. Workshops are $20.