In January upon moving to Los Angeles, I took a screenwriting class at the college nearby. It was titled “Write A Screenplay in 5 Weeks” and it delivered that and more, and yet it was still steeped in best-practices for writing under patriarchal capitalism.
What you’ll learn in most screenwriting courses is a story structure of The Hero’s Journey, coined by Joseph Campbell. To put it briefly in the hero’s journey the viewer will follow the protagonist in their normal world before they get a “call to adventure.”
In this journey the protagonist makes a full circle, after facing trials and tribulation. Then they return home a stronger version of themselves externally. They climbed a mountain of success. This is the point at which The Heroine’s Journey, coined by Maureen Murdock becomes particularly relevant.
What’s omitted in most screenwriting classes is the inner journey. The protagonist will now need to feel everything they struggled with at home (or within themselves). They may have achieved some level of success in the material world, but in the spiritual world that hasn’t necessarily brought them any level of enlightenment. And so the journey continues…
In the below videos I’ve explained the stages of The Heroine’s Journey. My intention in doing so is to highlight the depth of the human experience, encourage the multitude of storytelling approaches available to us as creatives, and support those in embracing their inner exploration. May it bring you deeper contemplation.
In this first leg of The Heroine’s Journey we have often rejected our inner worlds, therefore making room for us to embark on the outer adventure. Believing that there will be lasting satisfaction in Saṃsāra. That our self-worth could be heightened through achievement; however for many, the awareness that it’s unfulfilling to seek wholeness externally becomes clear.
The feeling of spiritual aridity is often felt internally before it is recognized externally. It is through the craving for deeper emotional satisfaction, that the heart must open to receive it. The heart desires love. As the heart opens the body will be forced to learn emotional regulation again; past pain, trauma, and more can surface that the body needs to transmute in a healtheir way.
There are so many healing modalities for our inner expansion and strengthening. Meditation is a foundational practice for me. Finding practices that support your momentum and internal progression is also important. I believe the world (outer) needs more healed humans across all spaces who are working to create an existence that is more nurturing of the inner world too.
As always, welcoming your thoughts and reflections on the above. Wishing you well on your inner and outer expansion!
Appreciate you,
Anisa