Jung and the archetypes
Jung, the magician of psychological exploration, identified twelve archetypes, each representing a unique personality type with its own defining traits.
Let’s dive into the fascinating world of archetypes in graphic facilitation, where every stroke of the pen can evoke powerful ideas.
The Warrior
Today, let’s invoke the spirit of the Warrior archetype (or the Warrioress) for those who feel that fire rise within.
This is the life force that surges upward . The one that drives us to stand tall, to prove we’re alive, and to defend what matters most.
Warriors learn to trust their own truth. They take responsibility for their lives and claim their authority. This can happen through confrontation or through peaceful action: journalists, scientists, politicians, activists… and yes, graphic facilitators too.
Clarity. Alertness. Awareness. Focus.
The Warrior knows how to align body and mind. To stay sharp. They train, strengthening both psychological and physical resilience. Warriors are often destroyers, too (after all, a scribe wipes their whiteboard clean at the end of the day!). Because for new, more virtuous things to emerge, some destruction must occur.
The Warrior embodies strength, determination, and strategy.
How to channel the Warrior in a graphic facilitation session?
Planning and mobilizing
In graphic facilitation, we tap into this archetype to create visuals that strike with precision and leave a lasting imprint.
Just as the Warrior plans every move carefully, the graphic facilitator draws each line with intent, capturing the essence of ideas with purpose and clarity.
The Warrior also knows how to rally the troops toward a common goal. In graphic facilitation, that same energy helps us gather scattered ideas and channel them into one coherent visual map.
Our drawings become powerful weapons, uniting minds around a shared vision.
Observation. Strategy. Action and adaptation
Strategy is at the heart of the Warrior archetype and equally, at the heart of graphic facilitation.
We build visual strategies (mind maps, templates, frameworks) to represent collective ideas effectively.
Each visual element becomes a puzzle piece contributing to a shared understanding.
The Warrior knows when to act and when to observe. Similarly, in graphic facilitation, timing is everything. Not every idea needs to be drawn and a great scribe knows when to illuminate a moment with a key visual.
The mural becomes the battlefield where ideas meet, cross, and evolve with intention.
And like any seasoned warrior, a facilitator must be flexible, ready to adapt their drawings to the flow of the discussion, the energy of the group, last minute changes in the agenda, or even time constraints.
Adaptability is the true mark of a visual warrior.
Vulnerability and strength
The Warrior isn’t afraid to show vulnerability while staying strong.
Likewise, in graphic facilitation, transparency in our process builds trust. Our sketches, like open armor, reveal the group’s thinking path and invite participants to connect more deeply.
As visual warriors, we face the challenges of collective intelligence with determination.
Our drawings aren’t mere decorations; they’re banners of clarity, flags of cohesion, rallying teams around shared goals.
Building bridges
This strategic approach to graphic facilitation is more than a bonus, it’s a cornerstone.
By embracing your inner visual warrior, you become an architect of unity,
a bridge-builder between ideas, people, and purpose.
You don’t just draw what you see: you shape the field where collaboration comes alive.