Descent into the Shadow Self
The Firebird, Prelude
I’ve had this idea marinating in my mind for over ten years. There are so many sketches and reference images for it that, even without being fully formed, I can still picture it clearly. This particular illustration must be from around the time of the original concept, during my second year studying graphic and media design.
We were assigned to create promotional material for a real or imagined event, and I came across a production of one of my favourite ballets, “The Firebird”, with music by Igor Stravinsky. The story draws from Russian folklore and fairy tales: the firebird, the golden apple, Koshchei, and the twelve captive princesses. And, of course, Ivan, the hero who rescues them all and saves the day. What set this production apart was that it was gender-swapped. Ivanna was the main dancer, wielding the sword and becoming the heroine.
I was so enamoured with that concept that I added my own layer to it: the story as an allegory of a journey into the protagonist’s subconscious mind. Back then, I envisioned it as an episodic animated series lasting around 30 to 40 minutes. Animation was my main creative passion at the time, and I was obsessed with the gorgeous style of “Samurai Jack” and the atmospheric, deeply allegorical “Over the Garden Wall”, which I still consider a perfect animated series. And that was what I was hoping to create one day with my Firebird. Although I’m not sure if animation will become its final form now that my medium has shifted.
It has gathered some digital dust and mental cobwebs over the years, but the themes that first inspired me back then, I still care about and find really compelling: mythology, folklore, and fairy tales will always fuel my imagination. Folklore is also deeply intertwined with another influence of mine: psychology. I’ve long been fascinated by the human mind, which is a beast unto itself, a creature as grandiose and obscure as an eldritch god. To make sense of it, we craft metaphors and stories that render the abstract more tangible.
That’s one reason I think storytellers are drawn to Carl Jung’s work; his archetypes and symbols for the mind and dreams help us interpret ourselves and our subconscious. Jung, of course, inspired Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, which was really influential in my early development of the story. Lately, though, I’ve found Campbell’s formula restrictive; it overlooks the many myths around the world that don’t fit his model yet offer entirely different perspectives.
The tale of “The Firebird” as told in the ballet is already rich with symbols, allegories, and archetypes, and reimagining them as metaphors for the conscious and subconscious mind fits like a glove. I want to make the story my own, to explore what it truly means to descend into the subconscious, confront the shadow self, and express that through a fairy tale. The writing part is challenging, but I have mental images floating around my mind of how it should look, and I’ll share them as the project develops.
This illustration was the first step. It’s at least ten years old, so there will likely be a reimagining of it someday, but a new one is already in progress and should be ready soon. Until then, consider this the Prelude to “The Firebird”.