Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” and Scarlet.Consulting

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, is a template that explains the stages of growth of a hero in common mythological stories, and in this case, me. It applies to anyone who is facing the challenges of self-mastery as an individual on their path to accomplishing their innately defined purpose and mission in life. It’s a cyclical process that an individual faces throughout his life in many different dynamics that are expressed in small and large ways when it comes to internal and externalized meaning.

I wanted to use this post to describe where I am at on my journey so my present and future client’s are aware of what work I’ve put in as an individual and how, if they choose to, help me grow.

Because the Hero’s journey is a cyclical process, in some sense, I have completed it already, maybe a few times. As a Zen Buddhist may say, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water… After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water…” And this absolutely applies for me. I was a software developer for 8 years and truth is, I struggled to find meaning in Ecommerce and the motivation needed to excel. Something had to change.

Eventually, I had to give it up completely and take a journey into the unknown and cross a threshold that I am finally crossing again as I return with “the Gift from the Goddess”, or the “Magic Elixir”. Though strangely, I realize after that after 8 or more years of introspection and my final return, I’m exactly where I left off: “chop wood, carry water” and again, I’m only at the beginning of my journey. Though things are different:

That might not seem like much to the untrained eye, though it’s absolutely everything. I have decided to make an impact in the technological sector because it is my innate strength, and I will nourish that strength until it’s an absolute weapon, a weapon I will harness in order to protect, serve, and love my neighbor and even my enemy, because everyone is this world has an innate dignity that allows the individual to manifest.

So yes, in one degree, I am an obsolete PHP Developer (Magento Enterprise 1.x with Devacurl was my last project) who needs to get up to speed on Adobe Commerce and other technologies. Yet, in another degree, I am a strong tree in rich soil that is guaranteed to continue to receive nourishment and will produce a very fruitful crop again and again moving forward. Now is my opportunity to prove that to the world.

Sometimes when you have an intrinsic gift for something, it becomes a burden rather than a blessing, or so it may seem. Every other gift that every other person has becomes more valuable in your eyes, when the treasure was always with you the whole time. This was the case for me. Life has groomed me to be in technology one day, I just didn’t see it till now. This was my dream as a kid, and I respected it, but not enough. I thought I should be a musician or poker player when my real talent laid in the arrangement of ASCII characters that a processor uses to display something meaningful to the end user: a human being. This is my inherent skill set, and I need to respect it as one would with someone they really cared deeply for. Has not web development given kindly to me as the years have gone by? It’s time to honor that relationship with a full commitment going forward.

I’m a web developer. And I will change the world with 109 keys.