Research & Articles

Please utilize the information on this page to help you understand just how versatile the Hero's Journey is. The information was curated by Isaac as part of his Master's Degree in Communication at SNHU.

Information Summary

The Hero's Journey is a powerful pattern of storytelling developed by Joseph Campbell over 75 years ago. Despite the evolution of technology, it would come as no surprise to him that his journey has practical application for the digital media age. Whether it is individuals in harm reduction organizations realizing that storytelling "is a critical form of health care" (Young, et al., 2025) or adolescents in vulnerable situations just looking to feel accepted, respected, and connected (Teixeiria, et al., 2025), the power of digital storytelling is clearly transformational. This website is dedicated to the potential of that transformation. The power to harness storytelling, digital media, and the Monomyth in order to help change lives. We all have a journey to go on; all we need to do is answer the call.

Review this brief overview of the Hero's Journey from TEDx.

See the Hero's Journey in action in this connection of Star Wars and sobriety.

Original Idea

The initial idea was to research how storytelling, specifically through the context of the Hero's Journey, could be used to improve people's lives. Specifically, how digital media can harness the stages of the Hero's Journey to help facilitate personal growth.

Evolution

Upon further research, I learned that stories have been proven to help with so much more than grief. Take a look in the folder below for articles about identity, addiction, depression, and other major life events. In almost all instances, constructing and owning one's story helps with agency and initiative.

Check out the infographic below for a closer look at the journey.

Initial Research

The first article I read focused on Facebook and grief. In a scoping review conducted in 2025, the authors, Liang, Tan, See, and Kuek, examined 61 previous studies of social media and grief. They focused on questions regarding what we know about social media and grief and how people use social media to grieve. The conclusion was sharing one's grief on social media over the loss of a loved one led to a greater sense of support.

Realization

By synthesizing the stages of the Hero's Journey with researched information, a pattern of professional growth appears. Further exploration of the pattern of the Hero's Journey can lead to opportunities to improve personal agency around recovery, self-concept, and grief. It appears that research supports the idea that if one answers the call, great things can happen.

Check out this video to help understand how the Hero's Journey can be so impactful on mindset.

Ready to embark on a transformative journey? Are you ready to answer the call? Are you willing to chart your journey?

References

Bailey, P. (2018). Developing the Heroic Journey Mindset. TEDx Talks. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJiTZyvrcAA&t=1s

Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Pantheon Books.

Harte, T. (2025, April). “The Hero’s Journey of a Recovering Addict.” The Sober Curator. https://thesobercurator.com/the-heros-journey-of-a-recovering-addict/

Liang, A. G., Tan, K. H. E., See, J. C., & Kuek, J. H. L. (2025). A scoping review on the use of social media for personal grief. Death Studies, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2025.2585928

Teixeira, E. G., Monteiro, A., & Barros, R. (2025). Well-being through digital storytelling: an analysis of young people’s stories. Journal of Turkish Science Education (TUSED), 22(3), 542–560. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2025.028

Winkler, M. (2012). What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Young, R., Dongilli, D., Souder, A., & Peek-Asa, C. (2025). Stories for Us, or for Others: Digital Storytelling with a Harm Reduction Organization as Culture-Centered Health Communication. Health Communication, 40(8), 1465–1478. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2405767