Creativity and Risk: Myths of Maui: A Course With Joel Crichton

The Māori trickster-hero Māui discovered the secret of fire, created a new world, mastered time, and even confronted his own mortality. Through the shape of these world-creating acts of daring, we can come to know more about our own capacities for creativity, risk, and the creation of consciousness.

Fundamentally, creativity is more than just artistry; it is an attitude that is willing and able to experience things as new, as if for the first time. Through this attitude can come a unique, spontaneous response, particularly suited to the present moment and no other.

Myth, dream, and art all share a common origin in the human psyche, as expressions of real and fundamental psychological experiences. Stories encode fundamental human wisdom, in symbolic form; in other words, they talk about what life is and how life works. In this course, we will explore how we can connect with the symbolism of these very important tales, making them understandable, relatable, and relevant.

Suggested reading: The Interpretation of Fairytales, by Marie-Louise von Franz

Joel Crichton is a Jungian analyst, living and practicing in Victoria, Canada, who trained at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zürich, Switzerland.  He is a also a composer, musician, and classically trained actor with a deep appreciation for the creative process and its necessities. He is the author of Jungian Shakespeare: Coming Down to Earth in King John, Twelfth Night, and Cymbeline (Routledge 2025).