Flashpoint Academy and The Hero's Journey

Well...TEMPUS FUGIT.

School opens within a few short days at Flashpoint Academy in Chicago. Flashpoint is a new digital media arts school featuring a brand new curriculum centered on the production and development of game, film, animation, and recording arts projects.

At Flashpoint, we are about to embark on The Hero's Journey. The Hero's Journey, as described by Joseph Campbell, is a pattern that has followed humans throughout history. We live it now and we will continue living this journey for the rest of our lives. Every situation that confronts us with something new or that forces us to re-evaluate our thinking or behavior--this is part of the journey. It is a process of self-discovery, and it can be difficult. Through this difficult passage of time in this portion of our journey we can survive to develop a new perspective on this world. "Leveling up" is what I like to call it.

The Hero's Journey has many steps. Separation. The Call. Initiation and Transformation. The Challenges. The Abyss. The Transformation. The Revelation. The Atonement. The Return.

Once you step into Flashpoint on Monday, September 17th, 2007, you in fact are entering into this new journey in this new chapter in your life. There are many things you must do before you can reach The Return. You must break free of your old habits and preconceptions. You must adopt new ways of viewing the world and modify your methods of communication. You have to stand up. Or sit down. Or both. At the same time. You WILL do the impossible. Because you can.

On your Hero's Journey, times will get rough. It is inevitable. If you start to feel discouraged, please keep in mind that we are all on this journey together. You are not alone. We, all of us, are in this journey together for this incredible moment in history. If you are attending this school, please know that you are not just "going to Flashpoint" but that in fact...you ARE Flashpoint. WE ARE FLASHPOINT.

I can't wait to see everyone there on Monday!