Your Life is a Hero's Journey

When I was 28, I went through what I would now call a “dark night of the soul.” A relationship ended – I had thought we would get married – and the slide started. Against my ego’s will, I could feel things changing. Ominously, I could feel my life energy stop flowing outward, and no matter how much I fought the change, I could no more arrest it than I could keep the tide from going out. The usual channels through which my energy flowed – graduate school, career ambitions, friends – began sliding around, rearranging themselves as if my psychic tectonic plates were floating on the molten mantle of my unconscious. I became depressed. Clinically. I lost weight. I stopped finding enjoyment in things I had always loved. I felt tearful much of the time. I fought all of this valiantly, but the harder I fought, the less control I seemed to have.

Although it was an agonizing experience, it was the beginning of a psychic rebirth that changed the course of my life. Learning to surrender to what the psyche wanted for me rather than what the ego thought I should have was painful. Surviving this period and growing into and beyond it were formative experiences, a true initiation into my own purpose. Once I understood that I was on an important inner adventure, the suffering became more manageable. Finding meaning amidst the confusion and disappointment was surprisingly enlivening, and eventually, many years later, it led me home.

I’ve followed Misha Blaise’s work for a while. When she sent me her new book Your Life is a Hero’s Journey, I knew I wanted to have her on Café Jung. It’s a book that would have brought me great comfort during that time in my 20’s when my original hopes and dreams for myself were disintegrating. It captures the terror, excitement, and promise inherent in any time of intense transformation. It’s whimsical, and charming, but also deep and wise. I loved this chance to discuss the book with Misha and to hear about her own hero’s journey.

About Misha Blaise

Misha Blaise is an author-illustrator known for the fresh and original style of her illustrated gift books, blending art, humor, and soulful reflection. Through her work, she explores themes of interconnectedness, the mysteries of the universe, self-discovery, and the oneness of humanity. Her books invite readers to reflect on life’s deeper questions while staying grounded in creativity, joy, and hope. She lives with her husband and two sons in Arkansas. Her latest book, which we discuss here, is Your Life is a Hero’s Journey: An Illustrated Guide to Facing Life’s Challenges.