I’m not here to give you answers. I’m here to invite you into a deeper question:
What if life itself is a role-playing game? And what if the quests, monsters, and treasures we encounter every day are not just metaphors — but narrative mechanics that help us level up who we are?
More and more, the world around us feels like it’s running on a script we didn’t choose — one that’s breaking down. Our institutions, our roles, our work — they often feel like cages rather than the creative playgrounds they were meant to be.
And yet, in the quiet corners of our lives — especially in the worlds we play inside — we glimpse something else:
- A sense of meaning, when we’re on a quest.
- A sense of purpose, when we face a fear.
- A sense of freedom, when we roleplay who we wish we could be.
What if those weren’t escapes?
What if they were clues?
What This Is
Be Real Creative is an evolving world — a living handbook, an unfolding map, and a growing journal — all built around one idea:
We can use the narrative logic of games, the mythic power of the Hero’s Journey, and the deeper terrain of psychological growth to navigate the adventure of being human.
You’ll find:
- A Player’s Handbook (in progress), unpacking the metaphors: quests, monsters, treasures, experience, and more
- A Campaign Guide, mapping out the stages of human development as terrain — from The Walled City to The Great Wilderness
- An Adventurer’s Journal, filled with reflections, quotes, and breadcrumbs along the path
Most of this is still taking shape. Chapters are blank. Regions unmapped. Dragons unaccounted for.
But the call has been sounded — and this is the beginning of the journey.
Who This Is For
If you’ve ever felt like:
- You’re outgrowing the story you’re in
- You’re stuck in a role that no longer fits
- You’re searching for a path that’s more alive, playful, and true to you…
…you might already be on the adventure. You’re just looking for a map. Or a companion. Or a campfire to gather around.
That’s what this is.
You are welcome here — not to follow a framework, but to co-create one.
Join the Journey
Whether you’re just passing through or ready to dive deeper, this space is open. Read what calls to you. Share if it resonates. Or just bookmark and wander back later. There’s no “right way” to play this game.
The treasure isn’t at the end. It’s in the journey.
The leveling up isn’t in knowing. It’s in becoming.
Are you ready?
Here be dragons.
Let’s go.
People who play virtual worlds for fun must be engaged in their own, personal, hero’s journey. If you think about it, why else would they invest two to four hours every night for 18 month playing the same computer game? They’re doing it because they get to be themselves. That’s all that people anywhere throughout history have ever wanted to be.
Richard A. Bartle
MMOs From The Inside Out