Blog | Public Works Publishing

The language of care: stories of nurturing and support

3 min read

Updated: Apr 30, 2024

While not every brand explicitly identifies as a Caregiver archetype, many weave elements into their visual identity that signify care in subtle or powerful ways. This walkthrough explores some popular symbols, icons, and images often used to convey caregiving meaning.

Hands icons: extensions of support and assistance

Picture the Helping Hands logo of various charities and nonprofits. Within the gentle curve of those palms lies a narrative of care, a promise to uplift and empower those in need. These hands aren’t merely graphic elements; they are extensions of human empathy, reaching out to cradle and uplift, to heal and nurture. Through their logo, these organizations weave a tale of solidarity, reminding us that in the embrace of caring hands, hope blossoms.

Family imagery: bonds of nurturing and support

In logos depicting families, parents, or children, we discover narratives of nurturing relationships and communal support. Whether it’s a healthcare provider, an educational institution, or a family service organization, the presence of familial symbols evokes a sense of belonging and care.

Nature and growth: symbols of renewal and nurturing

Lush foliage, budding flowers, and towering trees communicate stories of growth, renewal, and nurturing. Consider brands focused on health, wellness, and sustainability, whose logos bloom with botanical motifs. These sorts of graphics often signify a narrative of care for our planet and ourselves.

Bonus: for more advanced image makers

Sometimes the connotative meaning of community symbols is used; e.g., circles, groups of people, interconnected shapes. The cultural meaning of community symbols, if appropriately executed, can signify mutual care. Businesses that prioritize community engagement and social responsibility often incorporate such symbols as a narrative of shared purpose, where every individual plays a part in the symphony of care.

*Warning: signs used to convey a connotative meaning can backfire terribly; know what you are doing.

We design logos with the business identity and personality in mind. Sometimes they are used to weave the narrative, other times they are used to sign a story. During the process, we take into consideration what resonates with the hearts and minds of audiences. From the choice of symbols to the colour palette, every element is carefully designed or picked to evoke emotions and convey messages.

When crafting a logo or branding strategy, framing a grand narrative is where you want to start the process.
How much of your business do you want your logo to tell?
If your business tends to channel the Caregiver archetype; how can you weave elements of care, support, and nurturing into the story?

Consider investigating symbolism—how a simple heart or pair of hands can speak volumes about your organization's ethos. Think about the human experience, drawing inspiration from nature, family, and community, to create a meaningful narrative.

If you are designing something to channel the Caregiver, we recommend aiming for a visual language of care that permeates tales of attention or maintenance, protection or support, and wellness or nurturing. Storytelling extends beyond the visual realm; it encompasses every touchpoint of the customer experience. From website copy to social media content, from customer service interactions to community outreach initiatives, every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce the narrative of care. Share stories of impact, of lives touched and transformed by your organization's nurturing embrace. Engage your audience in a dialogue of compassion and empathy, inviting them to become part of your story of care.

If you want to learn more about this kind of work, get in touch with us.

The nurturing world of the Caregiver

4 min read

Delve into the caregiver archetype through Amrita Sher-Gil's evocative portraits, resonating with empathy and introspection. Experience the "Tender Respite" playlist, offering serene solace and appreciation for the nurturing souls who keep us safe. Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" scene with Sam Cooke's soulful melody embodies support and memory. Consider how caregiver strain impacts business in Laurel Donnellan's Forbes article. Explore Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic" for insights into nurturing creativity. Think of characters like Moses, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Greta Thunberg as ways of channelling guardianship. Study businesses like Etsy and Procter & Gamble, which leverage caregiving ethos in their branding. From heart symbols to nature imagery, learn how logos evoke care and support.

Archetype → Caregive

April 2024

Artistic expressions channelling archetype in rasa

Amrita Sher-Gil a Hungarian-Indian painter, is celebrated for her poignant portraits, particularly those depicting women and families in everyday settings. Her paintings often convey a deep sense of empathy, intimacy, and introspection. While her subjects may not always be engaged in explicit acts of caregiving, the emotional depth and sensitivity with which she portrays them evoke themes of familial bonds, nurturing, and the complexities of human relationships.
"Tender Respite" is a curated playlist inspired by the archetype of the guardian caregiver – the nurturing soul who devotes themselves to keeping others safe and protected. It offers a moment of respite, a fleeting pause amidst life's demands, where one can find solace and reflect on the profound care and attention bestowed upon them by the guardian caregiver. With its soothing tones and heartfelt compositions, "Tender Respite" embodies a serene tribute to the unwavering dedication and unconditional love that defines the essence of caregiving.
The scene from Spike Lee’s 1992 film "Malcolm X" featuring "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke is a powerful example of using music to signify support for a cause or memory. In this scene, his assassination represents a loss of protection and guidance for the community he served. However, the song "A Change Is Gonna Come" serves as a source of comfort and reassurance, offering hope and guidance during a tumultuous time.

Published ideas of archetype in rasa

Caregiver Role Strain can have multifaceted implications for business performance, affecting productivity, absenteeism, decision-making, interpersonal dynamics, employee engagement, turnover rates, and reputation management. Employers should be mindful of the challenges employees may face in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities and provide appropriate support, resources, and accommodations to mitigate the impact of caregiver stress on business outcomes.
The 2020 Forbes article by Laurel Donnellan titled "Curiosity: A Key To Compassionate Leadership" highlights the importance of curiosity in leadership, emphasizing its role in fostering empathy, understanding, and connection with others. While not directly addressing the caregiver personality trait, the article aligns with the broader theme of promoting empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence in leadership and business contexts. It offers valuable insights and strategies for cultivating these qualities, which can benefit individuals with caregiving tendencies and contribute to a more compassionate and effective workplace culture.
Elizabeth Gilbert's book entitled "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" encourages readers to embrace curiosity, passion, and vulnerability in their creative pursuits. While the book may not explicitly focus on the caregiver personality trait, the ideas discussed offer valuable insights and inspiration for individuals seeking to cultivate a nurturing and compassionate approach to their professional and creative pursuits.

Characters channelling archetype in rasa

Moses from religious texts such as the Bible and the Quran: Moses is revered as a guardian of divine knowledge and laws, receiving the Ten Commandments from God and leading the Israelites to freedom from slavery in Egypt. His teachings and guidance continue to shape religious and ethical beliefs today. Moses is revered as a foundational figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, representing the shared heritage and spiritual legacy of these Abrahamic faiths.
Mrs. Doubtfire from "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993): While initially portrayed as a comedic character, Mrs. Doubtfire (played by Robin Williams) serves as a devoted and caring guardian to his children, going to great lengths to remain a part of their lives after a divorce.
Greta Thunberg (as a character in various documentaries and films): has come to signify young climate activism. She serves as a guardian of environmental awareness and action. Greta Thunberg gained global recognition for her unwavering commitment to raising awareness about climate change and advocating for urgent action to address the environmental crisis.

Channelling the archetype in rasa for business

Etsy provides a platform for independent artisans and crafters to sell their handmade and vintage goods. Through its campaigns, Etsy highlights the importance of supporting independent creators and small businesses, promoting values such as community, sustainability, and ethical consumption. By empowering artisans and entrepreneurs to share their talents and stories, Etsy embodies the caregiver archetype's commitment to supporting and nurturing individuals and communities.
Procter & Gamble's "Thank You, Mom" Campaign: Procter & Gamble's "Thank You, Mom" campaign celebrates the love, support, and sacrifices of mothers around the world. By highlighting the role of mothers in nurturing and shaping their children's lives, P&G embodies the caregiver archetype by expressing gratitude and appreciation for maternal care.
There are some iconic and symbolic logo elements to consider when aiming to evoke ideas of care, support, and nurturing. Here are a few examples:Heart Symbols: Many brands use heart symbols in their logos or branding to evoke emotions of love, compassion, and care. For example, the American Heart Association's logo features a heart shape, symbolizing its commitment to cardiovascular health and well-being.
Hands: Logos or branding that include hands can convey messages of support, assistance, and nurturing. For instance, the Helping Hands logo of various charities and nonprofits often incorporates hand imagery to represent their caregiving mission.
Family Imagery: Logos that depict families, parents, or children can evoke feelings of caregiving and support. Brands in industries such as healthcare, education, and family services may use family imagery to convey their commitment to nurturing relationships and well-being.
Nature and Growth: Logos featuring elements of nature, such as trees, leaves, or flowers, can symbolize growth, renewal, and nurturing. Brands focused on health, wellness, and sustainability may use nature-inspired imagery to convey their caregiving ethos.

Tell us how these stories made you feel, and where they lead your thinking. We’d love to know.

Kuanna

4 min read

Updated: Apr 3, 2024

Kuanna noticed the sixth body for the week being taken to the jungle in a funeral parade. A group of nine or ten followed the four who were carrying the corpse wrapped in cloth, singing their funeral song. Six deaths in a week; this was unusual. Kuanna resisted the urge to speak to the funeral party. After all, her tribe disowned her nine years ago for bringing misfortune to the village with the warring man that she chose to love. She had vowed to never return to the people who killed him.

So, she sat watching the road from the village into the jungle, long after the funeral party had disappeared. Their mournful song trailed off into the wilderness. Why she couldn’t leave the earshot of her village—her despicable, arrogant tribe’s village—she could never tell. Every time she tried to leave, a stubborn and unreasoned voice convinced her not to. “They will come to you”, it said.

The next day, a seventh funeral party came, singing and weeping as they carried their dead.

Then followed the eighth, the ninth, and soon, the thirty-eighth within twelve days.

Kuanna boiled a broth of turmeric, ginger and sirimani roots and poured it into her largest dried gourd bottle. She packed the near-broken one of her knives and the older one of her only two rags; she knew that she wouldn’t be able to recover them from what she was setting out to do. Then, she waited for the thirty-ninth body. It came soon. As soon as the mourners left, singing their dreadful song, Kuanna walked over to the cemetery. She crouched near the body; it was a young girl. Her skin still held a trace of warmth to Kuanna’s touch. She had only died in the last few hours, Kuanna understood. The village must be sinking into panic now; they’re abandoning the dead and rushing the rituals. Kuanna took her old blade and dug it into the girl’s body and drew a smooth line from the throat to the groin. The line swelled in red as blood started oozing out. Kuanna began to examine the corpse, prodding its interiors with her knife.

By the time Kuanna had reached the water stream, jackals had descended on the body. She heard their fervent fight for flesh in the distance. As if affected by the jackal’s urgency too, Kuanna set out to clean herself in a frenzy. That stench in the dead girl’s lungs…it wasn’t ordinary, Kuanna knew.

She poured the root boil from the gourd bottle into her palm and hurriedly rubbed it inside her nose. Then, she poured some into her mouth, gargled it in the throat and spat it out. She poured the remainder over herself and rubbed every inch of her body with it before immersing in the stream.

Kuanna lay down on her mat and gazed at the sky through the torn thatch of the roof. The cobra that dwelled with her—Naga—slithered across the floor and curled up near her neck where warmth was gathering. Kuanna still remembered the stench from the dead girl’s lungs. It was putrid and had metallic tones to it. An element was deeply corrupted. What was it? She wondered.

That night, Kuanna dreamt of herself standing over the Earth. Its brown skin split open in a clean line that swelled with liquid red from the inside. From within it, came a flame; a red, orange and gold flame. It rose slowly into the air and halted in level with Kuanna’s eyes. Amidst the flame was water—rapidly swirling in a spiral.

Kuanna peeled the jungle to find wakapitha berries. She finally spotted the flame-red berries on a tree adjoining the hill. She broke open one of the berries—inside, its bright red exterior faded into orange, circling the golden yellow seeds at its heart arranged in a neat spiral. Kuanna tied a long strip of rag around her waist, and formed a pocket between its folds; then, she started climbing the knotty bark of the wakapitha to collect more.

Kuanna placed the ground pack of medicine, tightly packed in banana leaf, in front of Naga’s face and laid down next to the cobra. She gazed into Naga’s eyes. In Kuanna’s mind’s eye, she could see the village clearly; the footpath from the jungle would get wider as it inched closer to the village. It was distinctly marked from where the road bringing carriages would meet the footpath. Beyond that, where the water wells were, there would always be women and men with pots. Nowadays, with death so thick in the air, their speech would be hurried and whispered. Some would look terrified, and others would be already broken.

In the next few days, the villagers experienced something strange. A white cobra would slither near the well, drop off small packages wrapped in leaf, and slither back into the jungle. On the first two days, no one touched the package. On the third day, a man prodded it with a stick and unravelled the leaf. Other villages looked on; they gave him mixed instructions shouting from all directions. He shushed them and dug the end of his stick into the contents of the leafy package. Then he raised the stick to his nose as excited voices cried caution around him.

The eighth time that Naga returned from the village, Kuanna noticed that she was fed. The shape of three quail eggs in Naga’s belly was easily recognizable. The streak of white on her pink tongue meant milk.

They have finally understood the medicine.

The processions of bodies eventually ceased, save the occasional. Kuanna watched the stars change patterns through the broken thatching of her roof.

One night, she dreamt of a line of black ants swarming near her feet as she slept. They swarmed at her feet, spilling out of her jungle hut, beyond the jungle and teeming along the footpath from the village.

The next day, when Kuanna returned from the stream with her pot of water, there was a reed salver left in front of her jungle hut. It held fruits, betel leaves, a small bowl of rice cooked with coconut milk, plums, and nuts and six yards of crisp cotton folded neatly.

An offering.

Kuanna’s story was written based on the historical character Kuwēni (also known as Kuanna) linked with the legends connected to the origin of Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka. Click here to read more and to sample this as a spoken story.