Resilience & Creativity – Turn A Job Loss Into A Job Win
Resilience Can Be Built with Creativity
Losing a job is a test of resilience. Job loss often forces us to be creative, or at least take stock of what we can offer to a new employer. By the way, this too is a creative act. Have you or someone you know recently lost their job? If so, this article might help you/them find the strength they need to make a seamless career transition.
Resilience requires a lot of courage, but also a lot of creativity. To survive and thrive during challenging times, we must be courageous. It’s important to demonstrate strength. We must also be creative and not get in our own way. Resilience is at its peak when we are being creative. We can use our creativity to shift away from a plan that isn’t working.
Getting unstuck is just another way to say, “here is someone who is actively and creatively demonstrating resilience.”
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ― Joseph Campbell
How to Build Resilience through Creativity
Here’s the truth – building resilience IS a creative pursuit. Recognizing this is how you take action.
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a “creative person” – trust me, you are. How often are we told to be creative? Or that it’s important to grow our creative skills? We categorize people into creative types and non-creative types. Of course, we identify with and fall into one of these categories.
What happens if you’ve been labelled as “not creative” all your life? How can you believe in yourself if you’ve been affirming “I am not creative” for as long as you can remember? Your belief that you aren’t creative is limiting you.
I’m here to tell you that we are ALL creative, every single one of us.
Creativity with Intention – A Resilience Cornerstone
Intentional creativity – it’s foundational.
It’s important to be intentional about your creativity. Especially during times of change when creative solutions are necessary survival skills.
When we are locked in a deep creative state, we provide a break for our conscious mind. Giving your conscious thought a break can help reduce anxiety. Moreover, it can increase feelings of serenity and peace. A calm state is a great place to be. Calm is where some of our best problem-solving ideas come from.
It’s helpful to re-imagine our environment, shift our perspectives, and discover new possibilities.
Resilience and the “Flow State”
What is the “flow state” and why do you want to be there?
According to Headspace online, the “flow state” is a concept that was popularized by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura. The flow state refers to feeling fully immersed in a task or activity. It’s a positive state of intense focus. When this level of focus is paired with creative tasks it can be very powerful. Flow often leads us to “a sense of clarity” and self-actualization.
When you’re giving your fullest attention to an activity or task that you are incredibly passionate about, singularly focused on, and totally immersed in, you may find yourself creating the conditions necessary to experience a flow state of mind. The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away, placing us in a non-distracted zone. The feelings that would consume you under normal circumstances (inhibition, hunger, fatigue, or aches and pains) melt away, and all that matters is your dedication to your craft. – Headspace
A well-designed creative practice gives you a shortcut to “flow,” helps you stay focused, and allows you to strengthen your resilience skills.
Resilience and Job Loss
We all need creativity to thrive. When we are armed with a creative mindset it’s much easier to adapt and find solutions to any challenges life sends our way. Job loss is always challenging to navigate. With creative mindset, things get much easier. Resilience is an important skill that will bring you success.
If you don’t think you’ve got it – don’t worry, it’s all about exercising your creativity muscle.
Deliberate creativity will be a much-needed break, heightening your resilience. You can also decrease stress, and put yourself in the right mindset. It gets easier to find your next job opportunity and nail the interview if you feel calm.
If you’ve recently lost your job, I’ve written a book that should help with this. You can purchase a copy of, Let Go? Let’s Go! on Amazon here.
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