Creativity in the Time of Crisis

This situation we are facing is like no other.

It’s rare, which is a very good thing. But it shows that sometimes the unthinkable happens. Pandemics, wars, recessions, accidents, political upheaval, and our own personal crises and problems. These are all drastic events that permanently change our lives.


They have one thing in common. We have no control over them or the impact on our lives.

Often there are signs and warnings, but we can’t see them until we have hindsight. We have no good way of knowing they are coming, so there is very little we can do to prevent them.

We have so little real control. We are pushed, pulled and tossed about in a choppy ocean with no safety lines to cling to.

It’s scary.

Times like these need our creativity. We need new ideas and perspectives that help us find solutions to tough problem. And often all we have available is what is already on hand.

Cultivate resourcefulness

This skill serves us well in a crisis of any sort.

Resourcefulness.

This skills helps us use the resources we have to solve problems. It’s not always possible to go to the store or find someone to fix things. Instead we must rely on our creativity to use what we have.

Physical resources are one thing, but there are inner resources we need too like flexibility, adaptability, imagination, and an optimistic outlook.

So how can we use our creativity and resourcefulness in times like these when we can’t do as we normally do? And even when the crisis is over, we still need to adjust ourselves to a new normal.

Learn learn learn

Knowledge always comes in handy.

We need to know a wide variety of information, skills, resources, and abilities to help us be prepared for whatever life throws our way. This knowledge will be the kindling of your creative fire.

Change perspectives

A crisis often sends us into new emotional and mental states, sometimes physical too. This creates a shift in our we look at ourselves and the world. It makes us see things we might have not seen before and it helps us reevaluate how things are going.

This gives us a new perspective right away that can lead to new ideas. You can practice this before the crisis comes. Switching perspectives is a great skill that will build creativity.

Use the materials you have on hand

You may lose access to things that were once readily available, tools, supplies, foods, and sources of knowledge and entertainment.

This requires our creativity to solve these type of problem. It’s a great ability to have and will save you time, money and energy.

We have all sorts of things near us that could be used to our advantage if we take the time to think creatively about them.

Work on your mindset

At the core of all creating is our mindset. We have to have a mindset that allows us to try new things, fail, and try again. Without this, we get lost, blocked and end up doing nothing.

For most of us, our mindset is something that we can fix, but it requires daily effort. Every day you have to make sure you are telling yourself the right kind of things to let you move past resistance and create. It’s not always easy, but it helps a whole lot.


Find your center

This is the place you find your peace and calm in the storm around you.

You can go here and steady yourself for the tasks ahead. We need these moments of peace to renew, recharge and reawaken.

Crisis brings a lot of stress and that sometimes makes it hard to see clearly. It makes it hard to take a fresh look at problems and sometimes traps us in one-track thinking.

A few moments of calm can reduce the stress and make it easier to shift your perspective.

Make connections with others

Creativity doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s part of the flow of life. We take in ideas from others and rework them and send them back out.

We need other people to help grow our own ideas. Talking them over, letting them circulate and be refined, and adding another point of view is always helpful. Together we can make good ideas great.

Conclusion

One thing in life we can be certain of is that we are going to be challenged. Things are not always going to happen the way we want or the way we expect them too.

There isn’t much we can do about the events of the world. We can only prepare and build ourselves and our skills up as much as we can and put them to use when they are called for.

Crises and problems need us to be creative. It’s also the perfect time to turn to creative expression. It is an opportunity to share our experience and point of view with others.