The Art of Resilience: Lessons from Creative Processes

Click to watch (13:34) or scroll down to read

Hey there, innovation champions!

Ever notice how some teams seem to bounce back from setbacks stronger than ever, while others get stuck in a spiral of frustration?

The secret to that resilience might surprise you. It's not about having tougher team members or better processes.

It's about creativity.

Let me share a story that changed how I think about resilience forever...

Back in 2011, I made what seemed like a small commitment: 15 minutes of art-making every day. Not just any art – this was about playing in what I call the Creative Sandbox. The only goal? To play, explore, and experiment for at least 15 minutes daily.

What happened next taught me something profound about resilience.

Some days, I'd create something that made me absolutely giddy with delight. The colors would flow, the shapes would dance, and everything would just click. But other days? Oh boy. Whatever emerged from my pen or paintbrush felt like utter crap, and I'd find myself wondering if I'd ever make anything decent again.

Here's the magic though: because I showed up every day, something fascinating started to happen. Those 'crap' days became less devastating. Why? Because I knew from experience that if I just kept showing up, eventually I'd make something I liked again.

This simple creative practice wasn't just building my artistic skills – it was building my resilience muscle.

This experience became a cornerstone of what I now call the Create the Impossible? framework. Let me show you how each element builds resilience:

Play Hard:

When you're feeling stuck or discouraged, the last thing you might want to do is play. But that's exactly when you need it most! By committing to play – to explore without attachment to outcomes – you build the courage to try again. It's like having a secret reset button for your creative spirit.

Make Crap:

Here's a truth bomb: resilience isn't about avoiding failure. It's about knowing you can handle it when things don't work out. My daily art practice taught me that making 'crap' wasn't just okay – it was essential. Every 'failed' piece was actually strengthening my bounce-back muscles.

Learn Fast:

Those days when nothing seemed to work? They became my best teachers. Instead of getting stuck in disappointment, I started asking myself: 'What can I learn from this?' This shift from judgment to curiosity is a superpower for building resilience.

Now, you might be thinking, 'That's great for art, Melissa, but what does this have to do with innovation in tech?'

Everything.

In today's fast-paced tech world, the ability to bounce back from setbacks isn't just nice to have – it's essential for survival. And just like my art practice built my resilience muscle, we can intentionally build resilience in our teams through creative practices.

Let me share two of my favorite Creative Resilience Builders – playful exercises that I use both in quick team sessions and as part of deeper workshop experiences. These aren't just games; they're deliberate practice for building your team's resilience muscles.

Creative Resilience Builder #1: "Fortunately/Unfortunately"

This storytelling exercise is pure magic for practicing resilience in real-time. Here's how it works:

Gather your team in a circle (virtual or in-person). Start with "Once upon a time..." Then, each person adds to the story, alternating between sentences that begin with "Unfortunately..." or "Fortunately..."

For example:

"Once upon a time, there was a brilliant tech team with a groundbreaking idea."

"Unfortunately, their prototype crashed during the investor demo."

"Fortunately, one team member had created a backup using an entirely different approach."

"Unfortunately, the backup was locked in a computer that nobody could access..."

What makes this exercise powerful is that it trains your brain to find opportunities in setbacks. Every "Unfortunately" becomes a springboard for a creative solution. Sound familiar? That's exactly what innovative teams need to do every day!

Creative Resilience Builder #2: The "Terrible Gifts" Exchange

This exercise takes the fear out of failure by intentionally playing with it. Here's how:

Step 1: Pair up team members and have them exchange imaginary gifts. Start with fun, positive gifts to establish flow. Partner A presents an imaginary gift (like a motorcycle or a magical device), and Partner B accepts it enthusiastically, adding something to the description: "Oh, I love that it has red sparkles – my favorite color!"

Step 2: Now the fun really begins. Exchange terrible gifts – the worst things you could possibly give someone. The key? The recipient must find a way to be genuinely grateful and explain why this terrible gift is exactly what they needed.

When someone gives you a broken pencil, you might say: "This is perfect! I needed something exactly this size to retrieve my cat's toy from behind the refrigerator!"

This exercise builds creative resilience by:

- Training your brain to find value in unexpected places

- Practicing the art of reframing "negative" situations

- Building confidence in your ability to handle whatever comes your way

- Creating psychological safety through shared laughter

These exercises might seem playful – and they are! But remember: play isn't the opposite of work; play is how we make work more effective. Every time your team engages in these kinds of creative practices, they're building their collective resilience muscles.

Think of it this way: just as athletes don't build strength by only showing up on game day, teams don't build resilience by only facing real challenges. These creative practices are your team's training ground, preparing them to bounce back stronger from whatever challenges lie ahead.

Here's your challenge for this week: Choose one of these Creative Resilience Builders and try it with your team. Notice not just the immediate energy shift, but how it affects your team's approach to challenges in the days that follow.

Remember, the most innovative teams aren't the ones that never fail – they're the ones that know how to bounce back and learn from every setback. They're the ones that can Create the Impossible?.

Stay curious, stay playful, and keep building those resilience muscles!

A version of this article originally appeared on the blog at melissadinwiddie.com.

About Melissa Dinwiddie, M.Soc.Sci.

Innovation Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Author

I help leaders and organizations Create the Impossible? through my unique 3-step process. Drawing on my multifaceted creative background—from Juilliard-trained dancer to professional artist to jazz singer—I bring a fresh perspective to the tech and corporate world, empowering even the most analytical minds to unlock their creative potential and drive breakthrough innovation.

My innovative approaches, which form the basis of my Create the Impossible? framework and Creative Sandbox Way? principles, have contributed to transforming teams at Google, Facebook, Uber, Salesforce, Stanford, and more. Through interactive, playful keynotes and workshops, I help build cultures of thriving innovation using the same principles that help artists create works of enduring impact.

Ready to supercharge creativity and ignite innovation in your organization? Here's how we can connect:

1. Assess Your Innovation Culture: Take my FREE 10-minute Innovation Culture Assessment.
2. Explore The Creative Sandbox Way?: Download the first 50 pages of my acclaimed book.
3. Create Your Impossible: Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session to discover what's possible for your team.

Subscribe to this newsletter for weekly insights on creativity, innovation, and leadership.

#CreateTheImpossible #Innovation #Leadership