In this solo episode of the Stand Sure Coaching Podcast, host Rob Anderson shares a personal story of a gray, autopilot‑filled morning that was transformed when he turned to his journal and began drawing. He uses that anecdote to introduce the central premise: creativity is a powerful tool for building resilience, not merely a hobby. Anderson reviews recent scientific research—including a 2023 Frontiers Public Health study, findings from Frontiers in Psychology, and University of Brighton work—showing that creative activities boost cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, neuroplasticity, and lower cortisol when practiced in community settings. He explains how creative groups amplify these benefits, creating a sense of belonging that further reduces stress. The episode then lists a wide range of accessible creative outlets (painting, cooking, gardening, DIY, Legos, 3D printing, etc.) and emphasizes that the goal is participation, not performance. Drawing on his coaching experience, Anderson describes how he helps clients uncover buried creativity, turn it into a habit, and use it as a resilience‑building practice. He concludes with three actionable tips: start small today, schedule creative time, and reflect without judgment. Finally, he invites listeners to visit standsurecoaching.com for a free coaching call, encouraging them to stay grounded, curious, and keep creating.
Chapters
You know, there's a moment that stands out in my mind. It wasn't too long ago, and it was just— it was like this gray, dingy morning. My motivation felt like it was just— it felt like it was miles away. And I sat there, had my coffee, staring at my desk, and I just thought, you know, I'm just gonna do it. I think that's what motivates me. My to-do list looked like a mountain of just, of just all these different things, right? And as I was working my way through the morning, everything felt very mechanical. And I wasn't burned out, but I know I was definitely running on autopilot. And then there was something unexpected that happened. I looked at my journal and it had been, it had been a little bit since I touched it. And so I sat there with no plan, no goal, and I just started putting my thoughts down. I started drawing some shapes. I, you know, I drew some lines. There was just, there was nothing special. But as the pencil moved, My breathing started to shift and the noise in my head started to quiet down. And the stress that— the stress that felt like static in my brain really turned more into a rhythm. Hey, today what I want to talk about is crafting resilience, how creativity builds strength. This is Rob Anderson. I'm the host of Stand Sure Coaching Podcast. I'm the owner and a lead coach for Stand Sure Coaching. And today we're going to talk about really how you can gather resilience. It's not just about pushing through. It's not just having those hardships that you have to embrace the suck and get through. It's not that white-knuckle experience as you get through stress and you pretend that you're fine when you're not. Real resilience can actually be reinvigorating. It's that ability to restore yourself. And, you know, being creative, it comes in all forms. And working your way through resilience and using the power of creativity, it just opens up this other, you know, it just opens up this other window, whether it's painting, cooking, writing, gardening, building something with your hands. Creativity gives us space where there's control, where there's flow, and there's freedom. It's where your brain gets to rewire, your emotions get to breathe, and your spirit finds a way forward. And in today's podcast, I'm gonna talk about how using creativity really helps to fuel resilience. I mean, I'm also going to talk about why the science behind it proves that making something quite literally can make you stronger. So hopefully by the end of this episode, you're going to walk away knowing a little bit about the research and the research-backed insights, some creative pathways to explore. And then as I always try to do, I got some— I got 3 hot tips for you where you can start today To strengthen your own resilience. So let's talk, you know, let's go ahead and talk about the science that's behind that creativity. And, you know, we often think of creativity as being a hobby or a talent, something that's for artists, writers, musicians, but in truth, Creativity, it's a survival mechanism. Now, by the way, when I used to teach survival, when I taught outdoor survival, I used to have something that I called 120s. And it was something that you could do in the span of 2 hours that would help calm your mind from the survival situation you're in. You would actually add a tool or something that improved your— Your life. Your survival space and also got your brain to fire in different patterns as well as provide a dopamine lift. Again, we think of creativity as a hobby. We think of it as a talent. We think of it, you know, like being able to play musical instrument or paint or draw or write. But like I said, it's a survival mechanism. It's, it's hardwired into us. When the world changes or stress hits, it's creativity that helps the brain find new ways to adapt. So in 2023, a study published in Frontiers Public Health Researchers found that engaging in creative pursuits or creative activities, and it could be anything that was from journaling to playing music, painting, they found that it improved, significantly improved adaptability and the overall well-being, especially in younger participants. The act of creation As that's taking place, helps the brain build cognitive flexibility. Now, cognitive flexibility, that's, that's the mental agility we need when life throws us curveballs. An additional study, also from Frontiers in Psychology, discovered that When you're creative, it actually activates part of the brain that's associated with emotional regulation and problem-solving. So basically, when you create, your brain learns to calm itself and think differently about challenges. And something that's often overlooked— creativity and resilience share the same neurological roots. Both rely on the brain's ability to form new connections. And we've talked a little bit about it, but that's neuroplasticity. Every time you create, you literally strengthen your brain's capability to adapt and recover. Now here's a really cool thing. Let's, let's add into that the aspect of community. So when you get a creative person by themselves, that's rewiring a part of the brain. It's building up that resilience. But now let's add a community to that. And as we bring in, you know, that angle of community, guys, this really starts to kind of blow up. And do my research. I found something that the University of Brighton explored, how belonging to creative groups like art circles, community music programs, even drum circles, things like that, right? Now, whether that's at a community center, it's at a church, it's a group that you join, a group you put together. Circles of creative people helps people feel more supported and connected. It's that sense of belonging, and it's not just emotional, it's physiological. When we feel part of something larger, our cortisol— that's, that's the stress hormone— our cortisol drops and our body shifts into a calmer state. The big takeaway out of this? Creativity isn't optional for self-care. It's essential. It's essential maintenance for the human brain. It's what helps us process trauma. It helps us find solutions in chaos. It helps us rediscover hope after setbacks. Think of it this way: when you're painting, writing, building, playing music, you're not just expressing yourself, you're actually rebuilding yourself. Creative outlets can look at, you know, many different things. You know, painting, drawing, journaling, cooking or baking, photography. You know, doing something like gardening, that actually connects you with patience. It connects you with growth as well as the quiet rhythm of nature. Doing DIY projects builds confidence and it gives you tangible proof of progress. Even taking Legos. I used to put Legos out on the tables of a lot of the workshops that I did when I was doing in-person workshops. But taking Legos or model kits, it encourages— it's that playful problem resolution, or better yet, problem solving. It encourages playful problem solving, and it creates an aspect where there's no pressure. And here's the truth, you don't have to excel at any of those. The goal isn't to perform, it's to participate. Every creative act, no matter how small it is, is a self-declaration that you're still growing, you're still adapting, and you're still here. You know, going back to what I was saying about the study from the University of Brighton, It found that creative communities, whether in person or online, they can double the positive effects on well-being because that connection, it compounds growth. When you join a creative group, you're not just sharing your art, you're sharing your story, you're sharing your heart. You're surrounded by others who are experimenting, they're failing, they're learning, they're trying again and again and again, and that shared vulnerability. Builds something powerful. It builds belonging. Finding a creative group reminds us that we don't have to carry everything on our own. And whether it's a brush or a pen, a camera, a guitar, they're not tools of isolation. They're bridges back to each other. And this is a point where a coach comes in, right? And I've worked with several clients on resilience and leveraging creativity on resilience. I'm sorry, leveraging— let me say that again. Leveraging resilience building— oh man. Let me step back a second. I'm helping my clients to build resilience with creative outlets. There we go. I was having trouble with that. And as a coach, what I'm doing is I'm helping them unlock that creativity that's already inside them and just gets buried under layers of stress and self-doubt and fear of judgment. If we were 10 years old still, we might be creative. If we were 15 or 16, think about what you did in art class or the way that— there's a lot of people who've always expressed themselves going back to their, especially their teenage years, through words or poems or song lyrics or art or music, right? And somehow we get told that that's a folly and just It just gets buried. What I enjoy doing as a coach is giving my clients that permission to go explore without the pressure and discover new ways to express themselves. I've got a couple of clients I'm doing that with right now. In fact, I had a breakthrough last night with, with one of my clients around this very area, and that's kind of what prompted the podcast. You know, as a coach, I'm taking them through guided reflection or discovering what creative act makes them lose track of time, you know, getting into that flow. I enjoy helping my clients turn creativity into a practice. A deliberate habit that keeps the resilience muscles active and strong. So as I promised, 3 hot tips. Number 1, start small, but start today. Don't make this one of those things, you know, make this day 1 and not one day. Start small. Start it today. Pick one creative outlet. Doesn't even have to be the right one. And just dedicate 10 minutes to do it. You don't need fancy tools. Use your phone, your camera, a notebook. If you got that guitar sitting at home, maybe it's stopping off at a music store and buying a set of drumsticks and a practice pad. I don't know, whatever it happens to be, right? But do something today. Pick one creative outlet. Tip number 2, schedule it. Schedule creativity like it's a priority. Put it in your calendar. Block it out. Protect it. Because when you give yourself creative space, you're also giving your nervous system recovery space. Tip number 3, reflect and don't judge. After you've blocked out that time, after you have your creative time, Just take a few minutes. Ask yourself, what did I feel? What did I notice? Because that reflection turns simple activities into powerful transformation. I've got a really good friend of mine that the way he is creative is with 3D printing. And for some, that's pretty extravagant, but that's That's his creative outlet. You see, creativity is your reset button. It's how you reconnect with yourself when the world feels chaotic. You don't have to produce a masterpiece. You just have to show up with the curiosity. And every time you create, you remind yourself that there's still beauty to be made, Even if it's in the hard seasons. And that's what's meant to stand sure. Hey, if you want to explore your creative side and learn how to use it as a resilience-building tool, connect with me over at standsurecoaching.com. You don't have to go in And force your way through it. You only have to force your way through burnout. I would love the opportunity to connect with you. I love the opportunity to help unlock that side. Out on StanShererCoaching.com, when you go down and you look at my offerings, there's an offering in there For a free coaching call. Just reach out. Let's see if we're a good fit. Let's see if we can start exploring those creative areas and move from there. Hey, until next time, stay grounded, stay curious, and keep creating.
