I have been unemployed since December 2015. I was made redundant twice last year, and have been steadily applying for jobs since then. My first few weeks were unmitigated panic, which (due to some very compassionate financial support) then subsided into the guilty pleasure of free time, which has now become full blown, strident joy.  A Lady of Leisure (who applies for several jobs per week).

I’m gardening more, catching up on paperwork, helping out friends, meditating, taking care of my health and catching up on sleep, which has been hard to do since having children.  Still haven’t organised my house properly, but I have read “The Art of Tidying” by Marie Kondo…it’s a work in progress.

What has also emerged is unbridled creativity; things which have lain dormant for years, or put on the back burner.  And to be perfectly honest, it’s been overwhelming.

As a supporter of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) in Australia, part of my argument is for the creativity and innovation that would theoretically result from people having more time and less financial stress (which I happen to be living at the moment).  What I didn’t expect, was to have to develop skills to manage the emergent creativity!

Still don’t have it down pat.  I will report back later when I can identify said skills…