#5 Bricolage

We're keeping our feet on the ground, forging a clear path through the fog of uncertainty. Now it's time to make plans and put them in action. But be prepared for things to go wrong. Resilient people can improvise and find new ways forward, even when plans go south.

Are you the type of person who can MacGyver your way out of any situation, or do you prefer the convenience of modern life?

This skill is called "bricolage." It's a French word that means "tinkering" or "making do with what you have." It's about using what you have on hand to create something new or solve a problem in a creative and resourceful way. The term was popularised by the French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss in his book The Savage Mind (1962). Lévi-Strauss used the term to describe the way that people in non-Western cultures cope with the lack of specialised knowledge and resources. He argued that because these people do not have the same kind of access to a different support tool, they have to be more creative and resourceful in the way that they use the materials and resources that are available to them.

In the land of pierogi and Chopin, Poland, there was a wizard of bricolage – Adam Slodowy. During the communist era, he was the master of creative tinkering, running a TV show called "Make it yourself" for a whopping 24 years. There was even a cartoon star named Resourceful Dobromir, a character created by Mr Slodowy. Tinkering was popular because people couldn't just buy what they needed. The point is bricolage was born out of necessity. In more developed countries, we don't need to be as resourceful anymore. But bricolage is still a fundamental ingredient of resilience.

Are you a bricoleur, or do you enjoy the convenience of modern life? Either way, bricolage is a skill that's worth exploring. Who knows, you might just find yourself MacGyvering your way out of a difficult situation someday!"

Stay tuned, there's more to come on this creative, problem-solving journey.

Pictures:

Adam Slodowy - 1979, photo by Jan Morek/PAP;

Resourceful Dobromir

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Goleman D., Sonnenfeld J.A., Achor S. - Resilience (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series), Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, 2017.