Lifton (1979, 2011) studied both survivors and perpetrators of wartime evil and focused on the idea of symbolic immortality.
He proposed three ways that people can achieve meaning: (a) creating or completing a particular task or work (b) through an experience or interpersonal connection and (c) how people face unavoidable pain and suffering. Frankl’s (1946) approach to how people find meaning in their lives derived from his experiences in concentration camps. There are many ways one can achieve this peak one path is by utilizing personal abilities, which can easily include maximizing creativity. Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs culminates in self-actualization, in which a person is able to fulfill their potential. Many modern theories of meaning-making have their roots in classic humanist scholars from many decades ago. An ancillary objective is to document the scope and kinds of originality displayed by laypersons and experts alike during this historical time. Therefore, the two chief aims of the present work are (a) to connect different levels of creative behaviors with our attempts to make meaning of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and (b) to suggest how engaging in creativity can be used to shield against the negative consequences of this outbreak. There are many pathways and sources of finding such meaning one such example is through the act of creation and engagement in creative pursuits (see also Sligte et al., 2013).
What does this worldwide event mean in the grand scheme of our lives? Could it plausibly be a paradigm shift in how humanity views itself and the world or are we waiting for a vaccine to be developed so that things can return to normal? What does it mean to lose a loved one over the phone, without the ability to be by their bedside because of the risk of contracting the virus in that short span? During such times, it is natural to seek out meaning in life. It is unlikely that we will see major positive changes any time soon. The pandemic has thus had a great deal of collateral damage, such as stress and fear, even for people who have not become ill ( Pfefferbaum and North, 2020). These disruptions are because some of the primary ways to contain the spread of the virus are by maintaining physical distance from others, regular hand-washing, and wearing masks in public. The year 2020 has been upsetting not only at the global level, but also closer to home-with individuals, families, and communities bearing the brunt of changes in daily routines and habits.
This includes criticism of local and national government policies in response to the pandemic and adverse economic consequences of halting trade and transport between nations. These numbers are on the rise, as is the resultant socioeconomic discord across the globe. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 1.4 million deaths and over 58 million infections worldwide at the time of writing ( Dong et al., 2020). It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. Further, we propose how engaging in creativity can serve to buffer against the negative effects of living through the pandemic. Acknowledging that this time has been and continues to be distressing and filled with uncertainty, we propose some ways of making sense of current events by applying original thinking across domains. By overlaying the Four C model of creativity on such responses, we aim to (a) to connect mini, little, Pro, and Big creative behaviors with our attempts to make meaning of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and (b) to suggest how engaging in creative expression can be used to guard against the adverse consequences of this outbreak. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe how entities at the personal, community, and national levels cultivated and expressed creativity in an effort to make meaning during COVID-19. Past work has suggested that engaging in creative acts can be an adaptive response to a changing environment. Yet some individuals, firms, and countries displayed resilient and creative responses in coping with pressing demands on healthcare and basic sanity. This public health crisis amplified a number of systemic inequalities that led to populations needing to grapple with universally difficult truths. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an abrupt change in routines and livelihoods all around the world.