What losing everything taught me about resilience, creativity, and starting again.

Recessions have a way of shaking the ground beneath your feet.

They strip away certainty, challenge your identity, and force you to rebuild from what’s left. But they also reveal something powerful - the part of you that can adapt, create, and begin again.

I learned that lesson the hard way in 2008.

How I Survived the Credit Crunch of 2008

When the Floor Fell Away

I was at the start of my architectural career. I had a new home, a partner, and was completing my final RIBA Part III exams to become a Chartered Architect. The economy was collapsing on the front pages, but I didn’t think it would touch me.

It did - all at once.

My dad passed away unexpectedly. My home was broken into, and my laptop, containing every single exam note, was stolen. And during my 48-hour written exam, my boss quietly told me that the practice couldn’t keep me on.

I finished the paper anyway. Weeks later, I passed. I was officially a Chartered Architect and completely unemployed.

The Panic, the Pause, and the Pivot

Everyone around me was panicking. Jobs vanished overnight. Some of my friends took retail work, and others retrained. I felt paralysed. Some days I didn’t even want to leave the house in case it cost money.

Then I started creating again (small sketches, paintings, design ideas) and something shifted. I hosted a tiny exhibition of my work and sold almost everything. It wasn’t a sustainable income, but it reminded me: I still had something valuable to offer.

Soon after, I took a short contract with an architectural firm working on listed buildings. It gave me structure, hope, and creative focus again. But when that ended, I was back to square one - no job, no stability, no clear path forward.

When One Door Closes, A Completely Different Life Opens

Out of nowhere, an opportunity appeared: a teaching role in Asia.

I’d never taught before, but they were looking for someone to help set up a new international design school. Within weeks, I’d packed my life into a suitcase and flown to India.

It was noisy, dusty, colourful, overwhelming - and it completely transformed my life.

I built the Interior Architecture department from scratch, working with a mix of local and international staff, and teaching the next generation of designers. What started as a “survival job” became one of the most formative chapters of my life.

That recession - the redundancy, the fear, the total collapse - was the reason I found my purpose as an educator, mentor, and creative entrepreneur. And every opportunity that followed, from being headhunted back to the UK to eventually moving to Iceland, traces back to that moment.

Five Lessons I Learned From Losing Everything

1. You can’t control the economy - only how prepared you are

Recessions are cyclical. What matters is not prediction, but preparation:

Keep a small safety net
Stay visible (online and off)
Build transferable skills
Cultivate a network before you need it

2. Being let go is not the end - it’s sometimes the open door

The thing that feels like destruction may actually be redirection. That redundancy was devastating at the time, but it created space for a new chapter that changed everything.

3. When everyone freezes, move

Keep learning, creating, and applying. Activity builds confidence, and confidence attracts opportunity.

4. Opportunity often looks inconvenient

The life-changing role may not look glamorous. It might be on the other side of the world. Or it might look like starting from scratch. Take the risk anyway.

5. Recession-proofing is a behaviour, not a one-off plan

Diversify your income streams before you’re forced to. Create digital products, build a personal brand, teach what you know, or freelance alongside your main work. Flexibility equals freedom.

If You’re Facing Uncertainty Now

Whether you’re an architect, designer, or creative entrepreneur, you’ve already got what it takes to adapt. Your creativity is your safety net. Use it to problem-solve, to pivot, to build something that exists outside one employer or one economy.

Recessions will come and go, but what you build in their aftermath lasts. I came out of 2008 with a new career, international experience, a global network, and a sense of confidence I never would have found otherwise.

Sometimes the collapse isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of the version of you that was always meant to lead.