Show Up. Make Things. Stay Human. | The Friday 5

In this episode of The Friday 5, Bob Raynor takes a quieter, more reflective approach to creativity and career life during uncertain times.

Amid ongoing layoffs, job instability, and burnout across the creative industry, Bob reflects on a recent New York Times Well article, “An Overlooked Prescription for Happiness,” which explores how engaging in the arts, even casually, has proven mental and physical health benefits.

Drawing on research from Dr. Daisy Fancourt of University College London, the episode explores creativity as a “forgotten fifth pillar of health,” alongside sleep, diet, exercise, and nature. Bob connects this research to the lived experience of creative professionals, emphasizing the importance of making things for their own sake and seeking out community, not for networking, but for connection.

This episode is a reminder that creativity doesn’t always need to be productive or monetized to matter and that showing up, making something, and being around other creative humans can be enough to carry you forward.

Topics covered:

• Creativity and mental health

• The impact of layoffs and industry uncertainty

• Art as a form of care and stability

• Community as a source of resilience

• Why making things still matters

Keywords: creative mental health, creativity and wellbeing, Friday 5 podcast, Bob Raynor, creative burnout, art and happiness, creative community, future of creative work