Like me, so many of us are feeling the weight of shifting policies. When systems resist change, it feels like all our progress is slipping away. And there is so much grief, fear, and anger. Sustaining meaningful impacts is truly exhausting — especially now, and it’s also critical — especially now.
I’m often thinking about how we sustain impact without burning out. When the challenges are real and the work matters more than ever, we need new strategies to support ourselves and sustain impact.
Measuring success
It is easy to only measure success in the big wins—positive policy shifts, institutional reforms, or secured funding. Yet, real and sustainable change often starts much smaller. Success also looks like an empowered patient, a policy brief that sparks a conversation, and a new health worker trained with a human-centered approach. Small wins compound over time. Small successes won’t change the system overnight, but they plant new seeds for transformation.
Reflection: What’s a recent “small win” that helped move your work forward?
Using creativity as a recharge, not an escape
Many people turn to art, music, or creativity to relax—but what if we used it as a tool for problem-solving? Museums, music, and creative expression can help us engage with problems differently. Studies show that engaging with the arts can foster innovative thinking and reduce stress, which can improve cognitive function.
Practice: The next time you’re feeling stuck, trying sketching or playing a new piece of music. If you can get away to visit a museum or street art, even better. Notice if the shift in perspective helps you move forward.
Building strategic networks
You can’t do this alone. The most effective change-makers don’t work hard, they work together. And this work thrives when built across disciplines. Policymakers, educators, clinicians, artists, and community leaders all have unique perspectives that can strengthen your work. Building intentional relationships makes it easier to share knowledge across sectors and create momentum, even when institutions are moving slowly.
Challenge: Make a list of five people who inspire you but are outside your usual network. Pick one person to connect with this week. You could sign-up for their newsletter or register for a webinar they are leading. If you’re feeling bold, you could also invite them for coffee or a virtual coffee chat.
Navigating bureaucracy with strategy
Bureaucracy is slow. Creativity is fast. One of the most overlooked skills is understanding how to work within systems without getting stuck in them. Instead of fighting bureaucracy head-on, ask:
- Who are the decision-makers that can champion this idea?
- What institutional goals does this work align with?
- Where are the gaps that allow for innovation?
Using storytelling and policy (re)framing, you can move ideas forward — even in rigid environments.
Reflection: What’s one institutional challenge you’re facing? How can it be reframed in a way that resonates with a key decision-maker?
Innovate like an artist, lead like a changemaker
Artists disrupt, reimagine, and challenge norms. What if we designed strategies the same way? Many breakthroughs happen when professionals embrace creative ways of designing and communicating. Exploring design thinking can help us consider innovative ways to structure services and policies. Oral and visual storytelling can help us connect with human experience to shift perspectives and gain buy-in. Creative disruptions that introduce unexpected, human-centered interventions, can inspire new solutions and partnerships. While technology may support these efforts, innovation doesn’t always mean technology — it means thinking differently.
Practice: Identify an activity you can try using an arts-based strategy to address this month. Notice if adding creative components produces different results.
Final Thought: You are not alone in this. Sustaining the work is challenging and it is possible. Let’s keep supporting one another to move forward in new ways.
Katherine Soule 