Life has a tendency to present individuals with challenging circumstances that can provoke a wide array of attitudes and outcomes However, some individuals seem to have an ability to cope and adapt to adverse circumstances better than others, and are able to maintain happiness and life satisfaction despite grueling hardships Research suggests that resilience is a main determinant regarding the ease one has when facing and overcoming adversity Furthermore, research also suggests that creativity is directly linked with resilience, which proposes the notion that an increase in creativity would result in increased resilience. The film, A Man Named Pearl, gives an astonishing example of an individual, Pearl Fryar, who triumphs adversity using resilience and creativity, which can be seen in his physical manifestation of phenomenal works of topiary, Pearl Fryar‘s unlikely and inspirational story of creating extraordinary topiaries can be attributed to a strong factors of resilience and creativity.
Combined, resilience and creativity has helped Pearl overcome personal adversities. First of all, it is important to consider the elements of race, environment, and socioeconomic status that contributed to Pearl Fryar’s resiliencei The location of the documentary is set in the small, rural town of Bishopville, South Carolina, where issues of racial inequality still remain prevalent. In A Man Named Pearl, an interview with the town reverend reveals that Pearl and his wife were initially turned down from buying a house in an all-white neighborhood due to the racial stereotype that “black people do not keep up their yards”, It can be presumed that this comment was the turning point that aroused Pearl’s inner source resiliency, which provoked him to rise above the discrimination. Additionally, Pearl had never had a yard before he and his wife had moved to Bishopville; Pearl had spent years working as a sharecropper, in which the land he worked on was never his own.
As a result, after Pearl was informed of the Bishopville neighbors being concerned he “would not keep the yard up”, he set out to prove everyone wrong and exceeded the other’s expectations of his lawn maintenance. Pearl not only kept up a beautiful yard, but created topiary gardens despite having no background or education in horticulture LaMothe (2012) states that a strong source of psychological resilience is a key factor in helping African Americans cope with and overcome issues of racism and inequality. To further illustrate the point, LaMothe (2012) gives an example of African-American-specific resilience by describing Sammy Davis, Jr,’s autobiographic book title and its meaning, Sammy Davis, Jr, titled his first autobiography Yes I Can!, which was a direct resistance to the message he was receiving from society at the time.
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Sammy Davis, Jr.’s resilience to racial prejudices is similar to that of Pearl Fryar‘s: Pearl also directly counterattacked the racial stereotype of “poor lawn maintenance” by creating the most spectacular lawn in the area. Secondly, research states that creativity is directly linked with resilience. Together, creativity and resilience build on each other, both building up one‘s personal power to overcome adversity. Metzl and Morrell (2008) state that creativity connects with the ability to be flexible, adaptable, and able to proficiently problem—solve, which are also all elements commonly associated with resilience,
The term flow is also used by Metzl and Morrell (2008) to describe the ability to distance oneself from stressors via creative engagement. While the majority of resilience models fail to acknowledge the importance of creativity, it has been identified as one of the “most important human qualities”. Because creativity involves divergent thinking, self-awareness, and expressiveness, it is easy to understand how aspects of resilience could benefit and grow as a result. Metzl and Morrell (2008) also state that creativity could be an “inherent predictor and facilitator” of resilience.
Pearl’s ingenious use of plants and “junk“ support the notion of creativity in direct relation to his resilience to racial and socioeconomic concerns. in conclusion, it is apparent that Pearl Fryar holds a profound extent of resilience and creativity in his life. As a result, his resilience and creativity helped foster the success of his topiary gardens, in which he had no previous knowledge or skills It can be contended that the numerous hardships that Pearl has experienced aided to the development of his strong resilience and creativity, which in turn, has been exemplified through his beautiful topiary creations. As a whole, many components blend into each other to create a cycle of furthering aspects of resilience and creativity. A Man Named Pearl is a suburb example of how resilience unites with creativity.
