The day before I was laid off, a little box full of brand new business cards was delivered to my desk.  When packing up my things, I wondered if I should take them along with me since they were pretty much useless.  Just small paper reminders of who I was.

Now there is a way to turn those cards into mini memos about who I want to be.

My friend recently sent me a link to Cards of Change, a site that inspires the unemployed to stay positive while getting their creative juices flowing.

To participate in the optimistic project, grab an expired card and cross off your old information.  Pen in your new professional contact data (reminder - keep your personal trixxr4kidz@hotmail.com e-mail account out of your job hunt).  Think about a significant change which you would have never experienced had it not been for that pink slip and squeeze it somewhere on the card too.  Capture the image, upload it to the site and start circulating it throughout your online networking posses.

Most of the participants on the site were axed from the advertising industry, so many images are pretty clever.  My favorites include an airplane and a tree constructed from old cards.  But don’t be intimidated, be inspired.  Without a co-workers cubicle to decorate, you need to get your arts and crafts time in any way you can.

By Cara Weissman, Contributing Writer, Reality Show Casting Professional and Founder of My Unemployment