Beyond her professional role, Dr Irene Yap views value creation through the lens of an economist—recognising that it often extends beyond the tangible, especially in the creative industry.

On 7 June 2025, she was invited by Ocean Week Brunei to speak at the Brunei Ocean Exhibition at One City Mall. Her talk, “Building Resilience through Creativity”, explored how creativity can be a powerful tool for mental well-being in today’s fast-paced world. She emphasised that resilience is not just about enduring challenges, but about adapting and thriving—and creativity plays a key role in that journey.

She explained how the brain’s left and right hemispheres influence our emotional responses, showing how we can spiral into anxiety or tap into creativity to regulate. She also briefly mentioned the niche field of creative arts therapy, where artistic expression can act as “prescription medicine” for emotional healing.

Dr Irene ended her talk by sharing her personal story with Urban Sketchers Brunei, describing how the therapeutic effect of her first sketch walk helped her cope with life’s challenges at that time. For her, creativity is more than an outlet—it’s a way to express emotions, solve problems, and rediscover joy. This, she believes, can significantly reduce stress and improve overall mental health.