Echoing what others have said: milk whatever contacts you have in your industry. That's the biggest advantage you have to gaining back employment quickly. Make the "good 'ole boy" system work for you.
I was laid off back in 2011 from my job doing project management for a commercial GC when the construction industry took a nose-dive. Used my contacts with all the subcontractors I had on projects to help get my foot in the door for interviews. Also did a bunch of freelance estimating for guys that had their own business, but hated crunching takeoffs. Took a part time gig at a Lowe's to help pay the bills, and between it and the estimating I survived but it was almost 6 months until I found a decent paying gig again. The biggest reason I think I landed it was due to the fact I stayed employed in some fashion, between self-employment and part-time, that landed me the job.
Whatever you do, don't remain unemployed for more then a month or two at max, just get something, otherwise it's a huge red flag to a potential employer if you went without work for an extended period of time. It's kind of a fucked up deal, but I guess they'd rather see that you did something, even if it was suboptimal, then fail at getting hired for long while.
If I remember, you do graphic design, Bisi? See if you can dredge up some freelance gigs in the meantime. Hell, maybe even use it as an opportunity to explore starting your own business. I don't know everything about your current circumstances, but it might be something worth looking into if you have a ton of experience, but lack the certifications.
Most important thing, though, is to stay active. Get out of the house, and make certain you feel that at the end of the day you feel like you gained some ground, even if it's just a little. It's easy to get depressed about it, and so much tougher to make shit happen when stuck in that rutt.
Anyways, it's just advice based on my own experiences, so take it with a grain of salt. I've been there, and it sucks, but I hope it helps.
Good luck...
