If you’ve ever started a blank page on your computer screen, hoping that a new idea will magically pop into your head, then you know this simple truth: you can’t forceyourself into creative thinking.
Creativity isn’t like a light switch - you can’t just turn it on and off when you need it. But, don’t fall into the trap of believing only certain people are creative.
The skill of creative thinking is inside each and every one of us, you just have to know the key to unlocking it. Creative thinking starts when you decide to step out of your comfort zone and cross the threshold into the unknown.
In this blog post, I’m going to share a 5-step technique for coming up with creative new ideas. Based on James Webb Young’s book “A Technique for Producing Ideas,” these 5 steps will help you to trigger your creative thinkingand save you from your next creative block.
5 STEPS TO GENERATE MORE IDEAS
1. Gather Raw Materials
The first step in thinking more creatively is to do research on the things that inspire you. Play with ideas and concepts that you’re interested in. Consume art, magazines, blogs, and books that fuel your creative thinking. The more topics the better, and they don’t have to be related.
Develop some sort of method for noting the creative ideas that come to you. Ideas can strike at any time, sometimes when you least expect it. Decide what method works best for you (voice messages, taking notes on the app in your phone, a notebook in your bag, etc.) and set up an easy system for jotting down inspiration, whenever it strikes.
2. Digest the Material Mentally
Once you’ve gathered your inspiration, you’ll need to mentally digest it all. Dedicate some time in your schedule to sit down and review all of the raw material you’ve noted. It can be every week or every two weeks, depending on how many ideas you have.
The important part of this step is to let your unconscious soak up all of the different ideas and notes you’ve taken. Write down the concepts you’ve noted, and see how they can be mixed or combined.
3. Internalize Materials Unconsciously
Like I mentioned earlier, you can’t force creativity to strike. In this third step, I encourage you to let all these new ideas just rest in your brain for a bit. Take a break, a nap, meditate or go for a walk. Don’t be afraid to leave work unfished for a few days.
When you decompress and distract yourself, you let your brain do all the work in the background. Your unconscious brain is still working to solve your problem. And eventually, all of this work will lead to…
4. The Eureka Moment
Finally! Like a strike of lightning, an idea has popped into your head! The Eureka Moment is the pay off for all of the hard work you’ve dedicated to your creativity.
While it may be tempting to think and rethink, your best ideas are usually the ones that come when you least expect it. By gathering all of your inspiration, connecting them, and then taking a break, you’ve been given a fresh perspective and can consciously work through your problems.
5. Bring Ideas to Life
Now that you’re able to think about your ideas consciously again, take some time to critique them. You may find that your ideas aren’t as concrete as you originally thought. Or on the opposite hand, maybe you’re able to think of new ways to improve upon your original idea. This stage is a great time to ask for external feedback and insight.
The most important thing to do with your new idea is to take action. An idea without action goes nowhere.
By stepping out of your comfort zone you’ll discover that creative thinking isn’t like a light switch, but something that lives in all of us. Incorporating these 5 habits into your daily routine is the beginning of triggering your creative thinking and coming up with new concepts and ideas regularly.
