Considering so many people describe themselves in that manner, I've come to believe being "creative" comes in a many different shapes and sizes. But for purposes of this article, I'm going to center on one aspect of being creative - specifically being able to coming up with new ideas.
Generating a new idea involves allowing one of the most complex machines on earth to synthesize a tremendous amount of information, connect dots that were not necessarily connected before, and come to a conclusion previously not arrived at. While that seems rather simple, I bet if you ask someone who regularly seeks to be creative, they would admit that coming up with a unique idea can be be challenging.
We are creatures of habit after all. Our brains like to follow paths we are already familiar with, and breaking those patterns can require a bit of effort. For me, I try to make that effort on a daily basis.
So here's the top five ways I try to keep my brain engaged and ideas flowing freely.
Five Ways to Keep Your Ideas Fresh
1. Don't go full steam ahead.
In our eagerness to approach a project head on, we forget the value in looking at things from multiple vantage points. I like to describe this process as turning things upside down, inside out or flipping (reversing) them. In essence, it's re-evaluating what exactly it is you are trying to solve. It's a good discipline to develop, particularly when approaching things seem they are more of a problem than an opportunity.
2. Ask the most basic, simple questions upfront.
Ever walk into a meeting or dial into a conference call not completely sure what the agenda is? You are not alone. All to often we are pressured to accomplish a task or project we lose sight of the real purpose. Fully understanding "why", or strategy, behind something will make all the difference in the eventual outcome.
3. Expand your horizons.
What are you expert in? Whatever it is, you likely spend a lot of time honing your skills and expanding your knowledge base to stay on top of your game. But just as valuable is spending an equal amount of time learning something new. Select something that might be adjunct to what you do, or even polar opposite. Learning about something completely different can eventually turn into a rich, fertile ground for avant guarde ideas and inspiration.
4. Read voraciously.
Let's face it. We live in the age of information. The amount of readily available content is mind-blowing. Google a phrase or topic and there are billions of results. So there is never a lack of information to digest.
While it might feel overwhelming, develop a discipline to read articles, white papers, news, blogs, etc. - it matters little the delivery channel but more about keeping on top of what is current and trending. Most executives devote an hour each day (usually very early in the morning!) to the quiet solitude of immersing themselves in consuming content.
On occasion, including things you normally would not gravitate towards - even topics that you purposely avoid. Reading something that you are not intimately familiar with makes your mind slow down and dissect the information in order to grasp the meaning or fully appreciate the concept or point of view.
5. Unplug, unwind and don't be afraid to jot things down dripping wet.
When do you do your best thinking? If you are like me, it's when you are disengaged from the daily reality of life. When you are focusing your concentration, it is very difficult to "let go" for short spurts of time. The best way to let your mind wander is to give it the freedom to do so. Yes, even in our busy lives, it is possible to carve out time to "just think". It might mean during a quick shower. Or while on a solitary walk through a park. Or even during a traffic-snarled cab ride to the airport. The point is, you can find the downtime if you make it a priority.
Hope you find these tips useful and your next big idea waiting for you right around the corner.
