If you’ve ever struggled to come up with a great idea, you’re not alone. Coming up with great ideas regularly is absolutely essential as a creative person, though as we all know, it can be tough. Some of the greatest creative people of all time struggled with the need to come up with great ideas, but they did have a few tricks that helped. Today I’d like to share with you 10 tricks really creative people use to come up with great ideas.
1. Record your ideas & refer to them when stuck.
Recording your ideas is absolutely essential to the creative process. What starts as a simple thought now can blossom into something amazing later down the track. Record your thoughts, words, drawings and found objects in a journal or sketchbook and refer to it whenever you’re looking for a great idea. You’ll be joining the ranks of famous creative people as diverse as Tim Burton, Claude Monet and Andy Warhol, who all kept a steady stream of sketchbooks throughout their lives and referred to them regularly.
2. Take in diverse opinions.
Your creative ideas are limited by the thoughts in your own head, which have been developed uniquely through a lifetime of your own experiences. Take on the opinion and imagination of others to let in a whole new world of ideas and inspiration. Listen to what those around you have to say and take advantage of their unique perspective of the world.
3. Make time for the big ideas.
Sometimes you can get so caught up in the day to day that in the midst of rushing from appointment to appointment, you don’t allow the big ideas to surface. Make some time to sit down, play with your materials, trawl through your sketchbooks and let the magic happen.
4. Keep abreast of news & culture.
What’s happening in the world around you can be an amazing source of inspiration. Keep abreast of the news and what is happening culturally in both your local area and the world. You never know what might spark your next big idea.
5. Work toward your big vision.
Some of the most prolific creative people of all time came up with their most amazing ideas because they were working toward a big vision that guided them every step of the way. Consider Apple, which took the world by storm with their revolutionary iPod, iMac and iPhone—all guided by the unique Apple design principles and their big vision for what technology products could mean in people’s lives
6. Shift your attention regularly.
It’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut when you’re so intensely focused on trying to come up with your one big creative idea. Ease the pressure and shift your attention regularly to something else. Doing so will give your mind a chance to refresh, ready for your big idea to surface when you return to the task at hand.
7. Brainstorm.
Sometimes, a big brainstorming session is exactly what you need. It can be done alone or with others; simply start with your topic and write it in the middle of a big piece of paper. Around this central word write every single thing that comes to mind associated with the topic at hand. The connections you create can spark some amazing big ideas.
8. Do nothing.
It might sound counter intuitive but sometimes doing nothing is exactly what you need to do. Sit quietly and stare out the window. Go on a walk around the block. Lie on the grass and stare up at the clouds. Allowing your brain to do nothing at all leaves it free to imagine and come up with some pretty amazing ideas. Why not try it out?
9. Channel a new voice.
You’ve been thinking in your own voice your entire life, so what if you role played to be someone else creatively for the day? Take on the imagination of Walt Disney or the genius of Albert Einstein. Apply their unique ways of thinking to what sits in front of you and see what comes out. It can be as simple as saying to yourself “What would Walt Disney do in this situation? What ideas might he have?”
10. Stick to a routine.
Having a regular routine can be the perfect way to spark some big creative ideas. Many famous creative people, including writer Stephen King, had a very set and specific daily routine which allowed his best ideas to flow. Consider developing your own daily routine to encourage the flow of great ideas.
You might also like: How to Consistently Come Up With Great Ideas
Photo credit: Disruption by Tsahi Levent-Levi
Featured photo credit: Disruption by Tsahi Levent-Levi via flic.kr
