TL;DR 6. How to Create Fresh Ideas and Approaches

Being creative means finding a solution that isn’t obvious. The obvious arrives first, because the brain prefers familiar ways. Your job is to push past that.

Start with mindset; in my workshops, my greatest battle is getting those in the room to accept that they are creative.

Do not judge ideas as they arrive: collect first, choose later.

Hijack the linear brain: for example, write very fast, faster than you can censor, and aim for thirty ideas in ten minutes. Bounce a ball against a wall and shout ideas to a colleague at a flip chart. Change the room. Walk without your phone.

The good ones often arrive just when you think you’re out of ideas. Keep going.

I am creative; say it loud, say it often.

First action: Pick one problem you face this week and write thirty ideas for it. Go!