Conscious Growth.com

May 15th, 2008

Coming up with a great idea is an interesting process. Sometimes, it happens at random as you shop for groceries, use the bathroom or stare blankly out the window. Out of nowhere, a great idea just hits you. Other times though, it is forged through effort and discipline. You stay with an idea long enough until finally… you produce something of quality.

To be consistently creative – especially in writing or art – you need to find the balance. Some days, you push through. Other times, you let go and surrender to the process. Listed below are 13 brainstorming tools, ranging from effort to effortless, to help you do that. So pick and choose what is most appropriate for you at this moment.

1. Traditional Brainstorming – This is done by clarify a direction and then asking who, what, when, where and how in response to it; allowing any free associations to be voiced.
2. Reverse Brainstorming – This is the same procedure as before but with a different focus. What is stopping me from achieving this goal? What must I overcome to accomplish this? What prevents me from naturally getting there?
3. 20/20 List – Open a word document and set a timer for 20 minutes. Make it simple and to the point. Whatever your goal or direction, push yourself to list 20 or more ways in under 20 minutes.
4. Use Software – Perhaps your imagination is more engaged by pictures and associations. Freeware software like Edraw can help you map it out visually using symbols, areas, and pictures to map out your ideas.
5. Do More Research – Go to the library or look online and read what other people have written. Gain more perspective on that subject of interest and incorporate any ideas into your thinking.
6. Form a Group – Find a bunch of like-minded individuals. Make sure it is a creative bunch that works well together.
7. Ask a Bystander – Bounce ideas off of your wife, neighbor, co-worker, or boss. Ask your children or parents. Get other perspectives and creative juices flowing.
8. Work at your Peak - What time is the best time of day for you? A lot of people say that it’s important to start a task and stick to it 100% until finished. This approach is capitalizes on energy only when it is available.
9. Keep an Ongoing Bullet List – Some ideas won’t hit you all at once. They need to settle in your mind. You may start a list and then come back to it, letting it form over a series of days or weeks.
10. Post-It Questions – Place sticky notes with the question you want answered in random parts of your life. You could put one in your car, in a drawer in your desk, in your shower, etc. Your brain may be surprised by it and supply an ingenious idea in response.
11. Always Carry a Pad and Paper – Some of the best ideas hit you when you least expect it. You’ll be stuck in traffic and boom… It hits you. So be prepared for it.
12. Hold a Positive Intention - Aligning your thoughts with the direction of your goal increases the likelihood that it will come to you. So let go of any resistance that you will find a solution.
13. Just Be Still – Amazing things happen when you free yourself from distractions and thoughts; in the case, forcing creativity. By being still, you allow the answers to come without forcing them.

Brainstorming sessions may create hundreds of mediocre ideas and a handful of great ones. The gems, however, are worth the effort. To improve your ratio, try to work intuitively. Is your mental block something you need to let go of or push through? Follow your gut as to what you should do.

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