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© 2005, Stu McLaren
ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDAll work contained in this book is the copyright of Stu McLaren. No
part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted for resale or
used by any party without express written permission from the author.
LEGAL NOTICEWhile all attempts have been made to provide effective, verifiable
information in this document, neither the Author nor Publisher
assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any
slights of people or organizations are unintentional. The information
contained in this package does not make any claims or guarantees.
Many variables affect each individual’s results. Results will vary. The
author does not make any promise of your personal success. The author
has no control over what you may or may not do with this information,
and therefore cannot accept the responsibility for your results. Any and
all references to persons or businesses, whether living or dead, existing
or defunct, are purely coincidental.
CreativitySecrets:WhatCreativeThinking CanDo For You
2
3
Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Chapter 1: Creativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What is Creativity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What Creativity Can Do For You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Overcoming Obstacles & Roadblocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Chapter 2: Characteristics of Creative Thinkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Driving Factors for Creative Thinkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Overcoming Fear & Breaking the Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Creating Your Own Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Chapter 3: Generating Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
The Rules of Creative Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
The Power of Stimuli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Opening the Floodgates of Your Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Chapter 4: The Basics of Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
What is Brainstorming? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
The Uses of Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
The Benefits of Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Conducting a Brainstorming Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Chapter 5: Creative Thinking Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
How Does Creative Thinking Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Making Creative Thinking Work for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Continuously Improving Your Creativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Learn thedrivingfactors forcreativethinkers
4
Chapter 6: Mind Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
What is Mind Mapping? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Mind Mapping in 6 Easy Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Uses For Mind Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Chapter 7: Creativity In Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Short Stories on Creativity in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Useful Web Site Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Discoverthe secretsof mindmapping
5
Introduction You have a problem and you can’t think of a solution. You sit there,
scratching your head, racking your brain for answers. Nothing happens.
In fact, the harder you think, the more frustrated you get.
Why is it that some people seem to have an endless source of creative
ideas? You know the type-the ones who never seem stuck for cutting-
edge thoughts, the ones who make heaps of money from their ideas, the
ones that everyone want to work with. How do the superstars of the
business world come up with such innovative technologies and
products? How do inventors dream up creations that everyone want?
Why are you struggling to generate those kinds of valuable ideas-and
most importantly, how can you unleash your own creative potential?
Every single person in the world has a kernel of creativity inside him or
her. We have it at birth, and we have it as babies. Think about it: what
are infants but great inventors? They develop language, they make
associations between various objects, and they associate words with
objects. So why, as we get older, does it get harder and harder to come
up with really groundbreaking ideas?
The answer is sad but true. All too often we get sucked in by the
constancy and stability of a life in which there are no challenges, no
innovations, just doubts. We don’t push ourselves because we’re afraid
of the unknown-as a culture, we have a fear of failure, that’s a fact.
What that often means is that we don’t try new things out of our fear of
failure. We stagnate ourselves deliberately. Nothing changes, and we
don’t move ahead. We are in fact our own biggest obstacle to success.
Every personin the worldhas at leasta kernel ofcreativityinside himor her
6
So what if you could learn the secrets to mastering your fear, stimulating
your mind, freeing yourself from the daily grind, and positioning yourself
for unlimited wealth and success? Well look no further-this book is the
key to unlocking your creative potential and living a more lucrative,
more satisfying, more successfully creative life.
The principles and rules of creativity that will be shared with you in this
Ebook will change your life dramatically, for the better! Let’s get started
on a journey that will tap into your hidden creativity and bring it to the
surface so that you too can learn how to use that creativity to change
your life, forever!
This book isthe key tounlockingyour creativepotential
7
CHAPTER 1: Creativity
What is Creativity?Before we go any further, let’s take a minute to consider a word that
we’ve heard hundreds of times, probably without ever really thinking
about it. The word is “creativity.” So just what is creativity?
In the simplest possible terms, it’s taking an idea and putting it into
action. It’s bringing something unprecedented into being, solving a
problem, inventing new techniques or dreaming up innovative
products or services. Take, for instance, an Advertising Executive.
An advertising executive is creative: he’s an “idea man” who acts on
his creativity by designing a brilliant ad campaign, one that catapults
a product to the heights of success in the marketplace. Or consider
the example of an Artist.
An artist is creative as well: she/he has a burst of insight and rushes to a
canvas to give that thought physical expression through painting. Don’t
forget that a child is also creative, simply by stacking building blocks
into various shapes, the child is trying to create something. Creativity
exists in all of us to some degree, it is the place where the individual and
ideas collide. It’s where unique inspiration and circumstance come
together to yield something exciting and brand-new. It’s a way of
thinking-and living-that makes you strong, profitable and successful!
Creativity is
the place
where the
individual
and ideas
collide
8
“Creativity is really believing entirely what you see and hear. Butfinding another angle and seeing the truth in that. That is very muchpart of creativity, because it means taking yourself out of the shell.”
-Sir Peter Ustinov, two-time Academy Award Winner
But where does creativity really come from? It is something we are born
with, or do we acquire it, like a skill? I prefer to think of creativity as
being like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes; but
if you are lazy and don’t tap into your creativity, it will grow weak and
shrivel up. People who have an incredibly strong creative instinct are
like bodybuilders: they give their creative muscle regular workouts and
nourishment, and they thrive with this process. People who think of
themselves as less creative are like couch potatoes: their creative muscle
has turned to flab due to inactivity. They may never have a creative
idea pop into their heads throughout their entire lives.
If you are one of those couch potatoes, the idea of getting your creative
mind into shape can seem like a long, arduous uphill battle. It may be
tempting to sit on the couch with a bag of potato chips, watching the
television instead of thinking about the possibilities for leading a
successful life. But you, too, have the potential to become a strong
creative thinker! Just as exercise floods your body with endorphins-
those wonderful natural chemicals that make you feel amazingly alive
and full of energy-creative thinking fills up you with inspiration, making
you emotionally healthy, mentally fit, and poised for success.
And while there’s a limit to how much iron you can pump, there’s no
end to your creative resources. Once you commit to your daily “creative
Creativityis like amuscle —the more weuse it, thestronger itbecomes
9
exercise” plan, you have the power to grow and grow and grow. As the
supremely creative poet Maya Angelou puts it, “You can’t use up
creativity. The more you use, the more you have restored.”
At first, it can be tough to get out of your old habits and into new
ones. We are, after all, creatures of habit. We tend to think the same
things over and over again and follow the same schedule day in and
day out. “Yes, it’s boring,” we tell ourselves, “but it’s easy.” We love
to stay in our comfort zones because it’s simple and undemanding.
But just as it doesn’t require much energy to “coast” along, it also
doesn’t give us much in return.
If you are mired in the daily grind, if you are stuck in a rut, if you are
a creature of habit, bear this in mind: consistent thinking produces
consistent results. Not good, not great, not even interesting-just
consistent. The success and failure we experience in life are mirror
reflections of the way we think. People who are timid and afraid to
stick their necks out lead small, bland, uninspired lives. But creative
thinkers push the envelope, always looking out for opportunities,
always engaging the world around them-and this exciting way of life
produces dramatically different results, including enormous financial
and personal rewards.
If you want those huge rewards, it’s time to start pushing yourself. It’s
time to begin using new parts of your brain. It’s time to challenge
yourself by rejecting the status quo and entering the exhilarating world
of “What if?” It’s time, as famous author and radio host Mike Litman
would say, for you to “unleash your greatness!”
The success
and failure we
experience in
life are mirror
reflections of
the way we
think
10
It all starts with learning the rules of creativity. Why is it so important
to have creativity guidelines? Just take a look around. We all start off
as truly creative beings, babies who invent solutions all the time as they
discover new aspects of the world and themselves. But from the
moment you are born, the world works to age you quicker than is good
for you. As time passes, you are taught and influenced to think in a
certain way. The world pumps us full of experiences and information
that grinds away at our innocence and creativity, leaving behind a mere
skeleton of our creative potential. Slowly but surely, our youthful spirit
of adventure and limitless possibilities turns into an obsession with
deadlines, budgets and boundaries.
“We all started creatively free...remember the sandbox, all weneeded was a bucket and a good shovel. Then we went to school,we learned that the chairs were to be in rows and that tree trunks
were to be colored brown, if you lived in a world of purple treetrunks, you probably learned to hide it”
-SARK, author of Creative Companion
As we get older, it becomes harder and harder for us to let our creativity
shine. In school, we learn that success means making the least mistakes.
We’re taught to play it safe. We are made to feel that emotions, beliefs
and ideas that differ from the norm are “bad” or “abnormal.”
In short, our creative abilities take a massive nosedive the older we
get. I’m here to tell you that the ideas we shared so freely as kids
need to come out of hiding! We must recapture our innocence in
We all startoff as trulycreativebeings
100
80
60
40
20
0
3-5 years old 8-10 years old 13-15 years old over 25 years
Percentage Testing Genius in Divergent Thinking
11
order to be able to generate ideas that are original, distinct and
fresh. The graph below proves it:
Results of 1,600 children given eight tests if divergent thinking ability show:
Ages 3-5 years, 98% scored in the creative genius category.
Five years later, 32% scored in the creative genius category.
Ten years later, 10% scored in the creative genius category.
In tests of over 200,000 adults over 25, only 2% tested in the creative genius category.
Source: Breakpoint and Beyond by George Land and Beth Jarman
That sinking line is an alarm-it’s time to hear it and wake up!
What Creativity Can Do For YouAs I’ve already said, opening up your mind and life to new ideas and
solutions can bring you a treasure trove of riches in return. But what
can you realistically expect to happen once you’ve made a conscious
We must
recapture our
innocence in
order to be
able to
generate
ideas that are
original,
distinct and
fresh
12
effort to become a more creative person? What opportunities,
specifically, will come knocking?
The rewards will be both material and emotional. When you start
generating innovative ideas, and after you put your plans into action,
the money will start rolling into your bank account and lining your
pockets. We live in a world that prizes new methods for solving old
problems. We live in a society jumps on original ideas and hungers for
inspiration. We revere entrepreneurs, people who build up their
businesses from nothing but a dream and a plan to make that dream into
reality. You can be one of them! Just start thinking outside the box!
When you do, not only will you make financial gains but you’ll also feel
a greater sense of satisfaction, contentment, and accomplishment. A
creative thinker’s most important commodity is his or her brain, and the
well-being that comes with using your head efficiently and inventively
is largely its own reward. Getting creative means becoming self-reliant:
when you make your living off your own ideas, you are your own boss!
So what can you expect? If you implement the steps in this book you’ll
meet new people, gain valuable exposure to new ways of thinking,
strengthen your financial livelihood and establish a secure, more
efficient professional life for yourself!
The world is full of phenomenal personal and professional
opportunities. What most people don’t realize is that we have control
over them. Just listen to what leadership expert John Maxwell has to
say: “Creativity is being able to see what everyone else has seen and
think what nobody else has thought so that you can do what nobody
We live in a
world that
prizes new
methods for
solving old
problems
13
else has done.” Once you start designing and creating a lifestyle that
suits your goals and your dreams, others will marvel at how many
opportunities seem to fall into your lap. They’ll probably think that you
were born lucky, but you’ll know it isn’t luck at all-it’s your ability to
generate creative solutions.
Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn’t-take my word for it! Start taking
control of your success, and get ready for your life to change for the better.
But before you get creativity to work for you, you have to start getting
creative. That means finding creative ways to meet people you want
to work with. That means developing solutions for problems. That
means learning how to rely on your mind, and doing your “exercises”
so that your creative muscle is always in peak condition. If you can
commit to these goals, the rest of this book is your key to a life in
which YOU are the boss.
Remember, YOU create your own success. And in the end, your
creative skills will find a way to consistently bring you a never-ending
stream of “cash heavy” opportunities. You’ll never have to be a slave to
a paycheck again! Getting creative gives you the most important gift of
all-the freedom to do what you want!
Overcoming Obstacles & RoadblocksEvery single one of us experiences ups and downs, triumphs and failures.
But you may have noticed that there are some people who are
constantly down and almost never “up.” Is this bad luck? Is it
Start taking
control of
your success,
and get ready
for your life
to change for
the better
14
inevitable? NO! Then there are those who have far more ups than
downs, who seem to shine with success and accomplishment. Are they
blessed with some magical ability to get what they want? Are you
doomed to watch them pass you by? Should you just give up and resign
yourself to a life of mediocrity? NO!
Thinking creatively is the key to tipping the odds in your favor, so that
the triumphs vastly outweigh the failures. In the beginning, of course,
you’re not always going to come out on top. There may be moments of
frustration, of uncertainty, of difficulty-and that’s GOOD! Obstacles and
roadblocks are hurdles that you should actually look forward to! That’s
because challenges are a sign that you’re getting out of your mundane
comfort zone. And like anything new and worthwhile, you may stumble
a bit before you can walk, and then run. Think of a child learning to ride
a bike: he will probably fall a few times once he takes off the training
wheels, but soon he’ll have newfound freedom and independence.
Similarly, you might start off with more failures than successes. But
remember that failures are learning experiences. Even the most successful
people in the world have gotten where they are through trial and error.
And soon you’ll be achieving your goal a lot more often than not.
And don’t forget that if you are finding something difficult, chances are
that it’s difficult for everyone. That’s actually GREAT news. Let me
explain-if you run into a tough challenge, there’s a good chance your
competition is facing a similar problem. What that means is that if you
come up with a creative solution first, your success will be even bigger
and more financially rewarding!
Thinking
creatively is
the key to
tipping the
odds in your
favor, so that
the triumphs
vastly
outweigh the
failures
15
It’s sound marketplace logic. Creativity guru Doug Hall who founded
the Eureka Ranch think-tank, found that, among “like” products and
services, those that entered the marketplace first had a much greater
market share than those that entered second or third. In other words, if
there are three similar inventions, the first one to hit the shelves is the
one that’s going to make the most money. And that means that
whoever solves problems or creates solutions the fastest will tip the odds
of success in their favor.
So in a sense, roadblocks and obstacles are actually incredible money-
making opportunities. You want problems. You want difficulties. In
fact, these challenges-which up ‘til now probably seemed like negatives-
are going to become your favorite things in the world, because people
are willing to pay you big bucks to solve them. When you’re in the
position to provide creative solutions quickly and reliably, you’ll find
that the world is chock-full of financially rewarding opportunities!
Whoever
solves
problems or
creates
solutions the
fastest will
tip the odds
of success in
their favor
16
CHAPTER 2: Characteristics ofCreative Thinkers
If you put Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart
together into a room, you’d have not only four of the world’s richest
people but also four of the world’s best-known creative geniuses (okay,
okay, and one convicted felon-but she’s still an incredible success
story!). All of them saw opportunities that no one else had ever seen,
and they took paths that no one else had ever taken. Sometimes it
seems like they have attained heights that no one will ever be able to
match, but it’s not luck or chance or birthright or even destiny that got
them where they are today. If you ask each of those four people how
they became so successful, they’ll invariably respond, “Through hard
work and determination.”
Creativity is not a gift. It’s not something only a chosen few have. It’s
a set of characteristics and skills that anyone can acquire, with the right
tools for learning. In this section, we’ll go over the key personality traits
of creative people, and we’ll discuss how you, too, can obtain and
strengthen these characteristics.
The Driving Factors for Creative Thinkers
1) Creative thinkers value ideas
America is a country founded on the power of ideas-literally. Our
history as a nation begins with one man’s farfetched dream of exploring
Creativity is
a set of
characteristics
and skills that
anyone can
acquire, with
the right
tools for
learning
17
undiscovered lands. Because of his driving ambition, millions of
immigrants were able to start new lives and claim new territory.
Columbus is in the history books as a great explorer, but in a way he was
also a great entrepreneur and a truly creative man.
He also perfectly embodies the risk-reward dynamic of creative
thinking. Just think of all that he was risking when he announced his
plan and embarked on his journey to the New World! To see the
rewards, just take a look around. The American dream has its roots in
Columbus’s dream-a man who created his own opportunities discovered
a land of opportunity! One idea, courageously and ambitiously
accomplished, is responsible for the livelihood of millions and millions
of people. If you ever find yourself wondering just how much you could
possibly expect to gain from harnessing your creative abilities, remember
this example of the power and value of thought.
All creative thinkers know just how valuable ideas are-and not just the
obvious, flashy, immediately lucrative ideas. After all, creativity is a
game of odds. Not every risk pays off, and not every sure thing actually
delivers. So the more ideas you come up with, the more likely you are
to succeed. Every idea counts! People like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs,
Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart know this, and so they value ideas
whether they are big or small. Every light bulb that goes off in your head
can potentially lead you on the path toward that Million Dollar Idea.
Think about it: all it takes is one flash of insight, one new product, one
innovative service, to create a multi-million dollar business. With one
idea, a scientist or researcher could uncover the cure for a previously
Every light
bulb that goes
off in your
head can
potentially
lead you on
the path
toward that
Million Dollar
Idea
18
incurable disease. With one sudden epiphany, a software engineer could
invent the next major advance in computer technology.
Creative thinkers never underestimate the power of ideas. And they
never underestimate the value of simple ideas, either! Sometimes it’s a
seemingly simple idea that others dismiss as silly that ignites a creative
thinker’s imagination. It’s like a seed with the potential to blossom-and
its growth depends on the skill and integrity of the person who plants it
and cares for it. Ignoring that seed will, of course, kill it. The bottom
line is this: you don’t know what kind of beautiful flower you could end
up with until it actually blossoms.
2) Creative thinkers celebrate the offbeat
In the competitive world around us, everyone’s trying to be different.
Being unusual is a good way to guarantee that people will take notice of
you, and being noticed is a short distance from becoming a success story.
Just think of the TV ads shown on Super Bowl Sunday-the commercials
you remember are the ones that stick out. And the ads that stick out are
the ones that generate lots of customers-and lots of revenue!
Creative thinkers prize a variety of ideas, but they are especially
passionate about ideas that are new and original-things that no one
has ever thought of before. They let their imaginations run wild and
make associations that others haven’t thought of. Creative thinkers
connect the unconnected.
Of course, there’s a huge amount of pride and excitement that comes
with being the first to come up with a thought, an ad campaign, a story
Creative
thinkers never
underestimate
the power
of ideas
19
line, a product. But offbeat, imaginative solutions are not just
hallmarks of creative thinking. They are also financial cash cows-
people will pay more for unique ideas they can’t get from anyone else.
When you think outside the box, you pretty much guarantee that
people are going to take a second look.
3) Creative thinkers explore all possible options
Imagine a world in which everyone is the same. In this world, we all
have the same features: the same eyes, the same nose, the same hair. We
all have the same characteristics: the same attitude, intellect, emotions
and worldview. We look the same, think the same, and act the same.
What a tragic world this would be. We wouldn’t have the freedom to
make choices for ourselves because there would be no choices to begin
with. We wouldn’t be stimulated to think in new ways. We wouldn’t
ever have the drive or ambition to get ahead, because everyone would
always be at the same level.
Or take another example: what if everyone you ever dated was exactly
alike? Think how boring that would be when it came to the prospect of
choosing a spouse! All the excitement we have when we find the “right”
person would not exist, because there wouldn’t be any “right” or “wrong”
persons. In short, we wouldn’t really have any options-because every
single potential spouse would be exactly like every other potential spouse.
Thankfully, we live in a world full of differences, and therefore full of
options. Every day we have the chance to make hundreds of real
choices, each one of which has a different outcome. This is the joy of
When you
think outside
the box, you
pretty much
guarantee
that people
are going
to take a
second look
20
being human and living in a free society. And it’s something that
creative thinkers value highly.
Creative thinkers explore many different possibilities. Every option
leads to a new and different consequence, so the more chances you take,
the more avenues you explore, the better your chance of success. Don’t
block yourself off! Don’t censor your brainstorming! Letting yourself
consider many different possibilities opens up your way of thinking. It
challenges you to solve problems in a variety of ways. And the more
options we give ourselves, the higher the likelihood that a truly original
thought will occur and evolve into a winning plan.
4) Creative thinkers embrace the unknown
Remember when we talked about choosing between mediocrity and the
unlimited potential for success? The difference boiled down to doing
what’s comfortable and doing what’s risky. In other words, the difference
between creative thinkers and the rest of the world is that they aren’t
afraid to explore the unknown. The people who discover new countries
are the ones who decide that they want to explore uncharted territory.
The people who invent new technology are the ones who believe that a
better solution is out there. The people who launch a spacecraft to the
moon and other planets are the ones who understand that pushing
ourselves to the limit yields phenomenal results.
Imagine yourself standing in front of two doors. Behind the first door is
the road well traveled. It’s well groomed and has lots of signposts, there
aren’t many twists and turns, and you’re pretty much guaranteed an easy
journey. But you already know where this road is going to take you, and
the destination isn’t too exciting.
Letting
yourself
consider
many
different
possibilities
opens up
your way of
thinking
21
What about door number two? Well, what’s behind it is limited only by
the reach of your imagination. If you choose to take this path, you can
expect it to be wild and unpaved. You’ll have to be a true trailblazer,
swinging your machete through the branches. But in return, you’ll go
down in history as the one who created the road, instead of just
following it. People will say that, instead of standing idly by and
watching others pass before you, you made things happen. Behind door
number two is your reputation as a calculated risk-taker, a person of
great courage, someone who gives a lot in order to get a lot. Door
number two is the gateway to your boundless success.
Because creative thinkers open themselves up to exploring all sorts of
opportunities, it’s inevitable that sometimes they’ll find themselves
staring into the unknown. In fact, they often find themselves on the
brink of new, undiscovered territory. Creative thinkers are people who
love to open that second door. They enjoy a healthy dose of
uncertainty, because to them, uncertainty means new obstacles, new
challenges and new problems that need to be solved. They know from
experience that uncertainty is a vital part of wealth and success.
5) Creative thinkers don’t fear failure...as much
You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, and you can’t
become a successful creative thinker without experiencing some failures.
Most people are afraid of looking silly, so they don’t share their ideas.
For example, during brainstorming sessions these people like to hide
behind others, agreeing with other plans and endeavors. Sure, this is
easy, but is it rewarding? Absolutely not! Not only are these people
Door number
two is the
gateway to
your
boundless
success
22
losing out on individual success, but they are also hurting their
group’s chance of success.
Brainstorming with a group is like cracking open those eggs, mixing
them up with other ingredients, and cooking them up into a tasty
dish. As different group members explain their ideas, others listen
and start thinking about how to improve upon them. Hearing other
ideas gets your own creative juices flowing. One idea generates
another, and so on, until you hit on a fantastic solution that
incorporates elements from all the different ideas.
But clamming up and being a “yes” man is like leaving the eggs in
the carton. You can’t accomplish anything new or interesting if
you’re afraid to speak up and share your thoughts. Instead, you’ll be
right back where you began.
Creative thinkers know that offering their ideas is a way to test
potential solutions-and, inevitably, sometimes those solutions will
fail. It’s the law of probabilities! You can’t be right all the time, on
the first attempt, and no one expects you to be!
Fear is a human instinct, and it’s natural to want to protect yourself. But
fear of sharing your ideas because you’re not sure if they’re “good”
enough is something all creative thinkers know they have to overcome.
Fear impedes your ability to create and destroys the possibility of
innovation. If you can’t talk about your ideas, how can you ever hope
to put them into action?
Hearing other
ideas gets
your own
creative
juices flowing
23
Even worse, people who let fear run their lives become increasingly
fearful and unable to think creatively. It’s a vicious cycle: the more you
second-guess yourself, the less willing you will be to take necessary risks.
Creative thinkers know that the occasional failure is nothing to fear-it’s
part of the creative process.
Overcoming Fear & Breaking the CycleFear paralyzes our creative impulse, so the first step in learning to think
creatively is breaking the cycle of fear. And in order to do that, we need
to understand what that cycle is. After all, we need to know our enemy
in order to vanquish it!
How does fear inhibit our creativity? It diminishes our willingness to go
out on a limb and reach for new ideas. The greater our feelings of fear,
the smaller the chance we will speak up and articulate our ideas. The
less willing we are to speak our ideas, the less chance there is for our
ideas to be realized. If our ideas don’t get realized, we feel an even
greater sense of fear. And then, of course, the cycle repeats itself.
This will continue to go on and on, around and around in circles, until
you decide it’s time to break the pattern!
Everyone experiences a little fear every now and then. Even the most
successful people have a little voice inside them that sometimes speaks
up and expresses doubt. Even big risk-takers have worries with the
The more you
second-guess
yourself, the
less willing
you will be to
take necessary
risks
24
potential to stop them dead in their tracks. But they also know how to
master and manage their fear.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”
-Mark Twain
How do creative thinkers do this? Well, they prepare to meet their
enemy by being aware of it. They recognize that fear exists in each
of us. They don’t ignore it or pretend it’s not there. They embrace
fear-or, more precisely, they embrace the thrill and exhilaration that
comes only when you try something new. They thrive on the
excitement you feel when you dare to let go and make a change.
They recognize that fear can be a signal that you’re on the cutting-
edge and onto something great.
Think of it this way: what are you afraid of? If you’re like most people,
you’re probably worried that you might fail. But remember what we’ve
said before: creativity is a mix of failures and successes. Failure is a
crucial part of generating success. The more you fail the closer you get
to a successful result.
This is exactly what Armand Morin (www.AudioGenerator.com) and
Alex Mandossian (www.AskDatabase.com), two highly successful
Internet marketers, realize as they tackle the task of producing new ideas
and products. They found that initial failures are the businessman’s
friend. They are testing fanatics, always looking for which ideas
outperform the others. Without purposely trying new ideas and looking
The more you
fail the closer
you get to a
successful
result
25
for failures, they’d be stuck with underperforming products.
Understanding upfront what doesn’t work helps you to rule out
possible solutions. That means that early failures actually save you
time and money.
So why should you fear failure? Accept it as part of the game.
Things are only going to get easier-trust me. The more success you
have-and you will have it-the more confident you will become.
Confident people are less likely to experience fear and more likely to
take risks in the future. On the other hand, people who’ve recently
experienced a defeat are more likely to lick their wounds and be more
cautious. This is the vicious cycle I mentioned earlier! Don’t get caught
up in it! Don’t let one or two or three failures drag you down. Instead,
let them pull you up!
And keep in mind that there is something far worse than fear-and that’s
regret. Imagine yourself in the future, looking back on your present life.
What will you have to say about yourself? Will you be able to say that
you did what you wanted to do, that you embraced life to the fullest and
took courageous risks, or that you stuck to the status quo because you
were afraid of making a change?
A study conducted by Cornell University asked senior citizens to
describe their greatest regrets about their lives. An overwhelming
majority of the respondents said they regretted actions that weren’t
taken as opposed to actions that were taken-even when the
outcome was bad!
Understanding
upfront what
doesn’t work
helps you to
rule out
possible
solutions
26
Take it from those senior citizens-you don’t want to find yourself retired
and wondering “What if?” The fear you feel today can prevent you from
acting on your ideas, but don’t let it! An idea without any action is
as worthless as not ever having the idea in the first place. Say yes to
your ideas. Make an investment in yourself and your future. Take a
chance. If it turns out badly, time will heal the pain. On the other
hand, if you are met with success, then you’ll have one less regret
when it’s time to look back.
Creating Your Own SuccessThe business world will always need new products and services. People
want to make their lives easier, so they’ll always be searching for new
solutions, systems and techniques. They’ll always want to do things
cheaper, better, and faster. And who comes up with all the new ideas?
Creative thinkers! That’s why creative people will always be in demand,
no matter what the market is like or what the unemployment rate is.
At the same time, being creative in and of itself is not necessarily a
guarantee of being successful. After all, no one can predict what’s going
to happen tomorrow, or next week, or next year. Remember, there are
virtually no limits to creative possibilities, and that is both fantastic
and dangerous. It’s great when YOU are the one coming up with
those possibilities, but what about when it’s your competitor?
Imagine this: just when you have a phenomenal product flying off the
shelves, your competition comes up with something better, stealing
away your market share. Or maybe customers are just gradually losing
interest in your products or services. Perhaps a social issue, like an
Creative people
will always be
in demand, no
matter what
the market
is like or
what the
unemployment
rate is
27
interoffice divorce, divides your staff into happy coworkers and sworn
enemies. A natural disaster or a terrorist activity could change the
way you do business forever. The point is this: there is no way for us
to know what’s going to happen.
So we have to be prepared. We have to work hard to create our own
success, and to maintain it. In reading this book and following the steps,
you’re doing just that. Did you know that:
According to the Wall Street Journal, a two-year in-house creativity course at
General Electric resulted in a 60% increase in patentable concepts.
At Sylvania, several thousand employees took a 40 hour course in creative
problem solving. The ROI: $20 for every $1 spent.
Hewlett-Packard invested over $2 billion in R&D in 1999, and generated
more than 1,300 patent applications. Net revenue: $42.37 billion.
All the odds are saying that you’re going to be just fine-no, WAY better
than fine! So let go of fear, and embrace your creativity. Your future is in
your hands. It’s time to take responsibility for creating your own success!
“In order for all of us to prosper, perhaps even to survive, in thecoming new century, we need to start thinking smarter, more
comprehensively, more creatively.”
-Joey Reiman, CEO and founder of Brighthouse
We have to
work hard to
create our
own success,
and to
maintain it
28
CHAPTER 3: Generating IdeasWe’ve talked about how new ideas breed success and that they go hand
in hand. But those new ideas and the fantastic opportunities that they
come with don’t just appear by chance. They need to be cultivated, not
just hoped for. In this chapter you’ll get a step-by-step, easy-to-use
method that, with repeated use, produces the same result-great ideas.
This versatile method will help you generate new ideas for different
markets and unique solutions for unusual circumstances. It will fit any
situation, anytime, anywhere. It’s a road map for creative thinking-if
you follow it, you’ll discover a never-ending stream of ideas.
The Rules of Creative ThinkingWhen you hear the word “rules,” what’s the first thing that comes to
your mind? Limitations? Boundaries? Do you think of your parents’
household laws, and the negative consequences of breaking them?
For most of us, the word “rules” implies restriction. And restriction
implies a lack of freedom.
But in the case of the creative thinker, rules can actually set you free.
Following a definite set of rules increases the odds of exceptional ideas,
maximum productivity and outrageously unique inventions and
solutions. How so? Well, first of all, learning the guidelines means that
you can become an expert in your area quickly. Why not take
advantage of those that came before you and learn the time-tested rules
New ideas
and the
fantastic
opportunities
don’t just
appear by
chance
29
of the game? And second of all, obeying the rules-at least in the
beginning-can actually strengthen your sense of imagination and
creativity. As the painter Pablo Picasso said, first you need to learn the
rules, and then you can break them!
In order to counteract all those years in which we have been taught to
suppress our creative urges, you need a set of guidelines to live by.
Instead of rules that show you how to be “normal,” you need rules that
remind you how to think differently. Your creative instinct is innate;
these guidelines are simply going to help you recapture it!
RULE #1: There are no rules!!
Say it with me: anything is possible. Your best ideas will flow when you
no longer feel limited by boundaries or restrictions. Great ideas shake
the world. They defy the ordinary and redefine what is possible. A
unique idea should break rules-and if it doesn’t, it’s been done before.
So push yourself and explore new territory-no limitations, anything
goes. There are NO rules!!
RULE #2: Play with the Play-doh!
Ideas don’t just arrive in the world as polished, finished products. Like
Play-doh, they are raw, cold and lumpy. It’s extremely important to
remember this, because all our lives we are trained to respond quickly to
new ideas with phrases like “that will never work,” “it’s not reasonable,”
or “only in a million years.” Negativity is like a toxin that poisons your
Your best
ideas will
flow when
you no
longer feel
limited by
boundaries or
restrictions
30
creative environment. At the beginning of the creative process, no idea
is a bad idea! That lump of Play-doh can easily be molded and shaped
into a wonderful creation. It takes an open mind and patience.
RULE #3: Go where no one has gone before
No, it’s not a sci-fi movie tagline, it’s another creative rule to live by!
Let’s face it, it’s easy to go numb to reality. If things are around us all the
time, we eventually stop seeing them. So if you want to create fresh,
new, eye-opening ideas, you have to be willing to go farther then you
have before. It’s time to start asking “what if?” It’s time to explore
places you never thought you’d go. It’s time to seriously consider ideas
you might have dismissed as “silly” before. Blockbuster ideas almost
always push the envelope, and creative geniuses are people who do what
has never before been done.
RULE #4: Go big or go home
You might know that when Reggie Jackson ended his 21-year major-
league career, he had 563 homeruns-a number that landed him in 6th
place on the all-time homerun hitter list. Pretty impressive, right? But
did you know that Jackson was also high on another list-strikeouts?!
That’s right, one of the greatest homerun hitters of all time had the most
strikeouts (2,597) of any baseball player ever. And Reggie isn’t alone.
Many of the players on the top ten-homerun hitter’s list are also very
high on the all-time strikeout list.
If you want
to create
fresh, new,
eye-opening
ideas, you
have to be
willing to go
farther then
you have
before
31
What lesson can you take away from all this baseball trivia? You need
to swing LOTS in order to achieve the best results. The secret to
succeeding in the creative process is to generate as many ideas as
humanly possible. 99% of all those ideas will probably never be used,
but the remaining 1% will be pure gold. Swing for the fences and go
big-quality will come naturally along with quantity.
RULE #5: Let loose
The best ideas are dreamed up by passionate people. But we’re so often
encouraged to think of work as a chore that we don’t usually have fun
when we’re brainstorming and planning and implementing ideas. How
can you feel passionate if you feel obligated?
Let yourself have fun-after all, the creative process is all about getting
back to that true creative state you were in as a child. Without fun,
there’s no enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, there’s no energy. Without
energy, there’s no way you’ll ever achieve blockbuster success. So let go
of worries, inhibitions and timidity. Loosen up and enjoy the ride!
The Power of StimuliIt’s 10 a.m. You and five coworkers are crowded around a conference
table, drinking instant coffee and stale donuts. Debbie, to your left, tells
you about her daughter’s soccer match. Allen, to your right, wants to
discuss his golf game. Then the “chief creator” walks into the room and
everyone quiets down. The chief says it’s time to start brainstorming.
He goes around the room and asks everyone to share the 5 ideas you’ve
The secret to
succeeding in
the creative
process is to
generate as
many ideas
as humanly
possible
32
prepared before the meeting. Everyone has variations of the same ideas.
There are no break-throughs, there are no truly exciting prospects.
When everyone’s done sharing his or her five ideas, silence falls over the
conference room. What next?
The chief looks grim. “These ideas aren’t going to change the way we
do business. We want our competition to sweat and feel envious, not to
laugh because we’re tagging a new name onto an old product.”
Uh-oh. The reality sets in: this is going to be a long and painful process.
Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this common scenario is the
standard for business brainstorming. It’s as conducive to creativity as
someone putting a gun to your head and telling you to think of
something new and innovative. In fact, it makes for such a negative
environment for creative thinking that Doug Hall, in his book Jump
Start Your Brain, calls it braindraining:
“...people desperately try to suck solutions from their heads. They
squint, grind their teeth, and sweat profusely, all in hopes of
squeezing a few angry pellets of ideas from their straining craniums.
In short they use their minds as a mere reference libraries. This
SUCK method of creativity will shrivel your brain like a prune in
the dessert sun. It’s not good for you.”
Interesting solutions and creative ideas don’t just sit inside your body,
waiting to be pulled out. There isn’t some “golden answer” waiting to
be plucked out of thin air. Remember when I said that anyone could
become a creative thinker-that creativity is not a gift or a birthright but
Interesting
solutions and
creative ideas
don’t just sit
inside your
body, waiting
to be pulled
out
33
rather a skill? Well, it’s true: all you need to do is learn how to tune
your creative “antenna” to the world around you, and you’ll find that
it supplies you with an amazing number of possible solutions! There
is a fantastic proven method for generating a wealth of great ideas,
and I’m going to tell you what it is. Read on, and you’ll never have
to drain your brain again!
A man named Dr. Arthur VanGundy came up with an extraordinary
brainstorming technique that guarantees a 1000% percent increase in
new ideas versus the technique of braindraining. His method has also
been proven to generate a 558% increase in “super smart” ideas- ideas
that become a blockbuster hit in the marketplace. Think about it-558
times as many fantastic ideas as your competitors in the boardroom. It’s
like having five brains in your head!
So what’s the method? How does it work? Well, get ready to be floored,
because this technique is not only vastly more effective than
braindraining but it’s also much, much easier and more fun. It’s all about
flooding your brain with stimuli.
Now, what do I mean by stimuli? The shortest answer is that stimuli can
be considered the fuel for new ideas. You see, the creative process is like
a game of dominos. Once you’ve lined up your dominos in a long line,
all it takes is a little push to get the entire line of dominos to fall in one
gigantic chain reaction. Similarly, your brain needs a nudge in order to
start generating ideas.
Stimuli can
be considered
the fuel for
new ideas
34
In Dr. VanGundy’s method, stimuli is that first nudge. They turn
your brain into a smoothly-running computer, so that you can process
input and crank out ideas. On the other hand, in the old
brainstorming method, braindraining, your brain is more like a
reference library: you’re never really sure where to go to get the
information you’re looking for, and you have to do everything
manually. It’s like having to push over each individual domino with
your finger one at a time. Which brain would you rather have-a
yellowing, musty set of outdated books, or a supercomputer?
Brainstorming isn’t like playing the lottery-coming up with great ideas is
not a matter of luck. There is a time-tested formula success, and this is it:
Take a look at the chart below.
You are no longer a warehouse of mediocre ideas; you are now a factory
that produces unlimited fantastic ideas! Instead of struggling to suck
ideas from your poor brain, your mind gorges itself on stimuli, creating
new associations and connections almost effortlessly!
Brainstorming
isn’t like
playing the
lottery-
coming up
with great
ideas is not a
matter of luck
New Ideas New, original idea or concept
Stimuli Anything you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch
Life Goggles The lens through which you filter, perceive, and react to
stimuli. Life Goggles are a function of your collective life
experiences that you bring to every situation. It’s the thing
that makes you see the world the way you do.
NEW IDEAS = (STIMULI + LIFE GOGGLES) * FUN
35
So what it all boils down to is paying attention to the world around you
and letting stimuli do their work on your brain. But what exactly should
you be on the lookout for? Stimuli can take many forms, including
sights, sounds and scents. It can even take the form of competitors’
products, customer feedback and firsthand experiences. In fact, almost
everything around you can act as stimuli, triggering a reaction in your
brain. The whole world is a virtual playground for the true creative
thinker, and that’s why some people always seem to be able to come up
with great ideas, regardless of the circumstance.
The following are some examples of stimuli.
Things you might...
Pay attention
to the world
around you
and let
stimuli do
their work on
your brain SEE HEAR SMELL TASTE TOUCH
Family pictures Dogs Barking Dirty laundry Peppermint gum Feathers
Headphones Phone Ringing Apple pie Ketchup Paper
Phone TV Commercials Roast beef dinner Milk Play-Doh
Deodorant Rock Music Wet dog Toothpaste Ice
Books Guitar being played Perfume Salt water Nets
Batteries Toilet flushing Dog poop Oranges Water
Guitar Wind blowing Play-Doh Chocolate Egg shells
Wheels Doors shutting Fresh air Peanuts Zippers
Magnets Someone singing Burning leaves Vanilla ice cream Computer keyboard
BMW Mini Someone snoring Roses Bacon Pen
Banana A conversation Coffee Syrup Guitar strings
Tube A video game Wet leaves Fish Facial whiskers
Computer Mouse Someone typing Gas (car or human!) Beer Basketball
Digital Camera Microwave timer Fresh laundry Sour candy Chair cushion
SEE HEAR SMELL TASTE TOUCH
36
You’re probably thinking that most of the items on this list don’t have
anything to do with problems you are trying to solve-but that’s okay! In
fact, that’s the point. Remember when I said that creative thinkers
connect the unconnected? Well, that’s what stimuli will allow your
mind to do-your brain uses this input to associate, connect and piece
together concepts, thoughts and ideas that on the surface seem totally
unrelated. So when you feed your brain with lots of stimulation, you
won’t just wind up with new ideas-you’ll wind up with creative, unique
ideas with roots in the real, practical world.
Stimuli are actually divided up into two categories: related and
unrelated. As you can probably figure out, related stimuli have to do
with the task at hand, and unrelated stimuli seemingly have nothing to
do with it. But that doesn’t mean that unrelated stimuli won’t help you.
The general rule of thumb is: the more related the stimuli to the creative
challenge, the greater the quantity of ideas produced; the more
unrelated the stimuli, the fewer the number of ideas but the higher the
number of dramatically different ideas. What that means is that you
can’t just have one or the other: you need to blend both together in
order to get the best possible result - lots of ideas mixed with concepts
that push the envelope of what’s never been done before.
You need to
have lots of
ideas mixed
with concepts
that push the
envelope of
what’s never
been done
before
Number of Practical Ideas Invented
High Stimulus 47.0
Medium Stimulus 38.4
Low Stimulus 22.3
Source: Jump Start Your Business Brain, Doug Hall
37
You’re probably wondering what this means in practical terms, so let’s
consider an example. Sally, a professional speaker, is trying to come up
with new methods of delivering informational products. She starts with
related stimuli by looking through some catalogues containing home
study courses of other people in her industry. She follows that up by also
visiting several web sites of other speakers. Then she also opens herself
up to unrelated stimuli. Sally sits down and starts watching the Home
Shopping Network, the she visits a university lecture hall, and finishes
her day by leafing through the latest edition of Women’s Fitness. It’s
easy to see that relying on related stimuli alone might not yield a new
and different idea. But when you watch the home-shopping channel
with the intent to come up with a delivery method for information,
you’re setting up an environment in which unique ideas will flourish.
What Are Some Good Sources of Stimuli?
Okay, so now that we understand what stimuli can do for us in theory, how
do we physically start making it work for us? I’m going to show you the two
basic ways to process stimuli and turn them into gold-standard ideas.
Set up anenvironmentin whichunique ideaswill flourish
Catalogs Good questions Drinks Infomercials Seminars
Magazines Conversation Movies Cable TV Shopping mall
Family pictures Web sites Commercials Competitors products Best Buy
Web sites Words Paint chip display Dr. Seuss books Book store
A mix of music Food Play-Doh Cookbooks Carnivals
38
Direct Connection
Direct connection involves a straight line from stimuli to idea, a single
leap of imagination-a direct connection from Point A to Point B. In the
simplest terms, you look at something, and a thought occurs.
For example, let’s say our speaker, Sally, is trying to design a cover of a
pamphlet, but she’s not sure what she wants it to look like. So she goes
to the bookstore and leafs through some magazines, looking at the
glossy ads and layouts. As she flips through the magazines, she sees
many possible color combinations and designs that trigger a response in
her brain. Then she moves over to the bookshelves. Looking at the
covers of various novels, she sees many possibilities for what her
pamphlet could look like.
Now, the purpose here is NOT to copy someone else-it’s simply to give
those dominos the push they need in order to start falling! You’ll never
set off the chain reaction if you just sit at home, waiting for inspiration
to occur. You need to get out there and flood your senses.
Obviously, if you’re using this method, you need to look at as many
pieces of stimuli as possible in order to generate the most usable ideas.
People often get stuck on one piece of stimuli, but the trick is to move
fast. Once you can’t think of any more ideas based on one piece of
stimuli, move on! Keep a pen and paper handy so you can jot down all
the ideas that occur to you. At the same time, be selective, because you
only want those ideas that make sense given the task at hand.
You’ll never
set off the
chain reaction
if you just sit
at home,
waiting for
inspiration
to occur
39
Indirect Connection
Direct connection is simple and effective. Indirect connection is
equally effective, but it’s a slower and more deliberate process. In this
method, instead of using stimuli to make direct connections, you break
a stimulus into its essential parts, then twist or tweak those traits to suit
them to your task. This method is a bit more complicated than direct
connection, but if you stick with it you will end up with ideas that have
never occurred to anyone else.
Start with a piece of stimulus, related or unrelated, it doesn’t matter
which. Write down all the aspects of that stimulus that you can think
of. Examine it critically: what does it look like, feel like, sound like,
taste like, or smell like? How does it make you feel? View it from close
up, then move farther away, so you can see it from different angles. How
does your stimulus work?
Once you break it down into these component parts, the light bulbs will
start flashing. You’ll see how each individual characteristic can be
applied to one of your own goals or ambitions. And you’ll have exciting,
new products and ideas that are yours and yours alone!
Let’s illustrate this method with an example. Let’s say that Sally wants
to create some new products to sell after her presentations. She starts
by thinking about what products that she has personally purchased from
other speakers over the past year. Her favorite, most-used purchase is an
educational package. She pulls it off the shelf and studies it. It’s made
up of several different elements: a binder, a booklet, and a bunch of
CD’s. A new CD arrives every month, and she adds it to the binder,
If you stick
with indirect
connection,
you will end
up with ideas
that have
never
occurred to
anyone else
40
which is also a CD holder. Sally enjoys the fact that she receives new
content every month and she decides that this is something she would
like to incorporate into her own product. She also loves that the
binder does double-duty: it doesn’t just hold paper, it also features
plastic sleeves that house the CDs. Again, this is a great feature to
incorporate into her own product.
Then she notices that the binder isn’t the normal size-it’s a bit smaller.
In fact, its size makes it stand out on her bookshelf, and it also feels nice
in her hand. Because it’s a bit different, it seems special somehow. Sally
decides that when she designs her own product, she’s going to play with
dimensions to make the size somewhat unexpected.
The process can go on and on for as long as you feel like studying
your piece of stimulus.
If you’re ever in doubt about the power of stimulus, just remember
that one of the greatest inventors of all time-Thomas Edison-was a
stimulus junkie!! He was a firm believer in letting himself be
inspired by brilliant ideas, allowing them to trigger his own thoughts
and creations. So take it from Edison:
“Make it a practice to keep on the lookout for novel and interestingideas that others have used successfully. Your idea has to be an
original only in it’s adaption to the problem you are working on.”
-Thomas Edison
Be a firm
believer in
letting
yourself be
inspired by
brilliant ideas,
allowing them
to trigger your
own thoughts
and creations
41
Opening the Floodgates of Your MindChanging your perspective on things and people you see every single
day dramatically expands your creative possibilities. The world
around you hasn’t changed-but now you see everything differently.
While others see, for example, a book as a book, you see it as the
nudge to an idea reaction.
Becoming attuned to stimuli is the key to unlocking your brain’s power
and potential for productive creativity. It will make you more
valuable and resourceful to those around you. Who wouldn’t want
someone like that on their team?
The world needs ideas-big ideas, small ideas; ideas that make money,
solve problems, bring people closer together and keep relationships
fun and exciting! We need ideas to stay ahead in the fiercely
competitive business world, where “faster, faster!” is the mantra. With
the methods outlined above, not only will you be inundated with great
ideas, but you’ll also be able to do in minutes what used to take days.
No more sitting around waiting for that flash of insight. YOU have
the power to set off that flash yourself.
We need
ideas to stay
ahead in the
fiercely
competitive
business
world, where
“faster,
faster!” is
the mantra
42
CHAPTER 4: The Basics ofBrainstorming
What is Brainstorming?We’ve already talked about what corporations seem to think
brainstorming is-sitting around a conference table waiting for someone
else to speak! The fact is, that kind of brainstorming doesn’t do anyone
any good. So what kind of brainstorming is good, productive, healthy
brainstorming? Before we answer that question, let’s start by talking
about what brainstorming really is.
At its most basic, brainstorming is a technique for coming up with new
ideas. It generally involves a group of people all sharing their thoughts
on a particular problem or issue, so that each person can “play off” the
others. Or, you can brainstorm by yourself, using stimuli as described
above. Once you start to realize that everything around is related or
unrelated stimuli, the potential for new ideas is virtually limitless. Even
better, the process works in a cycle: as different ideas collide, they give
rise to even more new ideas. Unlike a presentation or a more formal
meeting, a brainstorming session allows people to shout out new ideas as
they occur, without criticism or judgment. All the ideas are written
down so that they can be considered more carefully later on.
Once you
start to
realize that
everything
around is
related or
unrelated
stimuli, the
potential for
new ideas is
virtually
limitless
43
Essentially, brainstorming is the freedom to let your mind roam wherever
it wants to roam, using a central issue or problem as “home base.”
Now, traditional brainstorming-the kind that makes you want to tear
your hair out!-is what most of us are used to. It’s when a group of adults
get together around a board room table and read their prepared ideas off
a sheet of paper. We’ve all been to at least one of these meetings, so you
know the drill: everyone reads his or her list, and it inevitably turns out
that most of the ideas the group has come up with are the same. And
there’s always at least one person who doesn’t hesitate to tell you when
he thinks your idea is silly or impractical. These kinds of meetings are
full of tension and silent (and not-so-silent!) judgment, and that’s not
conducive to creativity at all!
The worst is when you find yourself being judged-and you’re not even in
a group at all. You know the feeling: you’re working on your own to
solve a problem, but your internal critic keeps cutting you off before you
can even have your say. Well listen up: that voice of inner judgment
needs to hush up. The critic needs to leave the room! You won’t get
anywhere and you won’t come up with anything new if you don’t give
yourself permission to think radical, strange, untested thoughts.
So what should brainstorming be, ideally? Well, it should be a spontaneous,
lively, uncensored, fun experience. Nothing gets the synapses in your brain
firing like immediate mental and sensory stimulation, and nothing
encourages you to come up with new ideas more than being in an
environment where ALL ideas are accepted and considered.
Read on for how to brainstorm, and how to make brainstorming work for you!
Nothing
encourages
you to come
up with new
ideas more
than being
in an
environment
where ALL
ideas are
accepted and
considered
44
The Uses of BrainstormingBrainstorming can be used to solve just about any problem you can
think of. You can brainstorm to come up with solutions to
professional problems, to create new products, or to help enrich your
personal life. You can brainstorm to get your own brain juiced up, or
you can brainstorm with a group to get everyone’s mind going.
Whatever you use it for, brainstorming is a powerful technique-the
cornerstone of any creative process.
These are just a few of the products and results of brainstorming sessions:
ad campaigns, essays, articles, marketing strategies, new research
procedures, government policies, patents, new technologies, new
industries, investments, company infrastructure, more efficient
machinery, better engineering components-the list is endless!
And not only can brainstorming be used to obtain material results, it
can also be used to effect psychological change! Brainstorming
teaches you new processes for coming up with ideas, and it trains you
to feel less inhibited and self-critical. It opens up your mind to new
ways of thinking-letting ideas collide and mingle and turn into new
ideas. If you are one of those people who tends to hide behind others
at meetings, agreeing with other ideas but not offering your own, you
can use brainstorming to train yourself to become a better, more
valuable member of the team! Give it a try-as you’ll soon see, the
benefits are well worth the effort.
Brainstorming
teaches you
new processes
for coming up
with ideas,
and it trains
you to feel
less inhibited
and self-
critical
45
The Benefits of BrainstormingHow can something as simple as writing down your uncensored
thoughts on a piece of paper guarantee you a higher salary? Easy!
Brainstorming helps you come up with great ideas for your company,
whether it’s a massive corporation or a one-person operation. Those
great ideas translate into new products and services, and that, in turn,
means an increase in market share. When the company profits, you
profit-a great year for your business means a healthy salary for you, and
maybe even a bonus or a promotion.
People who don’t contribute original, innovative ideas stagnate in
the same position, year in and year out. They don’t rise through the
ranks, and they don’t get hefty pay increases. Do you want to be one
of these people? Of course not!
You want to be the person everyone likes, who makes the meetings fun,
who is full of high-level concepts and strategies. You want your
superiors to praise you for your successes. You want to improve your
working environment by enabling coworkers to get along better.
Brainstorming can accomplish all of these wants: not only will you shine
at your brainstorming sessions, but you’ll also be responsible for a change
in the way you and your peers work. The kinds of creative freedoms that
are highly valued during a brainstorming session invariably trickle over
into the rest of the working day. Brainstorming can enhance the
freedom and productivity of a business overall.
Brainstorming
can enhance
the freedom
and
productivity of
a business
overall
46
If you are an entrepreneur, the importance of being able to come up with
new ideas is even greater.
Without developing the skill of generating ideas you are always at the
mercy of others. Your future will depend on other people. People who
create jobs, put business ideas together or create products or services.
Ideas Are Today’s Currency
Whether you are looking for more customers, ideas for your
marketing, or exciting press coverage, generating fresh, unique ideas
are vital for every entrepreneur. The quality of these ideas will
determine your success.
People Pay for Ideas and Solutions
If you can learn how to consistently solve problems or challenges for
your customers or prospects, you’ll always be in demand.
Unfortunately, if you do it in a way that others have already done it, you
BORE your audience.
People don’t want the same old thing. They want fresh. They want
unique. They want different.
That’s why we have elections every 4 years. People want new ideas.
That’s why toy companies scramble to create the next hot Christmas
gift. That’s why TV companies constantly change up their
programming; people want new and exciting shows.
If you can
learn how to
consistently
solve
problems or
challenges for
your
customers or
prospects,
you’ll always
be in demand
47
However if your ideas look, sound and appear like everything else, it
becomes a “been done” and the probability of success goes down.
Your future depends on your ability to identify problems and then
generate fresh, unique ideas to solve those problems.
Brainstorming helps you as an individual as well as your entire business,
whatever your business may be. If you’re a freelance writer,
brainstorming will help you generate a treasure trove of article ideas. If
you’re a salesman, brainstorming will help you come up with better ways
of pitching your product. If you work for an advertising company,
brainstorming will help you devise new campaigns and slogans. If you
work for a restaurant, brainstorming will help you create new dishes. If
you are a stay-at-home mom or dad and you want to make some extra
income, brainstorming will help you hit on a winning plan. Whatever
your profession, whatever your endeavor, whatever your goal,
brainstorming benefits you by guaranteeing that you never run on
empty. You will always be full of cutting-edge concepts, and that means
you’ll always have cash in your pocket and the respect of your peers.
And who wouldn’t want that?
Here’s a short list of just some of the benefits of brainstorming:
l Having more ideas to choose from means an increased probability of
hitting on a “winning” idea
l Inviting a group of people with various backgrounds, interests and
personalities to share ideas means that you’ll get a very broad range
of possible solutions
You will
always be full
of cutting-
edge
concepts, and
that means
you’ll always
have cash in
your pocket
and the
respect of
your peers
48
l Ideas that didn’t look like they would work to begin with, can be
huge successes after they are tinkered with in a brainstorming session
l You can often create a great solution by putting together lots of little
ideas from various sources
l By encouraging others to share their ideas without fear of criticism,
you guarantee that others will listen to your ideas, too
Conducting a Brainstorming SessionWe’ve now defined a productive brainstorming session as what happens
when a group of people get together, without inhibitions, to generate as
many ideas as possible. Sounds great, but how does one actually go
about accomplishing this? How do you set up an environment in which
there are no inhibitions, and everyone feels free to say whatever he or
she wants? How do you put people at their ease? How can you ensure
that there is adequate stimulation in order to generate new ideas?
In this section we’ll go over the logistics of running a brainstorming
session, from preparation to the session itself to what to do immediately
afterward. Don’t worry about things getting out of hand-as freeform as
a brainstorming session should be, there ARE rules and guidelines to
follow. And the great thing is that you can follow these steps whether
you’re working with a group of twenty people or you’re alone in your
room. This is a plan to ensure success, no matter how big or small your
group, no matter how long or short the session.
You can often
create a great
solution by
putting
together lots
of little ideas
from various
sources
49
First, arrive early so you can prepare the room and get used to being in
it. You may want to bring a poster which lists the rules of creative
thinking-these are the rules which all the participants should follow.
Stick the poster up on the wall where everyone can see it at any time.
Take this pre-session time to go over the rules yourself. Remind yourself
to be supportive of everyone and their ideas.
Then, when the group members start to arrive, treat the occasion
like a social gathering rather than a business meeting. Welcome
each participant and chat a bit with everyone. This is all part of
ensuring that the atmosphere in the room is relaxed and friendly.
Make sure to introduce people who don’t know each other, because
it’s hard to feel uninhibited in a room full of strangers. Remember,
the point of involving other people in the brainstorming session is so
that you can bounce your thoughts off of one another, generating
countless new ideas. When properly directed, dynamic interaction
between team members results in other people’s thoughts becoming
potent stimuli in their own right.
When it’s time to get started, invite everyone to take a seat. Explain
what the purpose of this session is going to be. Show them the rules and
emphasize that at this early stage, all ideas are valuable-brainstorming is
about generating ideas, not judging or dismissing them. Tell the group
outright that you hope they come up with odd, offbeat ideas, because
they are what lead to innovative practical solutions and products.
Explain that they should all listen carefully to everyone else-what
another person says may give you a brilliant idea that wouldn’t have
occurred to you on your own!
Remind
yourself to be
supportive of
everyone and
their ideas
50
You may wish to do a warm-up session to get people ready for the real
session. To do this, think of an unrelated topic that doesn’t have
anything to do with work. For instance, ask the group to think up ideas
for new movies or web sites. Then, after a few minutes, ease everyone
back into the main issue at hand. Explain the topic and then invite
suggestions and concepts having to do with that topic. Write down
each and every idea that someone shares with the group. Encourage
your group members to jot down their own ideas on pieces of paper so
that they don’t forget them while others are talking.
Then broaden out to unrelated ideas-let your group members share wild
and outrageous ideas that may not be directly related to the main topic
or problem. Write these ideas down on separate pieces of paper, and
then tack them to the wall so everyone can see them. All the ideas you
write down will serve throughout the rest of the session as stimuli,
provoking new concepts and suggestions.
If anyone criticizes an idea, make it clear that this is not the time or
place. Say that you’re interested in hearing all suggestions, both
mundane and strange. Thank people for their thoughts, remain
supportive, and always keep things moving along. If an awkward
silence falls over the group, use the ideas you’ve already written
down as a springboard for conversation. Tweak and twist those ideas
to come up with new ones. Encourage people to use other team
member’s thoughts as a springboard for new ideas-even if a certain
idea doesn’t seem feasible, you can use bits and pieces of it to come
up with something better. If you want to change things up, or if the
group members seem to be inhibited, ask everyone to write some
ideas down on a piece of paper. Collect the papers and then
Thank people
for their
thoughts,
remain
supportive,
and always
keep things
moving along
51
redistribute them, so that everyone has someone else’s sheet of paper.
Then ask everyone to read the ideas aloud.
In order to increase the potency and productivity of your brainstorming
session, you should consider providing sources of stimuli (both relate
dan dunrelated) as discussed in the previous chapter. For example, if
you are trying to brainstorm a new ad campaign, have magazines handy
so that the team can flip through the advertisements. Tape up a big
poster of a color wheel so that everyone can be thinking about color
schemes. Pass around sheets of paper with various fonts printed on
them, so that everyone can be thinking about typography. If you’re
trying to come up with a new jingle, bring a tape recorder and a variety
of music tapes. Ask the team members to contribute their own stimuli-
have people sing their favorite jingles, or childhood songs or Christmas
carols that stick in one’s head so effectively. Remember that flooding
yourself with stimuli is a surefire way to get the brain’s synapses firing!
Continue brainstorming for as long as you feel things are fun and
exciting. Take a break if you feel like it. But when everyone starts to
get tired and ideas are running low, it’s time to bring the brainstorming
to an end. Thank everyone and then send him or her on their way.
After the session, immediately combine all the ideas into one list. Do
it now, so everything’s clear and fresh in your mind. If more ideas occur
to you as you are doing this, write them down as well. The simplest,
easiest way to store all these ideas is in a computer database or
spreadsheet, so you can have fast access whenever you want.
Now you should have a huge list of ideas to analyze, and a large number
of probable solutions to choose from!
Considerprovidingsources ofstimuli toincrease thepotency andproductivity of yourbrainstormingsession
52
CHAPTER 5: Creative ThinkingTechniques
How Does Creative Thinking Work?From having read about stimuli and brainstorming, you’ll know that
creative thinking works by stimulating the brain and generating
original ideas. It allows for new concepts to emerge under conditions
that are equally conducive to offbeat and ordinary kinds of thoughts.
And while it’s true that some great ideas occur accidentally, in an
unexpected flash of insight, creative thinking is a way to create that
flash of insight anywhere, any time.
Sometimes making you aware of stimuli and setting up brainstorming
sessions can produce amazing results. But at other times, these
techniques are not enough. You may be tired of the same old stimuli
you see around you from day to day, and you may find that
brainstorming with the same group of people does not produce as
many diverse ideas as you had hoped.
If you’ve given these methods a shot and they’re not working for you,
don’t give up! There are plenty more creative thinking techniques that
you can use to generate lucrative and innovative new concepts. There
are so many, in fact, that you’re bound to find at least one-and probably
more-which suit you perfectly.
There are
plenty of
creative
thinking
techniques
that you can
use to
generate
lucrative and
innovative
new concepts
53
Remember that the way creative thinking works is to get your mind in
contact with fresh, new thoughts, people and things. A new idea is born
when two or more smaller ideas come together and form something
bigger and better. For example, creative thinking is combining your
design for a print ad campaign with your coworker’s suggestion of getting
a certain celebrity to appear in the ads. It’s stirring a pot of jam on the
stove and watching Martha Stewart making gift baskets on TV when,
all of a sudden, you realize you should go into business selling gift baskets
full of different jams and jellies. This collision of various stimuli and
ideas makes for brand-new products and services, and there’s always a
market for things no one has ever dreamed up before.
And if you practice creative thinking, you’ll never have to be without a
fresh new idea ever again!
Making Creative Thinking Work for YouIn this section we’ll talk about some alternative creative thinking
techniques to get your mind in gear and your solutions off the ground.
But first it’s essential to isolate the matter at hand and to define our
problem, so that we can understand exactly what it is we are trying to
solve. I’ve developed a plug-and-play formula that does just this, in a
way that’s both extremely useful and fun. Start by telling yourself, “My
problem is....” Then, continue this line of thought: “So, I need ideas
for....” It’s a simple and efficient way to get your head into the game so
that you can generate appropriate solutions.
A new idea is
born when
two or more
smaller ideas
come
together
and form
something
bigger and
better
54
Let’s take a look at some examples of this in action:
My problem is... I have a TON of competition in my market
So, I need ideas on... how to separate myself from my competition
My problem is... I have a lot of customer service calls and I can’t handle
them all on my low budget.
So, I need ideas on... how to handle customer service on a low budget.
My problem is... I don’t have a web site, any technical knowledge or a
BIG budget to pay a web designer
So, I need ideas on... how I can create and manage a web site with no
technical skills and a low budget.
Defining a problem is very important to the creative process because it
forces you to zero in on precisely why you are generating ideas. When
you are able to state a problem in a clear way, the creative exercises that
follow in this section become much easier.
Now let’s discuss some of those creative exercises:
1) Random Word
This technique is just what it sounds like. It involves picking a word at
random-from a dictionary, for example-and using that word as the basis
for making creative associations. You need to start by defining a
problem or topic. What is it that you’re trying to solve? Let’s say you
work in product development and you want to come up with exciting
new toys for pets. Now put that to the side for one moment. Go get
your dictionary (if you don’t have a dictionary, any book will do) and
Defining a
problem
is very
important to
the creative
process
because it
forces you to
zero in on
precisely
why you are
generating
ideas
55
flip it open to any page. Without looking, drop your index finger down
onto the page. Now look down and see what word you’re pointing to.
For this example, let’s suppose you’ve landed on the word “computer.”
Using the random word technique, you need to build a bridge between
“computer” and pet toys. Think of ways-any ways that occur to you, no
matter how seemingly silly-to connect those two things. The point is to
force yourself to see a connection, because that means that you’re
making yourself think outside the box and potentially coming up with
unprecedented ideas. Maybe you could come up with a toy that has an
internal computer chip-for example, a ball for dogs that bounces around
on its own. Or maybe you could appeal to cat-lovers who are also
computer geeks by making a toy “mouse” for felines that actually looks
like a computer mouse. Or, pushing yourself even farther, might there
be a market for a computer game that has to do with domestic animals-
maybe a pet-centric version of the wildly popular “The Sims”?
You can also apply these rules to any number of “random” things.
For instance, go to a random web site and use its content and design
as a springboard for your own ideas, no matter how unrelated this
web site may seem. If it’s a commercial site, how are products being
sold? Are there advertisements on this site? What kinds of links do
they have, and how are they organized? Or select a random picture
from a magazine, book, or web site and follow the same principles as
outlined above for random words.
Let your imagination run wild. You’ll be surprised and pleased with how
many innovative ideas occur to you when you practice this technique.
Let your
imagination
run wild
56
2) SCAMPER
The SCAMPER technique is another method of forcing yourself to
approach your problem from unusual angles. SCAMPER is an acronym
that stands for: “Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Other
Purposes, Eliminate, Rearrange/Reverse.” The point in this technique
is to use these directions as the basis for a series of questions about the
problem you are trying to solve.
Begin by thinking about substitutions for parts of your product or
service. What would happen if you switched materials, people, time or
location? Could you better your product or service by substituting one
element with something else? Often, people hit on brilliant ways to
improve their ideas by forcing themselves to consider substitutes.
Then think about combining two or more parts of your product or service.
Can you decrease the time it takes to do something by doing two things
at once? Can you use a single process to accomplish two end results? Can
you make things more efficient by blending different elements?
The next step is to think about adapting the product or service-what
about it could you possibly change? Then, as a corollary to adaptation,
consider what would happen if you warped a given feature, making it
bigger or smaller, for example-this is modification.
Next, ask yourself if there is any way your product or service could be
recycled to serve some other purpose besides the one it was originally
intended for. For example, a coffee bean grinder is not just useful for
grinding whole coffee beans-it can also be used to grind up whole spices.
Ask yourself if
there is any
way your
product or
service could
be recycled to
serve some
other purpose
besides the
one it was
originally
intended for
57
Think of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. That product is used for so many
different things ranging from toothpaste all the way to an air freshener and
baking ingredient. What else can your product do or be used for?
The second-to-last step is to hypothetically eliminate part of the
product or service. What would be the consequence of removing a step
or section of it? How would you handle the situation? This will force
you to consider alternative solutions.
Finally, gain new perspective on your problem by looking at it from
different angles. If it’s a service, reverse the order in which it’s
performed. If it’s a product, turn it around of upside down. Changing the
way you look at something can enable you to see its hidden potential.
3) Analogy
An analogy is when you use the word “is like” to compare one thing to
another. In the analogy technique, you use comparisons as a way to see
your situation from new angles. For example, if you think your job, as a
salesperson is similar to being an actor, you might say: “Making a sales
pitch is like playing a role in a theater production.” Now step back and
analyze why you feel this way. Consider both sides of the analogy and
try to see why they might be related. In this example, perhaps the
comparison is that both a salesman and an actor need to follow a script
but also remain in the moment, ready to improvise if the situation calls
for it. A good actor is one who feeds off and responds to his audience,
and this is also what a salesperson must do. This analogy could lead to
the creation of actual scripts for new sales people. And just like an actor
in different scenes, you could have different scripts for different sales
situations like on the phone, in person, or in an email.
Gain new
perspective
on your
problem by
looking at it
from different
angles
58
Making an analogy is a great way to approach your problem, because it
helps you see how other related fields tackle similar issues. Then you
can apply those solutions to your own situation.
4) Brainwriting
This technique is very similar to brainstorming, but with an important
difference. Brainwriting is a process in which a person writes down all
of his own ideas, rather than sharing them out loud with a group. Then
he passes his written ideas to the next person, who uses those ideas as
stimulus to come up with even more ideas. This can be extremely
helpful for people who are more visual than auditory, or for groups in
which there is still some tension over sharing ideas out loud.
5) Free association
This is another technique that is quite similar, though not identical, to
brainstorming. In a brainstorming session, participants come up with ideas
related to a central problem or issue. In free association, however,
participants start with a “trigger,” and then let their thoughts go in any
direction, one thought generating the next, in a sort of stream of
consciousness. This can result in extremely unusual and creative solutions.
6) Provocation
The technique of provocation stimulates your brain to think about new
ideas by shocking it with “stupid” assumptions. In other words, you’re
provoking yourself into thinking in new and different ways by saying
something that is patently untrue. The point is to say something so silly
The
technique of
provocation
stimulates
your brain to
think about
new ideas by
shocking it
with “stupid”
assumptions
59
that you can then suspend all judgment and let your mind wander into
new territory. For example, you could say, “Bikes do not have wheels.”
A dumb sentence, but once you start considering it, your mind is free to
explore the unknown. Perhaps it was a sentence like this that led to the
invention of the stationery exercise bike!!
7) Role-storming
This technique is similar to brainstorming, except that you try to find
solutions by putting yourself into the mindset of another person.
Freeing yourself up by assuming another identity can be an incredibly
powerful way to generate new ideas. So think of someone you know or
invent a new identity; then say to yourself, “Hmm, I believe this person
would suggest....” Don’t censor yourself-that’s the point of entering
another person’s headspace! If you get stuck, change roles. You can do
this many different times, assuming several different identities.
8) Relaxation
It is virtually impossible to think effectively when you are stressed out
or feeling harried. You tell yourself you have to come up with a solution,
and the pressure causes you to have even more trouble solving your
problem. The best ideas come out of a relaxed state in which your mind
is open wide. So make sure to find time for activities that relax you.
One of the best ways to do this is to meditate. Find a comfortable area,
like a spot on the floor, and lay there with your back on the floor, arms
outstretched, neck relaxed. Ensure that you won’t be interrupted or
disturbed. Starting with the top of your head, visualize each part of
Freeing
yourself up
by assuming
another
identity can
be an
incredibly
powerful way
to generate
new ideas
60
your body and focus on relaxing the muscles there. Relax your neck
muscles, your shoulders, your back, your arms, your hips, your legs,
your ankles, and your toes.
For more creativity techniques than we have room for here, visit the
web site www.CreativeThinkingOnline.com (which is also the source
for the techniques we’ve discussed here).
Continuously Improving Your CreativityThe wonderful thing about creative thinking techniques is that they
don’t just change the way you do business-they change the way you
think and feel. Once you start experimenting with these techniques,
you’ll begin to realize all the ways you’ve been stifled. You’ll recognize
your own habits, and you’ll see how tempting it can be to have a routine
instead of trying new things. You’ll come to terms with your fear of
making mistakes, and you’ll learn to question the beliefs and
convictions of the status quo. You’ll understand that work doesn’t have
to be boring-and that playing creative “games” like the ones above are
actually a powerful tool for unlocking hidden creative talent. You’ll
overcome your self-doubt and open yourself up to experimentation.
Doesn’t this all sound great?
But wait, it gets even better! Creative thinking doesn’t just benefit you.
It won’t change your life alone. The effects of creative thinking have a
way of getting into the air, and creating a new atmosphere, so that
EVERYONE benefits and starts to see the world in new ways.
The
wonderful
thing about
creative
thinking
techniques is
that they
don’t just
change the
way you do
business-they
change the
way you
think and feel
61
It’s so easy to stomp on a person’s feelings, telling him, “That’s an
impractical idea” or “That will never work.” This kind of criticism can
create unwanted tension, and that makes EVERYONE in the area feel
inhibited and self-defensive. That’s exactly what we DON’T want,
because it hinders the creative ability.
In order for creativity to flourish, we need a sense of freedom and safety.
And how can we ensure those things? By insisting on positive,
constructive language and interactions with others.
Positive vs. Negative Language
An Idea Critic An Idea Supporter
Would Say: Would Say:
“No.” “That’s a good idea!”
“No one will go for that.” “Let’s prove to the boss that we can do it!”
“It’s never going to happen.” “How can we get it to work?”
Don’t dismiss the effects of positive thinking and positive
encouragement in the workplace (or anywhere, for that matter). You
surely know how amazing it feels to be happy, productive, efficient, and
proud of yourself. You also know that when even one person is in such
a good mood, that good mood is infectious. It’s the same with
creativity! When even one person starts to think creatively,
implementing creative thinking techniques and shifting the negatives
to positives, the whole office benefits.
But the best part of all is that all the positive energy you put out is going
to come back to you in the end. When you listen to others and
Don’t dismiss
the effects of
positive
thinking and
positive
encouragement
in the
workplace and
anywhere else
62
encourage their ideas, no matter how quirky, others will listen to you
and indulge your ideas, too. If you express your appreciation for others’
participation in brainstorming sessions, participation is going to get
more and more efficient and productive. If you make others feel
valuable for contributing, they’ll make you feel valuable for your
contributions, too. If you create a fluid environment in which others
feel they can suggest solutions to help you fix your problems, you can
suggest solutions to them without causing animosity or defensiveness.
If you give others the freedom to work out their solutions as they see fit,
they’ll give you the freedom to explore your ideas, too. If you don’t
constantly judge and criticize others, they won’t judge and criticize you.
And because creative thinking involves people from all levels of an
organization, from all departments, from all backgrounds and interests,
you will soon become very comfortable mingling with both your
subordinates and your superiors.
Creative thinking is a continuous process. As I’ve said above, there’s no
end to the possibilities for improvement and invention, so there’s no
reason for you ever to stop being creative. When you help create an
environment in which creativity is nurtured, appreciated, supported and
encouraged, you guarantee yourself a place in which you can continue
to grow as a creative thinker and to strive endlessly toward success.
Creative
thinking is a
continuous
process
63
CHAPTER 6: Mind Mapping
What is Mind Mapping?When you brainstorm and do your creative thinking techniques, you’ll
find yourself overflowing with ideas. It’s exciting to have so many new
thoughts and plans at your fingertips, but it can also be incredibly
overwhelming! What on earth should you do with all that information?
Mind mapping is the secret weapon of creative thinkers. It’s a powerful
tool for organizing your ideas and is also a form of visual brainstorming
in and of itself. Developed in the 1960s by a man named Tony Buzan,
mind maps are incredibly popular-used by millions of people all across
the globe-because they are stunningly effective.
Basically, a mind map starts off with a central point-a main subject,
thought, worry, problem, idea, what have you. After writing this
main point down in the center of a piece of paper, you simply let your
mind go, allowing the momentum of your thought process carry you.
New ideas are noted down, in two key words or less, as branches
extending from the central idea, and then related ideas appear as
offshoots of those initial branches. As you continue, the map will
grow increasingly complex.
As with brainstorming, you shouldn’t let yourself judge or criticize any
thought that occurs to you during this process! Just get your thoughts
down on paper. You can go wherever your mind takes you, from the
Mind
mapping is
the secret
weapon of
creative
thinkers
64
upper right-hand corner to the bottom left-hand corner, from one
branch to another branch. There’s no path to follow; this is non-linear
thinking in its very essence.
In short, a mind map is an incredibly useful graphic technique that has
the power to unlock your mind’s potential. It uses words, colors,
numbers, images, and spatial relationships to gives your ideas a visual
representation, and at the same time it allows you to delve deep into the
corners of your brain. By starting with a focal point and moving
outward, a mind map can help you to illustrate thought pathways, to
hold and arrange data, to present the details and the overview
simultaneously, and to understand how you might want to plan a course
of action. Mind maps are also very attractive to look at, much more so
than a simple spreadsheet or a long, rambling list you’ve made on the fly.
If you’ve never mind-mapped, get ready to become addicted!! Once you
try it, you’ll never turn back!
Mind Mapping in 6 Easy StepsStep 1) Armed with a large piece of blank paper and pens or pencils in
several different colors, envision the problem or issue that you are going
to consider in your mind map. Refer to your problem statement and
place this issue in the middle of your blank page. The reason for putting
it in the center of the page is so that your ideas and associations can
spiral out in whatever direction they want to go. And try to use as few
words as possible-you want to get to the core of the problem, so don’t
write paragraphs or even full sentences!!
Use thepower ofmindmapping tounlock thepower ofyour mind’spotential
65
Step 2) Let loose and allow your mind to go wherever it wants. Start
free-associating and don’t censor yourself.
Step 3) Once the ideas start to flow, begin to write them down on
your sheet of paper, on lines that branch out from the central point.
Use one- or two-word descriptions. As those ideas start to spawn
new ideas, create more branches and sub-branches. It’s very
important to write down ALL of your ideas, because so many ideas
can be lost during this process otherwise.
Step 4) It’s a fact that our brains like to go through 5- or 6-minute
creative bursts, so take advantage of this explosion of ideas while it lasts!
That means you should work as quickly as possible. You can use simple
key words or phrases, pictures, symbols, or anything else you want to get
your thoughts down on paper FAST.
Step 5) Always keep your hand moving. If you can’t think of any new
ideas, draw a branch and leave it blank. Your mind will help you fill it
in later. If you’re really stuck, choose a different colored pen. And if
you find that mind mapping on a smaller sheet of paper cramps your
style, use an easel or something even bigger so that you can draw bigger
branches and make bigger movements with your body.
Step 6) If you see associations between different things you’ve written
down, connect them with sub-branches. If an idea doesn’t seem
related to anything you’ve written down yet, connect it to the central
point with a main branch. Although mind maps are great for
organization, you can always reorganize things later on. Remember
Start free-
associating
and don’t
censor
yourself
66
that the main goal of mind mapping is to get your thoughts down on
paper before they leave your head!
Some additional tips:
l You don’t have to use standard letter-sized paper if you don’t want
to. After all, you’re not writing a letter or a typical business
document. Use poster paper or an easel if you want! Use crayons
or markers if you feel like it! Remember that this is a creative
process-there are no boundaries!
l There are different types of software that you can use to help you in
the brainstorming process. They will actually create the mind map
for you and some of them even enable you to export the information
into other programs. The advantage of using some software is it
helps to keep your ideas organized. The disadvantage is it sometimes
slows down the creative process. For a full review of different types
please visit www.CreativitySoftware.com.
l I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: don’t censor yourself!! Write
down anything and everything that occurs to you, even if it may not
seem related at first. The mind works in mysterious ways-sometimes
it comes up with connections that you won’t recognize until later on.
Also, if you ignore a thought because you think it’s unimportant,
chances are your mind will keep going back to it at the expense of
other potentially brilliant ideas! So just jot it down and move on.
l Because bursts creativity can happen at any moment, keep an
“idea journal” or “idea binder” where you can quickly write down
Get your
thoughts
down on
paper before
they leave
your head
67
ideas as they come to you. This journal can also serve as a
reference or additional stimuli when you need ideas for another
problem down the road.
Uses for Mind MappingMind mapping is a phenomenally useful tool, not just for visualizing the
results of a brainstorming session but also for a number of other
organizational tasks. It’s particularly great for any activity that requires
you to think quickly but still arrange your thoughts in some way. Here
are some of the ways that creative thinkers put mind maps to good use:
1) Brainstorming
Mind maps are the ideal way to represent the information that comes
out of a brainstorming or free association session because they’re non-
linear and can grow and grow and grow with no limit. Like a spider’s
web, these maps can expand outward in infinite circles. The central
issue of the brainstorming session sits at the center of the mind map, and
all the spontaneous ideas form the branches that shoot out from that
center. It doesn’t matter how quickly the stream of association’s flow-
the mind map will accommodate them all.
2) Writing
Many writers are huge fans of mind mapping because it is a way to make
an incredibly arduous and often frustrating process-writing-a heck of a
lot easier. If you just sit down to write an essay or an article from start
Like a spider’s
web, these
maps can
expand
outward in
infinite circles
68
to finish, you’ll probably wind up banging your head against the wall.
That’s because the linear process of writing from introduction to
conclusion is almost impossible to do well-the mind just doesn’t
naturally run in straight lines!
A mind map is a surefire cure for writer’s block. Starting with one
central point and then working outward in branches frees up the mind
and allows a writer to put down on paper ANY thoughts that occur, not
just the thoughts that he or she believes should come next.
Mind maps also enable writers to get material down quickly. Our minds
often work faster than we can write-no sooner do you finish writing one
sentence than the thought you intended to convey in the next sentence
has vanished! Well, with mind maps-which include only one- or two-
word descriptions of core ideas-a writer can put down every single
thought and then go back later to flesh them all out.
3) Process organization
It can be incredibly frustrating to think about an entire process all at once.
It’s hard to keep the end in sight when you’re working on the beginning,
and it’s difficult to focus on what you’re doing right now when it’s not
separated from the next task. Mind maps are a great way to quickly chop
up a process into manageable pieces. By separating a process into its
components, each task becomes much easier to accomplish.
4) Presentations
Anyone who’s in the position of giving a talk to an audience is faced
with the dilemma of how to express one’s ideas-not only orally, but
A mind map
is a surefire
cure for
writer’s block
69
visually, as well! There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that lectures
accompanied by visual aids are more effective in keeping the audience’s
attention than lectures without any sort of visual aids.
Mind maps are an excellent visual accompaniment to talks, because
they present the kernel of each idea without distracting from the
speaker him or herself. It’s up there for the audience to see, but it’s not
so elaborate or detailed that it draws attention away from the lecturer.
5) Note-taking
One of the challenges of being a student or attending a seminar is
finding a note-taking system that works for you. Some people just
scribble all over a page with no rhyme or reason. Others are incredibly
neat, paying more attention to writing down an outline of the professor
or speaker’s presentation than they do to the actual lecture itself! Still
other people give up entirely and don’t take any notes at all. Those who
mind-map, however, know that mind mapping is the perfect way to
organize notes on the fly. It allows you to write down a speaker’s key
ideas without spending all your time with your head buried in your
notebook. It also makes your notes visually interesting, which makes it
easier when it comes time to study. Mind mapping just might be the
ideal way for you to take notes!
In a way, mind mapping is a perfect synthesis of everything we’ve been
talking about in this book. It embodies the five rules of creative
thinking, refuses to let us censor ourselves for fear of judgment, forces
Mind maps
are an
excellent visual
accompaniment
to talks
70
us to trust in the creative potential of our minds, and stimulates an
ongoing cycle of even greater creativity. It incorporates images,
symbols and colors, because all these things can stimulate our senses
in various ways and enable us to see new associations between
seemingly different ideas. And it represents visually the unlimited
potential of the creative mind: not stilted linear progression but rather
an organic, endless expansion of ideas.
The creativemind hasunlimitedpotential
71
CHAPTER 7:Creativity In Action
Short Stories on Creativity in ActionOkay, so it’s one thing to read about creative thinking techniques in
theory, but how do you go about implementing them in your own life?
You’ve read the broad strokes, but what about the nitty-gritty, the
essential details? How do you create an environment in which you are
free to think your thoughts? How can you encourage others to follow
your lead? What can you do if someone’s resistant to your attempts, or
if you’re not meeting with the success you expected?
In this final section I’m going to talk about a number of real-life
scenarios that present challenges to the creative thinker. You’ll learn
how to prepare yourself for the difficult situations that will inevitably
arise once you commit to a creative lifestyle. After all, as we said way
back at the beginning of this book, mediocrity is easy-it’s being new and
different that’s hard. And that’s what makes it worthwhile in the end.
1) How to Respond to New Ideas
Once you’ve started practicing creative thinking techniques, you and
those you work with will be generating an enormous number of ideas.
At the brainstorming stage, no idea is silly or irrelevant, but since we’re
trained to be critical it can be quite difficult at times to keep this in
Mediocrity is
easy-it’s
being new
and different
that’s hard
72
mind. It is very easy to shoot down someone’s idea-all it takes is a “No”
or a “That won’t work.” But you’ve got to be careful not to be
dismissive. People are defensive creatures, and if our ideas meet with
disapproval we’re likely to stop sharing them in the first place.
Even if an idea seems like it might be impractical in the long run, you’ve
got to give it its due consideration. Remember that no one offers ideas
that have absolutely no merit at all. Try to think about the reasons why
a person might make a particular suggestion. See if from their point of
view. The more you consider it, the likelier it is that you’ll see some
angle of the suggestion which is useful to you.
Because we’re so used to letting negatives jump right out of our mouths,
it may be useful to have on hand a number of responses to ideas that
others have suggested to you. Here are few especially versatile ones:
l That sounds interesting. Can you tell me a bit more?
l How would you go about implementing this?
l What are the advantages, and how can we eliminate or minimize
the disadvantages?
l How can we get the resources to accomplish this?
l Let’s take this idea apart and see if we can use small parts of it to fix
the current situation.
l Let’s make time to see if this will work.
Remember
that no one
offers ideas
that have
absolutely no
merit at all
73
If an idea really is just plain unworkable, it’s up to you to explain that in
a rational, appreciative way. Of course, this is impossible to do unless
you make a sincere effort to listen and understand it in the first place.
2) What to Do When Brainstorming Goes Bad
Brainstorming is an essential component of creative thinking, but it
doesn’t always run as smoothly as we’d like it to-especially when we’re
working in groups. Any time you have a number of people together
in the same room you’re inviting the potential for trouble. Not
everyone has the same ability to let go of inhibitions-some
participants in a brainstorming session might just naturally be quieter
than others because they are intrinsically shy. People might be stuck
in a rut and unable to think outside the box. Or some group members
who are new to brainstorming might think the process is “silly” and
be reluctant to get fully involved.
There are a few steps you can and should take in order to get your
brainstorming session back on track.
First, explain the rules of creativity again. Make sure that everyone
understands them and agrees to abide by them. Remind everyone that
criticism-whether verbal or physical, as in facial expressions or body
language-stifles creativity, and that all ideas can serve as stimulus for others.
Second, consider breaking the group up into smaller sub-groups. This
will encourage the quiet group members to do more talking and will
make them feel less on display. It will allow people to get to know each
other better and to relax a bit more.
Brainstorming
is an essential
component of
creative
thinking
74
Third, if there’s one person in the room who persists in being critical,
get him or her to leave, or avoid inviting him or her to the next session.
Consider bringing in new people from other departments-they might be
able to offer fresh perspectives.
Fourth, if the energy in the room seems to be sagging, ask everyone to
get up and move around. Take a bit of a break. Play some relaxing
music or tell a few jokes. Distract your mind for a couple of minutes.
Get everyone’s mind off the problem for a few minutes, so that you can
all come back to it refreshed.
Finally, introduce some of the creative thinking techniques outlined
above. Change up the techniques so that the group doesn’t get stuck
in a creative rut.
If, at the end of all this, you still haven’t met with successful, do some
hard thinking about whether it was the brainstorming session that failed
or whether the solution you’re already using is the best one and doesn’t
need improvement. Think about inviting different people next time,
and eliminate any elements that did not seem to you to go well.
3) What to Do If You Are the Victim of Bad Brainstorming
The techniques for brainstorming seem fairly straightforward: open
your mind, consider a set of stimuli, and let the ideas flow out without
censorship. In practice, however, brainstorming-when done badly-
can be an exhausting, frustrating experience. This is especially true
when you’re new to brainstorming and don’t know quite what to
expect. You may feel like you’re on the spot, and you might not want
Change up
techniques so
that the
group doesn’t
get stuck in a
creative rut
75
to share all your ideas. You may still be hesitant to say things that
seem silly to you. Or perhaps you’re part of a brainstorming session
that is badly run or that includes outspoken, critical participants. If
you are feeling nervous, frustrated, agitated, persecuted or mocked,
don’t take it personally-just participate as much as you can and then
let the leader know how you feel.
Here are some suggestions for making the best of an awkward situation:
l If you feel uncomfortable sharing your ideas out loud, write them
down on a piece of paper and give them to the leader, or pass the
paper to someone else and ask him to read it for you.
l If you want to speak up but are afraid of looking silly, preface your
comments with a phrase like, “This might sound a little foolish,
but....” If you find yourself facing criticism, explain that even
outlandish ideas can be worked into practical solutions.
l Make a sign of approval whenever you hear or see someone following
the creative rules. Likewise, murmur your disapproval whenever
someone criticizes someone else or otherwise breaks the rules. This
may help get the session back on track.
Who knows? Even a terrible brainstorming session has the potential to
produce a winning idea!
4) How to Build a Creative Environment
Even the most creative people feel stifled in environments that are not
conducive to free thinking. You can’t expect people to generate
If you find
yourself facing
criticism,
explain that
even
outlandish
ideas can be
worked into
practical
solutions
76
cutting-edge solutions to problems if they don’t feel comfortable
expressing themselves. And ideas can’t be turned into practical
solutions without explicit support.
If you are in a place that inhibits creative thinking, here are some steps
you can take to improve the atmosphere:
l Don’t criticize others, and stop others from being critical, too.
Thank people for their suggestions and encourage them to share
their thoughts with you often.
l Don’t just listen and nod-practice ACTIVE listening and ask
thoughtful questions that show you understand what someone has
just told you. For example, if you don’t understand an idea
completely, ask, “Can you give more detail?” If you want someone
to elaborate on a process, say, “How do you see that working?” If a
portion of an idea did not make total sense to you, ask, “What did
you mean by XYZ?”
l Ask others for their opinions and ideas. This will encourage them
to come to you with suggestions in the future, and it will also create
a sense of mutual confidence and respect between coworkers.
l Organize, run and participate in your own brainstorming sessions. If
you do a good job and your group generates lots of great concepts,
others will hurry to follow your lead.
l Make a list of problems and issues that need to be addressed. Post
this list and invite people to share their thoughts and suggestions
with the whole office.
Ideas can’t be
turned into
practical
solutions
without
explicit
support
77
l When you come up with a great idea, explain that it’s the result of
creative thinking techniques. When others hear this they will
probably want you to tell them more about it.
l Realize that you can’t change corporate culture overnight. Lead by
example and give it some time. When people start noticing your
successes, they’ll quickly follow.
l Be an idea collector so that you always have a collection of
GREAT ideas at your fingertips. Gather both related and
unrelated stimuli and use them to nudge your mind during your
next brainstorming session!!
When people
start noticing
your
successes,
they’ll quickly
follow
78
USEFUL WEB SITE LINKS
General creativity sites:www.MyIdeaGuy.com
www.CreativeThinkingOnline.com
www.CreativitySoftware.com
www.Ideas4Everything.com
www.StimuliSessions.com
Visit thesesites forgreat ideas
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DEFINITIONSBrain Storming: An uncensored, organic process for generating new ideas.
Creative Thinking: Using various techniques to improve your
ability to create new ideas.
Creativity: The ability to implement innovative ideas.
Life Goggles: The lens through which you filter, perceive, and react
to stimuli. Life goggles are a function of your collective life
experiences that you bring to every situation. It’s the thing that
makes you see the world the way you do.
Mind Mapping: A technique for representing ideas visually.
New Ideas: Innovative, original thoughts or concepts.
Problem: Something that presents difficulties and therefore demands
to be improved upon or corrected. For creative thinkers, problem is
synonymous with opportunity!
Stimuli: Anything you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Provides an
external “nudge” that feeds your brain and helps you crank out new ideas.
For creative
thinkers,
problem is
synonymous
with
opportunity!
80
INDEX Accomplishment, 9, 11
Achieving, 12
Action, 6, 9, 39, 42, 65
Ambition, 32, 35
Benefits, 47, 49, 61, 62
Big ideas, 30
Brainstorming, 19, 20, 21, 22, 35, 37, 45, 46,47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 59, 60, 62, 64, 65,68, 72, 74, 76, 77, 78, 80
Challenges, 4, 12, 13, 35, 37, 71, 72
Change, 5, 10, 20, 40, 42, 43, 47, 48, 52, 58,60, 61, 79
Characteristics, 31, 34
Circumstance, 6, 23
Comfort zones, 8
Consider, 6, 18, 25, 35, 57, 58, 66, 73, 75, 76
Consistent results, 8
Contentment, 9
Control, 2, 10
Create, 6, 11, 18, 28, 33, 39, 43, 47, 49, 54,61, 62, 63, 66, 72, 78, 81
Creative abilities, 16, 32
Creative beings, 15
Creative geniuses, 18, 31
Creative ideas, 4, 21
Creative instinct, 7, 17
Creative people, 31, 43, 77
Creative possibilities, 30, 43
Creative process, 17, 18, 19, 22, 39, 47, 67
Creative resources, 7
Creative talent, 61
Creative thinker, 7, 9, 14, 21, 23, 33, 37, 63,72
Creative ways, 10
Creativity, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 21, 30,32, 41, 43, 44, 46, 60, 61, 62, 63, 71, 75, 80
Cultivated, 14
Discover, 14, 15, 36
Endeavors, 38
Exciting, 6, 8, 20, 28, 30, 36, 52, 55, 64
Explore, 17, 18, 34, 35, 36, 62
Exposure, 10
Failure, 5, 37, 39, 41
Fear, 5, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 50, 60, 71
Financial gains, 9
Freedom, 11, 12, 14, 35, 45, 48, 61, 62
Generate ideas, 16
Great ideas, 14, 21, 22, 23, 30, 48, 54
Habits, 7, 60
Harnessing, 32
Hurdles, 12
Ideas, 4, 6, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 37,38, 39, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53,54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 62, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69,70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78, 81
Implementing, 19, 62, 72, 73
Improve, 38, 48, 57, 78, 81
Inhibitions, 19, 50, 74
Inspiration, 6, 7, 9, 27, 80
Inventions, 12, 14
Leadership, 10
Learning experiences, 12
81
INDEX Maximum productivity, 14
Mind mapping, 67, 69, 71
Money, 4, 9, 12, 13, 30, 41
New ideas, 9, 14, 17, 21, 22, 25, 41, 42, 45, 46,47, 50, 66, 67, 81
Obstacles, 3, 11, 12
Opportunities, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 31, 32, 37
Original ideas, 9, 54
Perspective, 30, 58
Planning, 19
Positioning, 5
Positive energy, 62
Possibilities, 7, 15, 27, 35, 43, 62
Potential, 4, 5, 7, 15, 30, 33, 35, 36, 38, 40,58, 65, 71, 74, 77
Preparation, 50
Problem, 4, 6, 12, 29, 44, 45, 46, 47, 52, 55,57, 58, 59, 60, 64, 66, 75, 81
Process, 7, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 58, 59, 62, 64,65, 69, 70, 74, 81
Profitable, 8
Rewards, 8, 9, 32
Risk, 32, 37, 40
Roadblocks, 12, 13
Rules, 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 50, 51, 56, 71, 75, 77
Satisfaction, 9
Secret weapon, 64
Secure, 10
Self-reliant, 10
Skills, 11, 31
Small ideas, 30
Solutions, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 34, 38,41, 42, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 58, 59, 60, 62, 77
Springboard, 52, 56
Stimuli, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 45, 52,54, 55, 76, 81
Success, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 19, 22,31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 50, 63,72
Technique, 21, 45, 47, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 65,81
Thinking, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20, 24, 28, 32, 34,35, 38, 44, 47, 50, 54, 55, 57, 60, 61, 62, 64,65, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79
Think-tank, 12
Triumphs, 11
Wellbeing, 9