Find your creativity on a map.
1 "Where are you physically located when you get your best ideas?" asks Michael J. Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (Dell Books, 2000). For most of us, it's lying in bed, taking a bath, or showering off at the gym - anywhere but in the office. "So, what's going on in the shower, the bath, or lying in bed that isn't happening at work?" asks Gelb. "People's minds are free, because they are relaxed. Fear of failure and pressure to get the right answer or to look good is not there when you are lying in bed. So the mind goes out of its habitual patterns and starts to awaken and express both of its hemispheres. The right hemisphere, which is more imaginative, is free to play. The left hemisphere is relaxed enough that it can reflect on what the imagination puts forth, and the result is most people's best thinking." Once you figure out where you get your best ideas, says Gelb, "Remember to keep your notebook in that place!"
Jot and scribble.
2 "When people talk about wanting to get out of the box and be more creative, it's good to start by understanding 'what is the box,' " says Gelb. The box, he says, is linear, step-by-step thinking - the kind you use to do expense reports and memos. He suggests following da Vinci's lead and keeping a notebook, which doesn't have to have a beginning, middle, or end. "You can express in your notebook your reflections on whatever happens to come through your mind: questions, new ideas, interesting quotes." Keeping a journal can help you hold on to those ideas that so often pop up out of the blue and just as quickly fade away.
Use all of your senses.
3 "You can use one of the great secrets of creative geniuses throughout history, which is to cross-reference the senses," says Gelb. The technique has been implemented by not only great artists, but by scientific masterminds such as Albert Einstein. "Listen to music and describe it in color and shape," explains Gelb. "Taste a great wine and describe it as music." These exercises help you to sharpen all of your senses, and teach you to think about things on a broader scale.
Open your thinking with speech.
4 "The language that we use to describe a problem really determines how we are going to go about solving it," says Roger Firestien, Ph.D., president of Innovation Resources Inc. in Williamsville, New York, and associate professor at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College, in Buffalo, New York. "There's a big difference between saying 'We don't have the money' as opposed to 'How do we raise the money?' or 'How do we reduce the cost?' " says Firestien. "The first statement is going to block your thinking. It says there is no possibility of ideas available. The last two are going to open your mind to the possibilities of ideas out there."
Generate many ideas.
5 "The more ideas we have to choose from, the greater our chances of coming up with a good idea," says Firestien. He recommends withholding any prejudgment of the ideas, and coming up with as many as 50 when trying to solve a problem. Research shows that idea generating sessions can be broken down into three phases. "About the first ten to fifteen ideas tend to be the usual ideas people have thought of before," says Firestien. "From about idea fifteen to about thirty, more unusual ideas begin to surface. Then from idea thirty to forty or forty-five, that's when the new innovations tend to come; that's when the breakthroughs come." So if you're only generating a few ideas for solving a problem, you're not really allowing yourself to be creative.
Evaluate ideas positively.
6 "It doesn't make a lot of sense, after you've spent a lot of time generating several ideas, to then select an idea and talk about why it won't work," says Firestien. Instead, take an idea and talk about its strengths and potentials first, then address any concerns. "And when you talk about the concerns, phrase them like a problem statement," says Firestien (see number 4). Positive phrasing gives you the opportunity to overcome any concerns, instead of squelching an idea before it has been fully explored.
Get curious.
7 Firestien has studied highly creative individuals for years now. "And there's only one thing that sets these individuals apart," he says: curiosity. These people become intensely curious about some aspect of their lives, then focus on that thing. That curiosity to deeply explore a variety of things helps them to broaden their experiences and stimulate their minds. "So if you want to get creative again, get curious again." Start by asking the simplest of questions: "How?" and "Why?"
Train the brain.
8 Use the training packet, Creativity for Success, offered by Stillwater, Oklahoma-based McGoff Creativity, and assess your creative strengths and weaknesses. The first step is to take the self-test and mail it in for your profile. Then, read the book, Creativity for Success, by Dr. Kathy Goff. Finally, you receive your test results on a CD-ROM, which not only gives your creativity profile, but offers activities to practice the four creativity skills: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. The full packet costs $150; go to www.mcgoffcreativity.com or call (405) 372-0810 for more information.
Go on a thinking expedition.
9 No really, it's an actual expedition. Retired Air Force colonel and military innovator Rolf Smith, now managing director of the Virtual Thinking Expedition Company (vTx), helps groups undertake the "Seven Levels of Change," beginning with "Doing the right things" and ending with "Doing things that can't be done." Smith's typical expeditions are three to four days long, each day often lasting 15 to 18 hours. Participants learn how to use the seven levels of thinking to tap into creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement. www.thinking-expedition.com
Get stuck in the Creativity Web.
10 This site is full of resources for developing creativity and innovative thinking. Learn about creativity basics, try the "10 Creativity Kick Starts," or get some exercise in the "Mental Workout Center." It's a great site to educate yourself on creativity principles and to test out different techniques for developing creative skills. http://members.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative
Get enchanted.
11"Everything you do that is not habit is creative," instructs The Enchanted Mind, another Web site that will help you develop creativity. Discover the attributes of a creative mind, play games, and solve puzzles designed to help change the way you think (or at least drive you crazy), or find inspirational messages and humor to keep you on track for creative thinking. You can also order puzzle and joke books, and find links to other sites dedicated to creativity. http://enchantedmind.com/
Be an innovation leader.
12 If you want to not only develop your own creativity, but help your organization become more innovative, the InnovationNetwork is the site for you. Learn about "Innovation DNA," then find experts, books, and best practices to implement innovation for yourself and your organization. There's also an Innovation Leaders Community where you can interact with peers, and the Innovation University, an intense program combining both online education and in-person meetings dedicated to developing creativity. www.thinksmart.com
Read a book.
13 To open your mind, open a book. How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael J. Gelb (Dell Books, 2000)
Quantum Creativity: Nine Principles to Transform the Way You Work by Pamela Meyer (Contemporary Books, 2000)
The Little Book of Big Ideas: Inspiration, Encouragement & Tips to Stimulate Creativity and Improve Your Life by Harold R. McAlindon, Michael Michalko (Cumberland House, 1999)
A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger Von Oech (Warner Books, 1998)
Aha!: 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas by Jordan E. Ayan (Crown Publishing, 1997)
The 7 Levels of Change by Rolf Smith (Summit Publishing Group, 1997)
Break Out of the Box: Techniques for Achieving Breakthroughs by Mike Vance and Diane Deacon (Career Press, 1996)
Leading on the Creative Edge by Dr. Roger L. Firestien (Pinon Press, 1996)
Five Star Mind: Games and Exercises to Stimulate Your Creativity and Imagination by Tom Wujec (Main Street Books, 1995)
Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko (Ten Speed Press, 1991)