A Change to Save Guide
How To Unstick Yourself Inspiring ways to plan and move forward using creative thinking techniques
By Trudy Thompson Social Entrepreneur & Business Mentor
Feel free to share this guide with anyone you think will find it helpful All we ask is please donate £1 to Bricks and Bread Charitable Foundation, so we can provide even more free mentoring and creative thinking workshops to inspire and support more people in following their ambitions.
Please donate £1 To donate send a text to 70070 from any mobile saying - BBHB33 £1 Or go to the website www.bricksandbread.org.uk
Welcome! In this guide I share some of the creative thinking techniques I use to inspire and enable myself (and the people I mentor) to achieve things that were once just ideas. If you practise using these methods until it becomes part of your everyday thinking it will take you beyond where most people think and onto a level that will generate ground breaking and life changing ideas. Creative thinking is far more than just a fun way to occasionally do a brainstorming session. I use creative thinking in my daily activities to decide what I really want to do, to plan how I will do it, to keep me motivated and in difficult times it helps me stay calm and solve problems. I discovered creative thinking techniques over a decade ago when I was trying to make great changes happen in my life. At the time, I knew I needed to do something different but I just couldn’t see which direction to take. I had good ideas that would fill me with enthusiasm, but those thoughts were muffled by the louder voice of my fears which was questioning those ideas and letting me talk myself out of doing anything about them, leaving me completely stuck! As an ambitious business woman the only way I knew how to plan and achieve my goals was by writing a standard formal business plan and to then rely on the desire to earn money to create enough incentive for me to make things happen. Yet neither of these methods let me truly explore what I really wanted to do and I knew I had to find another way to do this, which is what led me to find out about creative thinking. When I first started creative thinking I used it to spark my imagination and inspire myself by doing something arty and brainstorm ideas at the same time, this made me feel happy and light hearted but I still held onto my belief that in order to make important, logical, life changing decisions it should feel more serious and be more difficult to do. So while my early attempts at creative thinking were enjoyable and it did give me a break from the ‘serious’ work and help me find an easier path through a challenging life change, it was a couple of years before I gave myself permission to use it every day for all decisions, no matter how serious they were! The creative thinking methods I use are effective in a conscious way to make decisions, but are more valuable when I trust them to work in a subconscious way. It takes practise to achieve this level and it is easier to learn if you are taught and guided through the process by someone. I muddled through on my own, until I started to meet and surround myself with other people who used creative thinking techniques and then it really started to work for me.
Once I was sure that this simple yet powerful method worked and when I had the evidence of my own experiences to prove what can be achieved by using it, then I started to share it with other people, at first in free advice sessions, then when I saw it working for them too I started charging for my coaching and workshop sessions and donate the income to the Bricks and Bread Charitable Foundation to fund more free mentoring sessions. I have shared my experiences and the creative thinking techniques I use with thousands of people and I’ve seen a lot of inspired people turn their ideas into reality too; Five years later I still offer free advice sessions every Saturday to anyone of any age who wants to start a business or make a big change in their life can book in as many times as they want to get my mentoring. To help the people I coach, I developed a creative thinking technique called Wow mentoring to create a list of what they loved doing, to discover their goals and make it more enjoyable to achieve them. Then I created a programme called Change to Save, which teaches the creative thinking methods I used to create social enterprises and sustainable innovation ventures like Bricks and Bread. The life I live now is deeply fulfilling, I truly live the life that I dreamt of ten years ago and it only became a reality when I fully engaged with creative thinking and was prepared to use it overcome any issues. Using my creative thinking methods, I have achieved incredible things that I am truly proud of (and still amazed) that I was able to do them. I have been able to live completely out of my comfort zone for prolonged periods of time and face huge obstacles that truly frighten me, yet thanks to creative thinking I feel very secure and sure I am doing the right thing, even when I don’t actually have the back-up of experience or knowledge in whatever I am trying to do. This guide shares some useful techniques to get you started on unsticking yourself. If you come to one of my Change to Save creative thinking workshops or book into any of my mentoring advice sessions, you will get the practical support you need to use creative thinking techniques to train your brain to help you achieve your dreams too.
Contents
6 Things That Stop Us Making Change Happen Have Fun With Your Fears! My Wow Mentoring Technique Things That Make You Go Wow! Do This After Writing The First Wow List To Achieve Wow Things Take Tiny Steps More Tips On Taking Tiny Steps What Is Creative Thinking? A – Z Creative Thinking Activity Creativity Has No Excuses 29 Ways To Stay Creative Unconscious Problem Solving Mindfulness Reverse Your Statement To Look At It In A Different Way Ask Good Questions 6 Useful Questions To Help You Cover The Whole Story 44 Ways to Ask a Question Random Word Method Forced Analogy Game Brainstorming Ideas Tips On Brainstorming From A Really Useful Website Look At Your Creative Thinking Ideas From A Fresh Perspective Final Thoughts, Remember These Things Please Donate £1 To Help Us Provide More Free Mentoring
6 Things That Stop Us Making Change Happen You may have great ideas and want to make them happen but then you find that for valid reasons there are things preventing you from taking the first steps. In my initial mentoring sessions with clients they will say that things are holding them back and they want my help to resolve these issues. With a little guidance and some creative thinking techniques most people are able overcome all of these things and unstick themselves without any of the issues changing. In reality there is often one thing that prevents people from achieving their ambitions (I call them wow things) and it is simply the fear of failure. Fear was a life saving reaction when mankind hunted or avoided being hunted for survival, but modern humans rarely need to use fear to survive, instead we seem to use it in a selfdestructive way, as fuel for our anxieties e.g. “I feel afraid that this thing may go wrong, so I need to find a good reason why I can’t do it.” There are many reasons why people feel held back and stuck, but these are the most common ones and this is how I hear them explained;
1.
Money ”I don’t have enough money to do what I want to do” ”I can’t leave my job in case I don’t have money to pay my bills”
2.
Other People ”I don’t want to let down my children/other half/parents” ”If I fail people will think less of me” ”My … thinks I shouldn’t do this” ”My … says I never stick at anything” ”Other people are more successful than me”
3.
Time ”I don’t have enough time” ”I will do it tomorrow”
4.
Knowledge ”I don’t know how to do this or know anyone who can help me” ”I need to get a qualification first” ”I will need to know how to do it before I can start” ”Without qualifications/experience people will not take me seriously”
5.
Skills ”I am not very good at … so I can’t start doing it without help” ”I can’t do this” ”I am not a creative thinker/practical/risk taker”
6.
Health ”I’ve been ill/I am ill” ”I am too tired/old/unfit”
'Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway' Earl Nightingale
Have Fun With Your Fears! Celebrate your mistakes! Instead of being afraid of making mistakes, try seeing failure as a useful way to learn different ways to do things. If you plan to fail rather than just plan to succeed, you are very likely to discover a new way of doing things that adapts your idea and reduces the likelihood of it going wrong! This article is worth reading - http://www.creativitypost.com/create/there_is_no_such_thing_as_failure Before making a plan to create a business or a major change in your life, ask yourself the following questions;
Name a big mistake you have made? (notice how you feel about this) Did you listen to the right inner voice (fear or intuition) when you made that mistake? What changed as a result of making this mistake? What did you learn & was it a valuable lesson? Are you now afraid of making that mistake again? Have you made a similar mistake like that again? Is it really a mistake? (are you ok with it but other people do not approve) Ask yourself what might happen if the current thing you are trying to do goes wrong? How would you deal with this? What would you need to do to turn your project into a mistake? (planning to fail) What would happen if you let go of the fear of it going wrong? What would you do if you knew it could not fail? (notice how you feel about this)
Plan to fail •
List all the threats to your plans
•
List all the ways you can avoid the threats
•
List all the ways you can adapt/overcome them
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” Mark Twain
My Wow Mentoring Technique For more information see www.wowmentoring.com I developed this creative thinking technique and use it in all my mentoring sessions. It helps people focus on what makes them feel good inside, it is easy to use and has helped a lot of people of all ages to kick start a big change in their life, by noticing what things make them go WOW! This method was adapted from something I noticed I was unconsciously doing to inspire myself whenever I needed reminding to be more self-reliant, confident and clear in my head what I really wanted to achieve. How to create your first Wow list
Write a list of all the things that make you go Wow! (See the next page for ideas of wow things for your list)
Put this list in an envelope, write in your diary when you are going to open it - it can be in a week, a month or a year from now.
Before you seal this list in an envelope put these wow things on a second list to add to regularly (ideally every day)
The rules
Most important! Don’t show anyone your Wow list, if you think people will read it you may write what they want to see!
Don’t question, dismiss, edit or limit what you write, if it’s in your head, write it down even if it seems unrealistic or silly.
Don’t wait until the list is perfect, write your list in one session, when you can’t think of more things put it in an envelope.
The first list is never added to after it is sealed in the envelope - it’s a snapshot of where you are now.
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” Margaret Drabble
Why do I need to write this first Wow list and open it at a later date? This is where mentoring support comes in as most people will happily write a list and then after a while stop making steps towards achieving the wow things on the list. Most people need support to allow those ‘wow’ things into their life, if you find yourself needing help to do this book a mentoring session to achieve something on your list. Via Bricks and Bread I offer free sessions to young people (18-30’s) every evening and every Saturday I offer two free sessions for anyone who needs my help.
Things That Make You Go Wow! Your Wow list will contain things you feel passionate about or that simply make you feel good, such as things that wake up your senses, from good memories to future ambitions – i.e. what in your wildest dreams you can see yourself doing in business, in your home life, or just for fun! For example; • • • • • • • • • • • • •
•
Everything that makes you have butterflies in your tummy when you think about it. Anything that would make you feel proud Things you have done that made you feel proud of yourself. Things that do make you feel happy and content with your life, or what would make you feel like that in the future. Anything that ignites your senses – sensory things such as favourite sounds, smells, things you like looking at, or touching. Doing things that you get an adrenalin buzz from doing. Things you have done that were easy but made a big difference to your life Things that took courage and made a big difference to your life. Good memories from your childhood. Places you have visited and would like to go again Where you would like to visit in the future. Simple things that make you feel good and that cost little or no money. Things you can see yourself achieving in the future - like work, home life or personal goals - Try to write down these things without restricting yourself from wanting them or deserving them. Silly things that just make you smile
Do This After Writing The First Wow List Create a second list which starts with the items on your first list, add to it as often as you can (try to do it daily) when you remember something you forgot to add to the first list, or when you notice you are feeling the Wow feeling then write in your list what it was that made you feel so good. IMPORTANT - Notice and seek out more examples of things that make you go wow! When you feel fed up or doubt yourself then give yourself permission to do three things on your second list; 1.
Do an easy thing on the list – e.g. go for a walk if that is on your list.
2.
Reflect upon and remember the feeling of one of the pride/achievement things you have done and use that feeling to have the courage to tackle something you are finding difficult to do. Find something easy you can do now that will be a tiny step towards a big thing on your wow list
What if I get stuck or this wow technique doesn’t work for me? Then you need a mentoring session to get some support, motivation or inspiration. You can have a free mentoring session any Saturday with me, or if you are aged 18-30 you can book a chat with me any evening between 6-7pm - more info about free mentoring sessions and the booking portal are on the Bricks and Bread website. If you want to have regular mentoring sessions or spend a longer time talking than my free advice sessions offer, (or to get help in the next 24 hours) you will need to book and pay for a mentoring session on the Change to Save website.
To Achieve the Wow Things Take Tiny Steps Most people in my mentoring sessions are trying to overcome a big issue or to make a big change in their life. I help them to just take tiny steps and break down each task into even smaller steps, for example writing an email can involve over ten steps including open the email programme, select the contact, write the subject, write the main content, check the spelling etc. You will find that by breaking down each task it is easier to see which part of the task you find most difficult, then use creative thinking techniques in this guide to help you find a solution. Here are some tips to help you take tiny steps and get things done;
•
Writing Lists - Whilst I love making lists when I am being productive I can also find lists really daunting, especially if faced with a big list of ‘things to do’ and no motivation to do them! So instead I write a wow version of my ‘to do list’ to decide what each thing will achieve and then I write what is putting me off doing each of the things on the list. Or I write the whole list and just pick one thing from the list that I want to do and write it on a new page with ‘This is all I am going to achieve today’ at the top. It’s amazing how many times I will get that one thing done and then be more motivated to add another to the list.
•
Tidy Up - I always feel better and more motivated to get things done after I have had a tidy up (even if it is just my office desk)
•
Do a manual task that doesn’t take much thinking! - Cut the grass, sort lego into colours, pair up socks, do some ironing – it will give your mind a break and help you come up with creative ideas.
•
Go for a walk - Doesn’t matter if you live in a town or the country, just go for a walk for no reason, take time to stop and stare at things you would normally ignore or look past. Observe everything in a much more considered way. I always see something that gives me a great idea!
•
Set an Alarm Clock - Give yourself a time limit to get tasks done. Set an alarm. I find 15 minutes will be enough time to get most tasks started, if not finished (remember you are taking tiny steps towards big tasks, not trying to get the whole thing done). Then when the alarm goes off, do something else for 5 minutes.
•
Do one thing at a time - stop multi tasking, try to truly concentrate and enjoy doing one thing (ignore texts, social media & emails)!
•
Do the most important thing you need to do in the morning - give yourself a time limit to achieve it of just 15-30 mins.
•
Take pictures of tasks, ideas, images you like, paperwork you need to get done!
More Tips On Taking Tiny Steps From One Of My Favourite Creative Websites http://www.creativesomething.net •
•
Carry a notepad with you. Get into the habit of carrying around a
•
notebook and a pen, or use your smart phone or other device to
worked out from time to time; exercising your brain allows your
record creative ideas when they hit you. Even if the idea seems
creativity levels to be increased - like muscles growing bigger. The
pointless at the time, having it written down may help you in the
best way to exercise your brain is to read or have strenuous
future when you are struggling to come up with creative ideas.
discussions. Letting your brain get lazy by watching a lot of TV or sitting in front of the computer all day makes it weak, and your
Give yourself a break. To fuel your creativity and effectiveness you
creativity levels will take a bit hit. Working out your brain from
do need to take time to relax and find creativity in everyday parts
time to time will help you to come up with better, more original
of your life. If you feel overwhelmed or stressed, your creative
and creative ideas when you need them most.
juices will be running slowly; but if you feel relaxed and comfortable, your mind will be more open to new, creative ideas. •
Exercise your brain. Your brain, just like your muscles, needs to be
•
unrelated to what you are doing - has been proven to fuel
Jolt your thinking. Another great way to fuel your creativity is to
creativity. You may not realize it, but when you ask yourself
do what Chuck Green refers to as “jolt” thinking. It’s a technique
questions you are creating a mindmap and sorting through
that allows you to draw creative ideas from everything else around
thousands of ideas with each question you ask. Asking a lot of
you by applying restrictions to your thinking. Here’s how you do it:
questions means a lot of mindmapping, and a lot of mindmapping
when you need an idea simply close your eyes, turn around or
equals a lot of new creative ideas to work with. So don’t ever be
change your perspective, open your eyes and then the first thing
afraid to ask questions, in-fact: ask a lot of questions every chance
you see when you open your eyes is going to be your topic; try to
you get.
come up with a creative idea related that incorporates the item or the purpose of the item. Jolted thinking is based on the simple fact that freedom often hinders creativity.
Ask a lot of questions. Asking questions - even ones completely
•
Schedule it in. Some days you may not get any time to do work on your craft, but there’s certainly a hole somewhere in your week where you can squeeze in 30 or 10 or even 5 minutes. Find that time and make it a priority to do the work.
•
•
Make your own inspiration. If you think the reason you aren’t
Be random. Creativity is best fuelled when it is controlled by
working on your craft is because you don’t feel inspired, you’re
random inhibitions - which is why there is a big misconception
about to be disappointed. Inspiration often comes from feeling
about drugs fuelling creativity. The way you can place random
energised, not necessarily from feeling creatively inspired. So make
inhibitions on your creativity - other than by jolting your thinking,
your own inspiration by diving into the work that needs to be done
as mentioned on point 8 - is by using a random idea generator.
and stop spending time seeking out inspiration.
Either flipping through a dictionary to find random words, or using
Pay attention to what others are doing. A great way to fuel your
this neat online idea generator, and then trying to come up with as
creativity is by finding inspiration in other’s work. That doesn’t
many ideas linked to the random topic. By limiting your creativity
mean you sit, evaluate, and duplicate other people’s work; it
slightly to something completely random, you are really fuelling it.
simply means that you need to pay attention to what others are
•
•
•
Be confident. One of the biggest struggles people have when
doing with their work, and watch the changes they make. Often
trying to fuel their creativity - and one issue I have had big
you will be able to find patterns in other’s creativity that will really
problems with as a creative professional - is being confident in
fuel your own. A great example is the change in web design: web
your creative abilities. Confidence is necessary to creating
pages use to be full of animated images and tons of text and sound
remarkable ideas. If you don’t think you can do it, you won’t.
effects, now simpler, cleaner web pages are the trendy thing.
Having confidence in you creative abilities will allow you to really
Don’t copy other’s creativity, but do pay attention to what other’s
think outside the box, and accept ideas that may originally seem
are doing and try to find ways to improve on their work.
too risky (remember, if you aren’t willing to take creative risks,
Don’t settle for one idea. Another great way to fuel your creativity
you’re not really being creative).
is to not settle for just one idea when it strikes you. Instead, mull
•
Quit worrying about risks. While having confidence is necessary to
over multiple ideas, write them down in your notepad, ask
creating really great ideas, using that confidence to jump right into
questions about each idea, and expand each idea as much as you
new ideas is just as important. Creating unbelievably remarkable
possibly can. By having a lot of creative ideas, your solution is
ideas can only be achieved by being confident in your abilities,
bound to be a great one.
taking risks, and jumping right in. Don’t worry about the risks too much, any creative idea is almost always worth any repercussions.
What is Creative Thinking? Creative thinking is possible for anyone to do, it is not just for creative people. For me it is when I find a solution to something by looking at it from another perspective. This can be achieved consciously by brainstorming ideas or unconsciously by using lateral thinking. If you ask most people when or where they have their best ideas it is unlikely to be at work while trying to have good ideas! (unless of course your work positively encourages creative thinking), instead the most creative thinking ideas will most likely to occur during these situations;
In the Shower/bath
When exercising, mowing, ironing, washing up, hovering etc
Just before going to sleep/in a dream/just waking up
After you have tidied up the house/office/car
On a dog walk or walking a familiar route (such as on the way to work, to the local shop)
After or during a repetitive task such as putting things into size, colour or height order
Driving a familiar route or on a long motorway journey Or on a train/bus/tube journey
When there is nothing to write/capture the idea!
When you are most likely to forget the idea!
When doing a practical task or creative activity
On holiday – or away from the thing that needs solving
In a busy café/pub
While bored, especially when your thoughts drift off in a meeting/conference/training course
In all the situations above the most common thing you will notice is your mind will be relaxed and mostly not thinking directly about the thing you need to solve. It is likely that you have been previously been trying to think hard about solving something. During the activities above your mind will usually switch off from the issue. Then when your mind goes quieter a solution may suddenly pop into your head, or a random thought/visual clue will trigger an idea that makes a connection and solves the problem for you.
A – Z Creative Thinking Activity I find this creative thinking method so useful that I use it very often and in many different ways. I found out about this technique in a creative thinking workshop hosted by my friend Martin Charter a great creative thinker who runs the Centre for Sustainable Design, he uses this activity to brainstorm ideas around a subject. What is it useful for? It will force you to think beyond the half a dozen words you associate with that subject. It stops you thinking in sentences. Going from A-Z gives you some structure to keep your creative thinking on track. Here are some of my favourite ways to use it; When I need some words to describe what I want to say on a press release or website. After doing this several times for a business idea I end up with a very useful dictionary of words for that enterprise. In a creative thinking workshop with a group of people it is a fun activity that gives everyone the opportunity to contribute, as all they need to do is come up with a single word. This activity will often ignite a creative thought process that links up the words to create a new idea. At night when I can’t sleep because I keep churning over thoughts, I use the A-Z technique to order my thoughts into a list of words (I don’t write anything down) and I usually fall asleep by the time I get to K! This is how; Write on a white board, a big sheet of paper (I use a roll of wallpaper), or just a note book. Start at the letter A and work through to the letter Z (I told you it was easy and obvious!)
Trudy Thompson with a group of young entrepreneurs doing the A-Z activity in a Change to Save creative thinking workshop
The Rules Move as fast as you can onto the next letter. Add random words if they pop into your head during the activity even if it’s nothing to do with the subject you are thinking about. You can go back and add a word when you think of it, but do not jump ahead of the letter you are on.
Creativity Takes No Excuses
This image came from a great website for creative inspiration http://www.creativesomething.net
29 Ways to Stay Creative
Inspiring infographic by @islamabudaoud Click here for a version you can print off
Unconscious Problem Solving This description of unconscious problem solving comes from a great site for creative thinking techniques http://members.optusnet.com.au/charles57/Creative/Techniques/ This method relies on the unconscious mind to be continually processing the various sensory inputs stored in short-term and long-term memory. Using your unconscious to solve problems is a process of listening and a readiness to record ideas as they percolate into your conscious mind. Some of the greatest thinkers were great relaxers. Einstein was a daydreamer and spent much of his relaxation time sailing on a lake. Ralph Waldo Emerson enjoyed fishing. It's all very well to work hard on a problem under the stressful pressure of deadlines, but the opposite condition of relaxation and not working on a problem is very valuable. A practical application of this technique is to saturate yourself in the problem and then take a break. Write down the problem on a writing pad and leave it by your bedside. The next morning, take that pad and start writing down your ideas. Aim to write three full pages of anything that comes to mind and explore your dreams. We all dream, and we all dream a lot more than we think we do. As you get into bed, say out loud: "Tonight I am going to dream about ....". When you wake up, think some more about it. The important thing is not to try too hard. Go with the flow. Incubate your thoughts.
Mindfulness Use this technique to help you empty your mind, it is especially useful before a brainstorming session. Set an alarm for a few minutes Try 2 mins at first, build up to 5, 10, then 15 minutes or beyond this if you can Sitting upright in a chair with your feet planted flat on the floor If you close your eyes it is easier not to get distracted by visual stimulation Take slow deep breaths, inhale and exhale gently Listen to your breath and focus on the sound Try to clear your mind of any other thoughts If your mind wonders off or thinks about something you are trying to solve, notice the thought and let it go, bring you’re your focus to listen to your breathing After the alarm goes off just sit for a few seconds and notice how relaxed and clear your mind has become Now try to do a creative thinking activity, or try solving a problem you have been avoiding
Reverse Your Statement To Look At It In A Different Way This type of technique is best described by looking at ‘The Work by Bryon Katie’ - http://www.thework.com/thework.php These are the four questions that Byron Katie suggests you ask yourself It is especially useful when you have a big problem to solve and find yourself repeating a statement that is holding you back.
1. Is it true? (Yes or no. If no, move to 3.) 2. Can you absolutely know that it's true? (Yes or no.) 3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? Does that thought bring peace or stress into your life? What images do you see, past and future, and what physical sensations arise as you witness those images? What emotions arise when you believe that thought? (Refer to the Emotions List, available on thework.com.) Do any obsessions or addictions begin to appear when you believe that thought? How do you treat the person in this situation when you believe the thought? How do you treat other people and yourself? 4. Who would you be without the thought?
Ask Good Questions The most important thing is to listen to what people say in response, if you get a negative answer try asking more people this question to ensure you haven’t asked someone with ‘hidden’ issues or the same fears as you. When you ask yourself questions you are creating a mind map and sorting through thousands of ideas with each question you ask. Asking questions is a great way to fuel creativity and it has the potential to find someone with a solution. Questions help you network and connect to the people you need to speak to.
Questions help you to do research, qualify sales leads and best of all to have interesting conversations, make new connections and build trust in people.
To make things simple and clear
To create better relationships
To inspire, reframe ideas to see things in unexpected ways
They encourage breakthrough thinking
To challenge beliefs
6 Useful Questions To Help You Cover The Whole Story When you need to write text for a website, business plan, press release or trying to solve a problem try answering - who, what, where, why, how and when questions. Here are a few examples;
Who? - who is involved, who do I need to speak to? What? - what do we do, what do I need to do next? Where? - where are we based, where do I need to go? Why? - why do we do this, why do I need this answer? How? - how do we do this, how will this change things? When? - when are we doing this, when is this happening?
44 Ways To Ask A Question When asking yourself or anyone else one of these questions try preceding the question with the thing you are trying to achieve (one of your wow things or a tiny step you are trying to take) and then ask a question. 1.
Who is good at doing this?
16. Did anyone see …
31. How do I …
2.
Has anyone seen …
17. What are you doing …
32. Why are there …
3.
Do you know how to…
18. What is the best …
33. What do you want …
4.
What do you think about …
19. How will you …
34. Have you ever …
5.
Can you help me …
20. Can anyone suggest …
35. Which would you choose …
6.
Why did this work for you
21. Have you …
36. Please help me spread the word about …
7.
What would (famous person you admire) do?
22. I need to find …
37. When do you …
8.
I’m looking for …
23. Is there anyone who can …
38. Where can I go to find …
9.
Is there anyone …
24. Who is going …
39. What tips can you share?
10. Does anyone know how to …
25. Why do we …
40. When did you?
11. Can you put me in touch with …
26. Where are the …
41. Do you need …
12. Will you tell me how …
27. When is the …
42. Who is able to help me?
13. Are you going …
28. Who should I ask
43. Has this been done before?
14. Would you …
29. Anyone notice how …
44. Who inspires me?
15. How would you …
30. Who is the most interesting …
Random Word Method This is from a fab creative thinking techniques website http://members.optusnet.com.au/charles57/Creative/Techniques/random.htm The random-word method is a powerful lateral-thinking technique that is very easy to use. It is by far the simplest of all creative techniques and is widely used by people who need to create new ideas (for example, for new products). Chance events allow us to enter the existing patterns of our thinking at a different point. The associations of a word applied to the new out of context situation generates new connections in our mind, often producing an instant Eureka effect, insight or intuition. It is said that Newton got the idea of gravity when he was hit on the head with an apple while sitting under an apple tree. It is not necessary to sit under trees and wait for an apple to fall - we can get up and shake the tree. We can produce our own chance events. Random inputs can be words or images. Some techniques for getting random words (and the words should be nouns) are: •
Have a bag full of thousands of words written on small pieces of paper, cardboard, poker chips, etc. Close your eyes, put in your hand and pull out a word.
•
Open the dictionary (or newspaper) at a random page and choose a word.
•
Use a computer program to give you a random word.
•
Make up your own list of 60 words. Look at your watch and take note of the seconds. Use this number to get the word.
It is important to use the first word you find. Once you have chosen the word, list its attributions or associations with the word. Then apply each of the items on your list and see how it applies to the problem at hand. How does it work? Because the brain is a self-organising system, and very good at making conections. Almost any random word will stimulate ideas on the subject. Follow the associations and functions of the stimulus word, as well as using aspects of the word as a metaphor. You may want to mind-map the random word.
Forced Analogy Game
Rather like the random word method this activity jolts your thinking to see things differently. I use a pack of picture cards that teach children about words and how to identify things, the cards I use have objects and creatures such as binoculars, waterfalls, spiders, puffins etc (you can buy them in most toy shops) or you can cut out pictures from magazines.
You can play this on your own but it works best with a group of people. Shuffle the pack and pick a random card First describe out loud the item pictured on the card, name all the attributes of the thing Then compare the item to your enterprise or the project you are trying to achieve It is amazing how often people can find a similarity between a random object and their business! This activity is likely to trigger great ideas, even if they don’t happen at the time I find it often happens to me days later!
Brainstorming Ideas Brainstorming is a process of creating ideas that works best with a group of people, but it is easily done by yourself too. How to have a brainstorming session Have a well-defined and clearly stated problem Have someone assigned to write down all the ideas as they occur - I find it helpful to use a white board or a large sheet of paper (a roll of wallpaper or lining paper works well) Have someone in charge to help enforce the following guidelines:
1.
Suspend judgment
2.
Every idea is accepted and recorded
3.
Encourage people to build on the ideas of others
4.
Encourage way-out and odd ideas
When you have explored all your ideas take a look at the words on the pages ‘Look At Your Creative Thinking Ideas From A Fresh Perspective’
Tips On Brainstorming From A Really Useful Website http://www.brainstorming.co.uk Postpone and withhold your judgment of ideas Do not pass judgment on ideas until the completion of the brainstorming session. Do not suggest that an idea won't work or that it has negative side-effects. All ideas are potentially good so don't judge them until afterwards. At this stage, avoid discussing the ideas at all, as this will inevitably involve either criticising or complimenting them. Ideas should be put forward both as solutions and also as a basis to spark off solutions. Even seemingly foolish ideas can spark off better ones. Therefore do not judge the ideas until after the brainstorming process. Note down all ideas. There is no such thing as a bad idea. The evaluation of ideas takes up valuable brain power which should be devoted to the creation of ideas. Maximise your brainstorming session by only spending time generating new ideas. Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas It's much easier to tame a wild idea than it is to think of an immediately valid one in the first place. The 'wilder' the idea the better. Shout out bizarre and unworkable ideas to see what they spark off. No idea is too ridiculous. State any outlandish ideas. Exaggerate ideas to the extreme. Use creative thinking techniques and tools to start your thinking from a fresh direction. Use specialist software such as Brainstorming Toolbox (http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/toolbox/brainstormingtoolbox.html) to stimulate new ideas more easily. Quantity counts at this stage, not quality Go for quantity of ideas at this point; narrow down the list later. All activities should be geared towards extracting as many ideas as possible in a given period. The more creative ideas a person or a group has to choose from, the better. If the number of ideas at the end of the session is very large, there is a greater chance of finding a really good idea. Keep each idea short, do not describe it in detail - just capture its essence. Brief clarifications can be requested. Think fast, reflect later. Build on the ideas put forward by others Build and expand on the ideas of others. Try and add extra thoughts to each idea. Use other people's ideas as inspiration for your own. Creative people are also good listeners. Combine several of the suggested ideas to explore new possibilities. It's just as valuable to be able to adapt and improve other people's ideas as it is to generate the initial idea that sets off new trains of thought. Every person and every idea has equal worth Every person has a valid viewpoint and a unique perspective on the situation and solution. We want to know yours. In a brainstorming session you can always put forward ideas purely to spark off other people and not just as a final solution. Please participate, even if you need to write your ideas on a piece of paper and hand it out. Encourage participation from everyone. Each idea presented belongs to the group, not to the person who said it. It is the group's responsibility and an indication of its ability to brainstorm if all participants feel able to contribute freely and confidently.
Look At Your Creative Thinking Ideas From A Fresh Perspective When you have done a brainstorming session use these words on the following pages to prompt your thinking to see your ideas by another perspective. I forget where I found these words, I think they were originally intended to be used to help artists look at their creative ideas, but they are great for helping people look at their business ideas in a different way too. In my creative thinking workshops I have these tips written down on cards and after a brainstorming session I hand them out to help people positively appraise their ideas. SUBTRACT Remove certain parts or elements Make it smaller What can be reduced or disposed of? What rules can you break? How to simplify? How to abstract, stylise or abbreviate? ADD Extend or expand Develop your reference subject Magnify, make it bigger What can be added to your idea, image, object, material? TRANSFER Move subject into a new situation Adapt, transpose, relocate, dislocate Adapt subject to a different frame of reference Move subject out of its normal environment Move to a different historical, social, geographical setting How idea can be converted, translated, transfigured?
EMPATHISE Sympathise with subject Put yourself in its shoes What if subject has human qualities? Relate to subject emotionally, subjectively
CHANGE SCALE Make subject bigger or smaller Change time scale - seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years Change proportion, relative size, ratios, dimensions
ANIMATE Mobilise the visual and psychological tensions Control the pictorial movements and forces Apply factors of repetition and progression What human qualities subject has?
SUBSTITUTE Exchange, switch or replace What other idea, image, or material can you substitute? What alternate or supplementary plan can be employed?
SUPERIMPOSE Overlap, place over, cover, overlay Superimpose dissimilar images or ideas Overlay elements to produce new images, ideas, meanings Superimpose elements from different perspectives, disciplines, time Combine sensory perceptions such as sound and colour Superimpose several views to show different moments in time
FRAGMENT Separate, divide, split, dissect Take your subject or idea apart Chop up, disassemble it What devices can divide it into smaller increments? How to make it appear discontinuous? ISOLATE Separate, set apart, crop, detach Take only part of your subject "Crop" your ideas with a "mental" viewfinder What element can you detach or focus on?
Look At Your Creative Thinking Ideas From A Fresh Perspective DISTORT Twist subject out of its true shape, proportion or meaning Make imagined or actual distortions Misshape it Make it longer, wider, fatter, narrower DISGUISE Camouflage, conceal, deceive, encrypt Hide, mask, "implant" subject into another frame of reference Conceal by mimicry, like chameleons and moths CONTRADICT Contradict the subject's original function Contradict visually and intellectually, yet remain structurally integrated Contradict laws of nature such as gravity, time etc Contradict normal procedures, social conventions, rituals Contradict optical and perceptual harmony (eg. illusions) Deny, reverse PREVARICATE Fictionalise, "bend" the truth, falsify, fantasise Interpret information differently to mislead or confuse SYMBOLISE Design an icon for your idea Turn your subject into a symbol
MYTHOLOGISE Build a myth around your subject Transform your subject into an iconic object PARODY Ridicule, mimic, mock or caricature Make fun of your subject Transform it into a joke, limerick or pun Make zany, ludicrous or comic references Make a humorous cartoon drawing of the problem ANALOGISE Draw associations Seek similarities between things that are different What can I compare my subject to? Make logical or illogical associations HYBRIDISE Cross-fertilise - wed subject with an improbable mate What would you get if you crossed a _____ with a ______? Cross-fertilise colour, form and structure Cross-fertilise organic and inorganic elements Cross-fertilise ideas and perceptions REPEAT Repeat a shape, colour, form, image, or idea Reiterate, echo, restate or duplicate
METAMORPHOSE Transform or convert Depict your subject in a state of change Change colour, configuration Make structural progressions Make aging (cocoon-to-butterfly) transformation Make "Jekyll and Hyde" transmutations FANTASISE Fantasise your subject, trigger surreal, preposterous, outlandish, bizarre thoughts Topple mental and sensory expectations How far out can you extend your imagination? COMBINE Bring things together Connect, arrange, link, unify, mix, merge, rearrange Combine ideas, materials and techniques What else can you connect to your subject? Connect different sensory modes, frames of reference
Final Thoughts, Remember These Things
Become aware when you blame any of these things
Unstick yourself with creative thinking instead!
They may be real issues, but they are not stopping you, you are stopping yourself and letting your fears destroy your ambitions.
Do things that make you go wow (create a wow list, or look at one you’ve made)
Money
Take tiny steps
Other people
Ask good questions of yourself & others
Lack of skills
Be assured that you are only 1 or 2 people away from who you need to speak to
Lack of knowledge Heath Issues Lack of Time
Go for a walk and connect with nature Book a mentoring session with me or my creative thinking workshops I offer free mentoring & workshops on the Bricks and Bread website
Please donate ÂŁ1 To Bricks and Bread Charitable Foundation, so we can provide more free mentoring sessions and creative thinking workshops to inspire and support people in following their ambitions.
To donate send a text to 70070 from any mobile saying - BBHB33 ÂŁ1 Or go to the website www.bricksandbread.org.uk