From the Writer: Eight Simple Techniques For Greater Creativity

Creativity doesn’t come from one brilliant idea; it’s an approach to life. Using Sawyer’s techniques, new ideas come on a daily basis, leading you at all times further down the zig-zag path to greater creativity. Try these simple techniques, one for each of Sawyer’s eight steps.

Find the right question

If you’re stumped, it’s continuously because you’re asking the wrong question. Maybe your question is too narrow and focused, and you just need to think bigger. For example, instead of asking yourself “Should I repair my old car, or buy a new one?” try asking “Can I get a job within walking distance of home?” or “Can I move closer to public transportation?”

Prepare your mind

The most creative people are voracious learners; they dabble in things they know nothing about. Teach yourself something about weaponry, hypnosis, glass blowing, auto repair, Sufi mysticism…

Be aware

Research shows that the most creative people are more likely talk to lots of different people. So try this: Before you attend your next party or social event, choose a color. Then at the event, make a point of meeting and chatting with anyone who’s wearing that color.

Free your mind

When you’re facing a creative challenge, try to believe it as a problem in a very different world, like Dentistry; Lawn care; Furniture design; Prison; The Circus. How would your problem look in that world? How would you try to solve it?

Generate ideas

You can increase your ability to generate good ideas by practicing idea generation on a daily basis in simple tasks. For example, make a long list of specific facts about how the world would be different: If gravity stopped for one second on a daily basis? If there were five sexes? Get a hold of your own idea challenges as you go through your day. In the kitchen: What if my refrigerator had 20 shelves? Preparing for bed at night: What if people could sleep standing up?

Combine ideas

The best insights come from combining ideas that are completely unrelated. Take out paper and pencil and sketch a piece of furniture that is also a kind of fruit; or, a lampshade that is also a kind of book; or, just pick two words at random by closing your eyes and pointing at different pages in a book, and invent a combination.

Make ideas even better

Once you have a few ideas, take each one of them (even the ones that are not so great) and list at least three benefits of that idea, and then list at least three practical steps you would need to take to implement the idea. This simple technique continuously helps you think of ways to make the ideas even better.

Get your ideas into the world

Buy a stack of ten magazines. (Or take some of those old magazines in your dentist’s waiting room) Clip out any photos that seem related to your problem, and keep going until you have 50 photos. Use a glue stick and make a collage by sticking them onto a large piece of poster board. Keep the collage near your desk for a couple of weeks, and make sure to look at it on a daily basis.