We’ve all had it happen.
We need to “be creative” and somehow our brains get stuck and there’s no creative brainstorm “on demand.” Pretty frustrating.
Luckily, there are some techniques and exercises that can help you start generating ideas in just a few minutes. Even if you’re drawing a complete blank.
Brainstorm new uses for everyday objects
(thanks to Bernd for the original idea).
Take a garden hose, for instance. It’s pretty ordinary. But with a little bit of thought, you can come up with lots of new ways to use it. You can: 1. coil it tightly and make a trivet 2. paint it gray and use it as an elephant’s trunk for a Halloween costume 3. roll it in sequins and make a tiara
Pretend you are someone else
Another trick (thanks to Mary Louise, who got this idea from Michael Michalko) is to write as if you were someone else.
You could pretend to be:
1. Donald Trump
2. a comedian
3. The Penguin
4. Humphrey Bogart
5. a New York taxi driver
6. Ernest Hemingway
7. Frodo
8. Yoda
Your turn to try it
What other uses can you think of for a garden hose? And, if you were the Donald, who would you like to “fire”?