Creative and Powerful Ideas

 Creative and Powerful Ideas for Life and Business

We like to think we are creative people. Most of the time, this is true. On occasion, though, ideas can be hard to come by. For whatever reason, we become stalled, with no idea what to do next. Let’s discuss creative and powerful ideas, shall we?

If you are interested in generating more and better ideas than you ever have before, this book is for you. As you read, you are going to discover the power of an idea. From there, you will learn different techniques of idea generation, looking very specifically at five methods that had been proven to work time and again.

Next, you will learn how to choose between your ideas, to know which ones are the best.

There is nothing more exciting than an idea. Learning how to generate those ideas quickly and efficiently is key to your future success. So, sit back relax, and delve into the topic of ideas knowing full well your next great idea is just around the corner.

The Power of an Idea

How powerful is an idea? Think about this: just about every single thing in this world started as an idea at some point in time. Furthermore, those ideas were created by people just like you and me.

Unfortunately, ideas are also lost all the time. We don’t understand what we have. We get caught up in thinking our ideas are silly or stupid and have no merit at all. But think about this:

Albert Einstein, a man who is known as someone with a lot of great ideas, once said, “A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. But intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.” What Albert Einstein is saying here is that all of our ideas are the sum of our experiences, our intellect, and our education.

In other words, ideas don’t just come from nowhere. This is what makes them so powerful.

We are seeing possibilities around us all the time. You might not realize it, but you’ve already had several good ideas today. You might have had a good idea about getting up early. You might have had a fantastic idea about what to have for breakfast.

You also might have had an idea which would change the world.

Stop and think about this for a minute. Could it be possible you’ve already discounted something which might be life-changing?

The thing to know about ideas is we don’t always recognize when we have something grand. Most great ideas were not recognized as such initially. Post-it Notes were an accident. So was Velcro and bubble wrap.  These were ideas that happened when people were looking for something else entirely.

Now consider what the world view would be like without electricity. Or cars. These, too, were nothing more than ideas once.

Perhaps what makes ideas so incredibly powerful is their ability to cause us to see the world in new ways. Even more exciting is how they cause others to see the world in new ways. So, never discount an idea no matter how small. You might have the world’s next biggest idea locked away in your head right now. The trick is to unlock it.

Idea Generation

Have you ever had one of those moments at work where your boss expected you to come up with an idea right now? What did you do? If your initial reaction was panic, you’re not alone. Most people cannot come up with an idea of demand. Most ideas come from inspiration, which strikes pretty randomly.

What if you could create ideas anytime you wanted? How would this change your life?

Idea generation does just that. With certain tried and true techniques, you can sit down anytime, anywhere, and come up with a good idea.

Here are some of the more exciting techniques:

• “Accidental Genius”
• Analogies
• Brain Dump
• Brain-running
• Brainwriting
• Challenging Assumptions
• Change in Scenery
• Collaboration
• Comparisons
• Creative Analysis
• Daydreaming
• Doodling
• Experimentation
• Forced Relationships
• Inside Out Thinking
• List Making
• Playing
• Re-enactment
• Rearranging Attributes
• Role Play
• Storyboarding
• Synectics
• Visualization

Whew! And this still isn’t everything! It seems like there are as many ideas on how to get ideas as there are ideas themselves.

Here, we’re going to concentrate on the five most popular techniques by going into some in-depth detail on each.

These are:

• C.A.M.P.E.R.
• Brainstorming
• Mind Mapping
• Think in Reverse
• Ideation Sessions

Let’s get started!

 SCAMPER

Bob Eberle created the SCAMPER method back in 1971, introducing the concept in his book, “Games for Imagination Development.” The idea behind this was pretty basic. The SCAMPER method is somewhat methodical in approach. Each letter stands for a separate step in the plan. Let’s look at what each of the means.

• Substitute
• Combine
• Adapt
• Minimize/magnify
• Put to another use
• Eliminate
• Reverse

The basic idea here is simple. Think of your problem as being made up of several parts. By modifying each of those parts, you can come up with new ideas. Sometimes you will be modifying the idea itself. Each letter stands for a different way you can manipulate the information you have.

Substitute

When you substitute, you start by examining the problem and all of the various components to it. You do not want to look at the specific items so much as the purpose the item serves.

For example, say you want to reinvent the hamburger. Maybe your particular hamburger is generally made up of a bun, meat, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. Each of these components is too specific to work with. We generalize them by saying a hamburger is a piece of food meant to hold everything together, generally a starch, protein, vegetables, and condiments. When using substitution, we might decide to get creative with the vegetables. Rather than onions, what if we use peppers? Or maybe we want to include celery or broccoli somehow.

The more you work with each component alone, the more opportunities you have to be creative. When you substitute, you get to enjoy creating new things entirely with minimal effort.

Combine

When you combine things, you simply put them together. When using combining as a method to generate ideas, you start thinking about how you can put two very different things together. Or you can also consider whether two components in your problem might be combined, or a process might be combined. In our hamburger example, you might want to consider combining the vegetables with the condiments. Now you have salsa on your burger.

Adapt

When you adapt, you are now adjusting. It could be a very tiny adjustment, or it could be something quite large. In our hamburger example, maybe you want to adjust the bun. A small adaptation would be to go from a plain bun to one with poppy seeds. A considerable adaptation might be going with a gluten-free bun.

Magnify or Minimize
Now you’re going to change an element completely. You either lessen the importance of one of your factors, or you emphasize it. In our hamburger example, maybe we want to make the vegetable portion the most prominent feature. You might include several vegetables or put an entire salad on your burger, or you might want to lessen something such as the beef, reducing from 1/2 pound hamburger patty to 1/4 pound hamburger patty or even an eighth-pound hamburger patty.

Put to Another Use

In this step, you look to see if there’s another application entirely for what you’re trying to do. The invention of the Post-it Note came about because somebody was looking to develop a certain kind of glue. The glue they created did not stick very well. It was not permanent. What they found out was they could put this glue to another use entirely by putting it on a small piece of paper you could then peel and stick on one item and move to another if you so desired.

In our hamburger example, maybe we are not making hamburgers for human beings. Maybe we want to create a new kind of dog food which involves hamburgers for dogs.

Eliminate

When you eliminate, you’re looking for what might be extraneous. Perhaps part of your problem is you have too many pieces or processes. How can you simplify things? In our hamburger example, maybe we don’t want vegetables at all.

Reverse

This step is also called ‘rearrange.’ This is where you look at your process and determine whether you might be doing things in the wrong order. Maybe the problem you have isn’t so much the outcome as in how you get there. Going back to our example, maybe the problem isn’t in the hamburger at all but in how you make the hamburger. Maybe your better burger involves a different cook time or needs to be assembled in a different order.

As you can see, the scamper method can be beneficial for generating new ideas, especially when you’re dealing with an idea that has several components. Remember, you are not limited to just changing one of these items to create a new idea. You might want to use all of them at the same time. Or you might want to use some. It’s really up to you.

 Brainstorming

Brainstorming has been around for a long time. It is the brainchild of Alex Osborne, an advertising executive who wrote about this topic in his book, “Your Creative Power” in 1948 and “Applied Imagination” in 1953. Since then, brainstorming has been the go-to for creating ideas. Generally thought of as a group activity only recently has the value of brainstorming alone come into widespread use.

What is brainstorming?

When you’re brainstorming, your primary goal is to create as many ideas as you possibly can, over a set period. Alex Osborne said that his team could create 87 ideas in 90 minutes. Well, you might not be quite as ambitious, but you can very quickly generate numerous ideas in a short time using these techniques.

Whether you are working in a group or individual, the rules are the same.

1. No one is allowed to shoot down any ideas, even you. There’s no such thing as a bad idea.
2. Your primary goal is to create as many ideas as possible. Do not worry about the quality of the ideas.
3. Allow ideas to popcorn, jumping from one to the next, and building on the previous idea when possible.
4. Encourage everyone, especially yourself, to think as big as possible.

With the ground rules set, take a few minutes to explore the problem thoroughly. Everyone else needs to have a clear understanding of precisely what it is you’re trying to solve. This will help keep your ideas directed toward solutions you need.

When working in a group, the next step is relatively simple. You start throwing out ideas, one after another. The nice thing about groups is that even when one person is stalled, someone else likely isn’t. So, you generally don’t need to keep coming up with ways to stimulate the conversation artificially.

If you’re working on your own, though, brainstorming can be a little more complicated. And the idea generation needs to come entirely from you. If you don’t have any ideas, to begin with, getting started can be the hardest thing in the world.

This is why using various techniques in games comes in handy. There are several that work particularly well in conjunction with brainstorming.

Word Association

Take a word associated with the problem; a noun works best and write it down. Now write down everything this word makes you think of. Don’t worry if the ideas might seem silly or strange or have nothing to do with the problem. The goal is to find something which will trigger an idea.

Prompts

Then it’s time for the next game, which has to do with journaling. Start with a writing prompt of some sort, ideally one which relates to the problem. For example, you could start with one of these:

“I wish I could…”

“Success looks like… “

“If anything were possible, I would…”

Once you choose your prompt, it’s time to get started. Set a timer and write as fast as you can without stopping to think about the words on the page. When time is up, go back and reread what you wrote. Look for ideas in what you said.

Get Visual

Sometimes it’s hard for us to visualize solutions from just hearing about the problem. Find a visual which represents the problem such as a picture or an object and use it. Handle the object and explore it. Or spend time looking at the picture before beginning. Now, with this image or object in mind, start throwing out ideas as quickly as possible.

Block Yourself In

Remember back when you were in school, and you wrote an entire term paper overnight because it was due the next day? Sometimes we do our best work under pressure. (Not that we recommend writing term papers overnight.) But when trying to come up with a solution, giving yourself a hard deadline, a reduced budget, or other strict parameters to work within, sometimes will generate some excellent ideas.

Create the Fantasy

Sometimes, boundaries can backfire. In this case, if ideas indeed are not flowing, take the boundaries away. Laws of physics no longer need to apply, nor do budgets or time constraints. Now, grab as many ideas as you can, however outlandish. Sometimes you’ll find the seed of an excellent idea within an impossible idea.

Well, this particular set of ideas works very well by yourself; they also can work in groups.

If you are brainstorming in a group, consider these things:

Use Groupthink

Collaborative ideas that everyone contributes to can be very creative. Start with one idea and ask everybody to add something to it. Explore what it can turn into.

Create Teams

if you have an extensive group, why not divide up so you can each look at a particular aspect of the problem.

See What They Bring to the Table

Before even starting the session, bring some ideas to the group which they already have if they have any they’ve already expressed. This gives jumping-off points to start the conversation.

Get Anonymous

As part of the session, have everyone write down their favorite idea. Do not have them sign their name on the paper. Now pass the papers around the room and allow everybody to contribute or comment on each idea. People are less inhibited when they know no one will know who contributed what.

Become More Critical

Offering constructive comments on ideas is a perfect thing. So, while the goal is not to be pessimistic about what somebody has suggested, talking about their idea, giving feedback, and inviting others to comment is a great way to take someone else’s idea to the next level.

Play with Bad, Not Creative and Poweful Ideas

Challenge the group to come up with really terrible ideas. The crazier, the better. Now use those to try to find good ideas.

The key to brainstorming is not to give yourself too much time to think about what you’re doing, whether alone or in the group you want to move quickly, to see what your mind can come up with.

Mind Mapping

Of all of our techniques, mind mapping is the oldest. There are documented cases of this brainstorming technique dating back to the year 3 BCE.

Mind mapping is a form of brainstorming. Except, instead of throwing ideas down in the linear form, which is more typical, a mind map looks at organization in a completely different way. Mind mapping is more visual and works exceptionally well with more creative people, especially artist types.

There are many benefits to mind mapping, which make it very different from other methods of idea generation. Consider these things:

• Mind mapping is excellent at showing you the big picture
• You can organize information in very different ways, making connections between different items easier
• It’s easier to figure out your goals with mind mapping than any other method.
• It’s easier to spot relationships between items with mind mapping.
• Mind mapping is hugely visual.

How to get started?

While there are more than just one technique from mind mapping, we will share here one straightforward method to help you get started.

You begin by using a large sheet of paper, a chalkboard, or a dry erase board where you have room to draw.

You can also use various apps dedicated to specifically to mind-mapping, which will do all this for you, but we will not concern ourselves with this method here. For now, let’s assume you are using a piece of paper or something you can physically draw on.

In the center, write a single word and then draw a picture to represent your current problem.

Next, draw lines branching out from this central image. Keep in mind because this is a more artistic version of brainstorming, you can use different colors, different kinds of markers, crayons, pens, or whatever you have to make this as uniquely you as possible. You want your mind map to speak to you, so do this in a way that is naturally inspiring.

At the ends of each of the lines, you have drawn, write a word or phrase, or draw a picture that represents the main aspects of what you are trying to solve. For example, if you were trying to sort out what to plant in your new garden, your main word in the center of the paper would say ‘garden’ or represent this somehow in the picture. The lines branching out now represent your main choices. These might read, “vegetables,” “fruit,” and “grains.” Again, you might want to use pictures or symbols for these.

Now you will want to do the same thing, drawing lines away from each of the main points to represent some secondary points. Under “vegetables,” you might want to write “carrots,” “peas,” and “beans.”

Have you reached the end yet? Only you know this. You might still need to make some points off of these points. For example, under “beans,” you might now write “lima beans” and “green beans.”

You keep doing this until you have filled up your entire mind map and have reached the point well you could no longer add anything or reduce your ideas any further.

The real value in a mind map lies in what you do with it now. When you look at the map, what do you see? Do you notice patterns, associations, or do other ideas start springing up, which might involve new branches and concepts?

Mind mapping can be instrumental. But to some, the chaos of a mind map might be disturbing. So, if this does not work for you, simply move on to another technique that suits you better.

If it turns out you genuinely love mind mapping, and you find it useful, you might want to look into the software or apps previously mentioned, which will enable you to mind map from anywhere right on your phone or laptop.

Think in Reverse

Thinking in reverse is exactly what it sounds like. When you have a problem, in this method, you start with the solution you would like to have. Then you simply reverse engineer your way some solution back to where you are now to generate the ideas you need to get there.

In this example, let us imagine you want to take a trip to Australia. Your initial problem is in getting there. How will you go about creating ideas to solve this problem?

To reverse engineer something, you need to understand the components. First, analyze the problem itself. What are the various factors which might keep you from taking your imaginary trip to Australia?

Most vacations require three things.

• Money to get there.
• Time to take the trip.
• Something to do, or somewhere to go once you arrive.

At this point, ask yourself what specifically the problem is. What component is not functioning to keep you from your solution?

In this particular example, maybe you have some vacation time saved up, so you have a set time and date for the trip. Maybe you’ve already done some research, so you’ve already selected where you want to go, and even worked out someplace to stay. Your problem is: you don’t have enough money for the trip. You need a creative and powerful idea!

When working backward, we start at the solution. In this case, the solution has you already in Australia. You have a hotel. You have an itinerary for what you want to do. What did you need to make this happen?

You work out the cost of admission for the things you want to see, add on the cost of your hotel, food, and your plane ticket, and now you have a dollar amount. (You might want to add a few dollars for souvenirs.) Reverse engineering says you need the money to buy the plane ticket and to make reservations by a specific date. This takes us a step further backward. Now you have a timeline.

Let’s reverse engineer this. How many days do you have between now and your reservation date? This tells you how long you have to earn the money.

Here’s where the first ideas start popping up. Do you have time to put a certain amount of money away out of each paycheck to make this happen? If not, you might need to sell something to make up the difference. Or you might need to get a part-time job so you can put away extra funds for your trip.

As you can see by working backward, you have put yourself into a place where you know what you need to get to where you’re going, and the ideas are generating naturally to make this happen.

There are certain drawbacks to this technique. Sometimes we might miss an important detail or two. In our example, maybe we’ve forgotten to allow for transportation once we got to Australia. Now you’re stuck in another country without enough money.

With reverse engineering, it’s good to factor in a cushion. Always give extra time or resources to what you were trying to build. In other words, assume the worst. If things work out and you don’t need the excess, you are ahead. It is always better to have too much than too little.

The other difficulty with reverse engineering is that you can easily fall into a negativity trap where you will give up entirely. Let’s say you looked at your mythical Australia trip and realized you have very little time to set aside this amount of money. Now you feel like you need to cancel the trip entirely. When this happens, it’s time to trust the value of reverse engineering.

Just about every problem will present a solution if you keep working it long enough. Do not give up too soon.

Also, because we are very close to the problems we are trying to solve, we might become unreasonably attached to just one path. Try asking a friend to help you reverse engineer your problem. They will be able to give you a more unbiased opinion when you need one.

Reverse engineering isn’t for everybody. This is a method that works exceptionally well for those who have a logical mind. If you’re more creatively inclined, you might do better with brainstorming or mind mapping.

Ideation Sessions

Sometimes our idea generation needs to happen on a grander scale. Welcome to the world of ideation sessions.

Ideation sessions might look like brainstorming at first glance, but they aren’t. They do include brainstorming in their techniques, but they also have quite a few other components.

Ideations sessions came into popularity in the world of programming. The considered part of a process where teams develop new software. This type of idea generation has since moved out of this industry and into others.

Ideation sessions are always used in groups. But unlike brainstorming sessions, you very carefully choose your group members. For an ideation session, you’re not just looking for friends with good ideas; you are looking for people who are experienced in handling the kind of problems you’re dealing with. This brings your level of idea creation immediately to a higher level. This is why ideations sessions are generally used in a work context, though there’s no reason why you couldn’t use it personally as well. Just keep in mind when selecting your group that you want people involved who are experienced in whatever problem you’re attacking, such as mentors.

This means, for example, if your problem has to do with child-rearing, you would not want to include anyone in the group who has never had a child or has no experience in dealing with children. You would want to include people with training such as child-care professionals or teachers, or other parents you respect and admire.

Your biggest challenge in creating an ideation session is you need to be good at leading teams. You’re also going to need to be adaptable and skilled at being able to resolve conflict.

There are two things you must do before you even begin trying to generate ideas.

Empathize

Does your team understand the problem? Are they personally invested in finding a solution? Are they invested in an outcome that benefits others? Having empathy is a huge plus when it comes to ideation. Without empathy, your solutions might be practical, but they could also hurt those who are involved in the problem.

Say you are having a problem with a child who is not doing well in school. Your ideational group likely includes the parents, teachers, counselors, and perhaps even of a representative from the medical or psychological side of things. In this example, we will explore the idea that this particular child is autistic. You want your team to have empathy for the child as this will lead them toward solutions that will provide the most benefit for the child’s learning processes as well as their mental well-being.

Understand

You also must look at the facts. What do you understand about the problem and the goals? These terms need to be very thoroughly defined. In our example with the autistic child, you could not begin to go into creating ideas without having an understanding of what autism is, and what it means for this particular child to be autistic as every child on the spectrum exhibits different characteristics and has different capabilities. To get this information, you will need to use all of your resources. In this case, you will want to talk to the child’s previous teachers and doctors. You would also want to talk to the parents about their observations. Only when everyone is on the same page can you begin your search for ideas.

The Process of Ideation

When you sit down to work, you begin with open-ended questions. in ideations, the most commonly used question begins, “How might we…?”

By using this question, you are asking in a non-threatening manner, expressing you are open to suggestions. A question of this nature also allows for the use of empathy, which leads to more compassionate conclusions.

In our example, an ideations session might begin with these questions:

“How might we help this child have a good day?”

“How might we place better support in the classroom?”

“How might we better handle this child’s frustration?”

Hopefully, you can see from the wording of these questions there is nothing accusatory regarding what has happened previously. Questions of this nature do not leave room for finger-pointing. They instead stay focused on positive outcomes and leave plenty of room for dialogue.

As a side note, anytime you work with generating ideas in a group, it is good to keep the discussion on these levels. There is never room for cruel behavior, which only puts down people and makes them feel as though they have nothing to contribute.

Once we have answers to these questions, we start playing with them the way one would when using the SCAMPER method. The various aspects of this particular method include:

Adaptation

Adjusting components as needed to fit the situation.

Connection

Putting together components or ideas to create new ones.

Disruption

Challenging assumptions and rethinking the methods we’ve used before.

Reverse Engineering

Turning any kind of roadblock and through a new pathway by turning around the idea that created it. Think of this as a means of shifting focus and changing directions.

Visualization

Here is where we use images and daydreams to come up with new, more abstract ideas.

Experimentation 

Trying new things to test the viability of solutions and to launch new ideas.

Pattern Seeking

Looking for trends and repeated behaviors that might influence the performance of an idea.

Curiosity
Being bold and adventurous as you discover new aspects, what’s the problem, and explore every idea no matter how silly or impossible it might seem.

Your Next Great Idea

Now that you’ve spent time generating new ideas, how do you know which ones are viable?

This is perhaps one of the most complicated aspects of idea generation. When you’re in creation mode, every idea seems reasonable. It’s also effortless to become personally invested in an idea that might not be viable. So how can you tell when you’ve hit on something great?

When it comes to ideas, there are a few things you need to consider before you develop them too far. Ask yourself these questions first:

Is the Idea Possible?

Some of the best ideas which come out of brainstorming are creative and silly and not physically possible. Does this idea belong in the current world we live in, or is it better suited to the realm of fantasy? Archive out anything which is not possible. Why keep it at all? You never know when the technology or situation might change and make this a viable alternative.

Is this Something I Want to Work On?

Sometimes, you have an excellent idea, but it doesn’t interest you all that much. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time on your idea, you should be passionate about it, or at the very least, intrigued by where it might go.

Is This Something You Can Do?

Do you have the skills to carry this idea off? If not, is it worthwhile to learn these skills? Or is this something you would have to hire someone else to do? If this is the case, are you in a position to hire someone else to do it?

Does this Solution Fit with Your Goal of Coming Up With a Creative and Powerful Idea?

Sometimes, you have a great idea for something, but it has nothing to do with the direction you were planning on going. For example, you might be at a restaurant and come up with a perfect idea of how to improve customer service. But this is not your restaurant, nor are you involved in the food industry. Unless you ever intend to go into foodservice, there’s no reason to pursue this thought. Ideas like this are time wasters. Let them go.

What Happens When You Test This Idea?

Have you put the idea into practice? What do the preliminary tests tell you? Usually, a test will tell you fairly quickly whether the idea is viable or not. Keep in mind, though; sometimes tests show us new ways to do things, so make a note of any new ideas that come up during the experimentation phase.

Is this Idea Finished?

If you’re glancing at ideas and some of them just seem like they immediately can go into the scrap heap, you might want to pause a moment and ask this question: is this an idea that would benefit from further development? You might have the seed for something. Put this aside, so when you have time to look at it again.

What Does This Need to Be One of Your Creative and Powerful Ideas?

What resources will this idea require? How much money does it cost? What are things will it need? Some ideas need to be discounted simply because you do not have the means to cover them, or do not wish to allocate the time and energy required to put this into practice.

Can I Explain this Idea to Others?

One of the most valid tests of an idea is the ability to explain it in a matter of two or three sentences to someone else. If it takes more explanation than this, it’s likely too complicated. If you explain it about the length and if someone still does not understand what you are trying to do, it is not viable.

Will this Creative and Powerful Idea Stick?

Are you looking at a temporary solution or a long-lasting solution? An idea which is a Band-aid might not be an idea at all. Temporary solutions are only OK in a pinch and are not meant to take the place of a proper solution. These should be used sparingly and only when there is no other option.

Never think for a second you’re only going to examine one idea in the end. You should consider other possibilities before deciding which is your best idea.

Great ideas are everywhere. With a little dedication and some hard work, you should now know how to generate some great ideas.

There are so many methods for idea generation. Homing in on the five presented in this book will help you to get started very quickly without getting bogged down by too many choices. These methods should appeal to various types of thinkers, meaning there’s something here for those who are logical-minded, as well as options for those who naturally think more creatively.

Hopefully, by now, you also have a better understanding of how to determine which ideas are the best ones from the ideas you create. You know the questions to ask. Now it’s just a matter of sitting down and getting to work.

The creation of ideas is an exciting process. You never know what you’re going to find. There’s so much to discover in the world. No matter what problems you have, there is a solution, and you are fully capable of finding it. All that remains is for you to get started.

I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author Connie Ragen Green. My goal is to help at least a thousand people to reach six-figures and beyond with an online business for time freedom and passive income and to simplify your life. Come along with me, if you will and let us discover how we may further connect to achieve all of your dreams and goals. This is also why I want you to think about creative and powerful ideas you can generate. Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you.