Building more ideas, part III - First Support

Now that we have our idea foundation built, let's start putting up some supports. There are four main supports. Let's talk about the first one - Activity.

When you need to get more ideas, sometimes it helps to perform some unrelated or creative activity. Play with toys. Take a walk. Draw a picture. Play the piano. As long as it's something that actively engages you. Watching a TV show doesn't count.

After you finish your activity, sit down and try for more ideas. You'll find that it's easier after you've cleared your mind a little.

Another thing to try is to think about how your idea might relate to the activity. For example, if you need ideas for a restaurant ad campaign, you might sit down with some play dough and sculpt the images that come to mind when thinking of that restaurant. You might come up with some good ideas from the exercise, or you might just get a bunch of silly sculptures that look more like hair than spaghetti, but the principle is the same. It allows you to clear your head and open your mind a little, so you can attack your ideas from a fresh perspective.

And the very best thing of all? It gives you an excuse to play when you should be working...