How to Generate Ideas for Your Next Writing Project or Creative Effort

How do you know what creative thinking is? How do you recognize it when you see it or feel it? There are different types of thinking but the two we'll discuss here are creative thinking and critical thinking.

You know critical thinking: you're reading a book or the newspaper or watching TV and while you're taking in the information, you're also thinking to yourself, "That's not necessarily true. I remember from that government class I took that the President doesn't have the unilateral power to do that." That is your critical thinking skills in action. You take in new information and compare it to other information you have and then make an assessment based upon how well you understand each set of information. It's a complicated thought process, but people do this every day. College students are continually challenged to use their critical thinking skills because they are required to continue taking in new information that causes them to re-think their previous knowledge and beliefs.

Creative thinking is completely different. We're not expected to use our creative minds in daily living. In fact, most people probably think that exercising the creative mind is a waste of time. People, such as artists and other creative types, are often looked down upon in society because they tend to stay away from typical jobs that make good incomes in order to hone their craft.

Creative thinking is intentional to some extent but other times it is completely unplanned and accidental. What should be intentional is the expectation to use your creative thinking skills whenever possible and once you're using your creative mind you honor that by writing down your ideas (without labeling them as good, bad, stupid...) in a notebook.

Every creative person needs a place to write down their ideas. You'll need a master notebook. This doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. I love those Composition books we used in school. During the back to school sales, you can get them reasonably priced, yet even throughout the year they run only about $1-$2. If you want to invest in a Moleskin notebook, go right ahead. However, an expensive notebook won't make your ideas any better nor will it turn a bad idea into a better one. You need paper and a pen.

You also need a small tablet next to your bed and then a very small notebook to fit in your purse or briefcase or backpack for when you're out and about. You're a writer. Never be without paper. Keep another small notebook in your vehicle storage compartment or purchase a digital handheld micro voice recorder for notes during long driving trips or commutes.

Creative thinking can happen at any time and at any place. Beware! You can get great ideas in the shower and while stuck in traffic. You can also wake up at 2 a.m. with a wonderful idea. The key is to keep them at the front of your mind until you get to a place where you can write them down. The tablet by your bed is great for the middle of the night idea.

For other times, however, you need to start training yourself to think creatively. If you want to know how to improve your creative thinking skills, you have to be willing to discover your creative mind.

Timed Exercise:

Set a timer for 15 minutes and turn off your phone and email ringers. For the entire time, you need to lie down and close your eyes. You're to visualize the clouds (see the picture above for this lens) and feel yourself floating among them. You are lighter than air and you're easily moving around the clouds and feeling very relaxed.

Look at the clouds. What do they look like up close? Reach out and touch them. How do they feel? Enjoy your time with the clouds and think back to a time when you were a child and maybe you were lying on the ground watching the clouds move. Were you looking for shapes in the clouds? Bring that child along with you. Children have great creative minds and are wonderful at generating creative ideas.

Continue with the clouds for the full 15 minutes. Relax the entire time and make sure to tune out all worldly distractions during that time.

Did you enjoy your time in the clouds? Well, now that your 15 minutes in bliss are over, how do you feel? Do you feel as if your mind is clear and open to the Universe? I use the theory that all of the ideas that can exist are out in the Universe. I tell myself that when I need an idea or I am ready for it, the Universe will bring it to me. I know that sounds all metaphysical (because it is), yet it is a healthy way to view ideas. You don't have to do anything except be ready for the idea when it comes.

Does that mean you do nothing until a great idea arrives? Absolutely not.

All you need to do first is get yourself into the mindset that an infinite number of ideas are out there and they are coming to you. Then you have to be in the mindset to accept them and work on them. That is where the work comes in.

After the timed exercise when you're relaxed and refreshed, your mind should be free of thinking clutter and ready to dream. Take your composition notebook or tablet, get your pen and then begin scribbling ideas. One idea per sentence. Nothing fancy or too detailed, just write an idea summary in a few words.

If you are a novelist, your ideas may be story or plot ideas, or a particular type of character you'd like to feature.
If you are an entrepreneur, your list will be business ideas to either start a new business or grow an existing one.
If you are a painter, you may be thinking of locations where you'd like to visit and sketch, or a new project you can quickly sketch in your notebook.
If you are a Squidoo writer, you might be listing new topics for lenses you wish to create.

Your idea list is a rough and raw list of your ideas. Do not take the time to edit. That is the critical thinking side of your brain and that is not needed right now. You must write freely and without judgment. Write for as long as you can and look back at your ideas to see what you can generate off of a previous idea. Some days, a great way to keep the ideas coming is to review ideas from the previous day, week or month. Even if you think the idea is too crazy or just plain bad, write it out and make yourself laugh, but keep going. Oftentimes, you may later decide there is a kernel of genius in something you originally thought was too simple or too strange.

Train yourself to write for 30 minutes. Pure idea listing for a solid 30 minutes. You may have to stop and visualize the clouds again, but don't rob yourself of this time. This is the beginning of training your creative mind to generate ideas. Each day, it will get easier and easier.

One thing I always do after writing down an idea, is to add the date and I also add my signature. For me, this is mostly a symbolic gesture, but it gives me a greater sense of ownership to begin with. But even more importantly, when I go back in my notebooks to peruse old ideas to use in generating new ideas, I love to be able to see the date I wrote out an idea for some added context. It might not make a difference to you this month, but when you look back at five years' worth of ideas, the dates will become more meaningful.