Charles Lee offers four simple ways to discover new creative ideas.
Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors (only) the prepared mind.” Unfortunately, many have given up on the notion that their minds can formulate creative ideas.
The problem here is not a lack of ability, but rather, the unwillingness to see. Many choose not to see the great ideas that swirl around them in their environment. They lose out because they turn a blind eye to opportunity.
Here are some simple ways to see creative ideas:
1. Take a moment this week to pause and look around you. Do you notice anything remarkable (i.e., worth talking about)? Record your thoughts.
2. Invite yourself into new, unexpected environments to explore how others unlike you think about the world. Seemingly unrelated ideas often spark creativity and innovation.
3. Watch a film or listen to music outside of what you’re used to and note what you liked or disliked about your experience. Record why you feel the way you do.
4. Look at Pinterest boards or Instagram photos on design and creativity. It’s a fun, simple way of visually exploring concepts.
A little shift in the way you see can change everything. Creative ideas are all around. We just have to pay attention.
