How do you get the creative juices flowing?

There are many ways to spark creativity. Most of them involve a shift in perspective and a willingness to be playful, even though the work is "serious." Here are some of the ways we go at it for our clients at MMG.

View the problem/product/desired result from a different seat on the bus.

In other words, how would a six-year old child view it? A librarian? Truck driver? College student? Someone who is wheelchair bound? By putting yourself in many different people’s shoes – you can begin to see the situation differently. A great technique is to literally speak their voice out loud. Like improv…see where it takes you.

Personify it.

If your product or service was a person, who would it be? A man? A young girl? How would they behave? What would their personality be like? What would be their favorite book? Movie? What are they afraid of? What would they be most proud of?

Get out.

Most people brainstorm and try to spark their creativity in the same work environment that they’re in every day. One of the best ways to inspire some new thinking is to be in a new place. Go to a park and take a walk. Go play at a toy store. Visit a museum. Play a kind of music you’d normally never listen to.

Stimulate your senses. I think this is why the shower is such a hot spot of creativity!

Ask why.

If you have children, you will remember their "why" stage. A simple question could take 30 minutes to answer by the time they asked why 12 times. Adopt that attitude. Make an assumption about what you’re working on. Then ask why. And answer it. Then ask why. And answer that. Then ask why. And so on. See where it takes you. Then, when you can’t go any further, make another assumption and do it all over again.

Play.

Have a paper airplane contest. Create a putt-putt course in the office. Play charades. Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to be creative and being playful is a great way to bring that part of you to the surface.

How about you? How do you get the creative juices flowing?

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