Creative Brainstorming Techniques & Tips

Regarding the mind, James Allen wrote, “Man is formed and unmade by himself.” He forges the weapons with which he destroys himself in the armory of thought.

He also makes the instruments with which he constructs heavenly palaces of pleasure, power, and serenity for himself. Many degrees of character exist between these two extremes, and man is their creator and ruler.

So, since man is the creator and master of thinking, how can you learn to control your own ideas in order to create a better reality and become a more efficient, productive, and successful human being?

Obviously, there are several approaches to such a task, but today I’d like to discuss one of them. 

Because in order to improve our thinking skills, we must first learn how to generate more thoughts. The more thoughts we have, the more opportunities we have to bring something new into the world, and the more we produce new thoughts, or brainstorm, the better our minds get at coming up with new ideas.

The Crucial Step in Brainstorming

The most important thing to remember about brainstorming is that it is entirely for the sake of creating. It’s not about passing judgment on the thoughts that come to mind or pushing oneself to think in a specific manner.

When it boils down to it, it’s all about “forceful creation.” To put it another way, you’re forcing your brain to be creative on purpose. And, since creativity should be left to its own devices rather than be intellectualized, the whole thing is a bit of a paradox.

As a result, it’s a procedure fraught with ambiguity and hesitation. So now I’d want to go thru some different brainstorming approaches. And you can apply them to any challenge in your life, from devising a new company marketing plan to publishing a new book, establishing a new website, or creating a new life for yourself.

Let’s have a look at it.

1. Mindmapping Software

The first tool I’d like to discuss is software, which may seem counterintuitive and even counterproductive. After all, how can an electronic-based program help you tap into your mind’s innate creativity?

However, I stand by my claim that mind mapping software is invaluable for this sort of thinking, and it’s difficult to convey unless you dive in and try it.

The software I’m referring to is the same as that utilized by MindJet MindManager and Freemind.org, the latter of which, as the name implies, is free to download.

The way these programs operate is that you start with an empty page that has potentially unlimited space. Depending on the application you’re using, you click on the blank slate and draw a bubble or a box. Then you write the primary concept you’re working on in the box.

Consider the following scenario: you’re developing a new website. You might type the website’s name here. When you click anywhere else on the website, it produces new nodes. One might be labeled “marketing,” “products,” or “audience,” for example.

a computer that uses this outdated method

Then you may make smaller nodes out of each of these nodes. You might expand from “Marketing” to “follow-up marketing,”social marketing,” “branding,” and so on.

And you keep branching out and becoming more precise until you’re simply pounding out particular concepts for each web piece you’re building.

This is just one example of how you may use it; your mind web or mindmap can be organized in any way you choose.

Of course, you can conduct this sort of mind-mapping on paper as well. However, I feel that using software is far more efficient. When I match the pace of my thoughts with the speed of my body, it’s as if a whole new universe of creation opens up for me.

2. Become a List Whiz

Getting into the habit of making lists is a fantastic way to train yourself to be more creative. Set aside time each day to make lists of random items or to solve pressing problems as needed.

If you can’t think of anything else to write about, feel free to write about wacky, unrelated lists; the goal is to train your idea-generating muscles.

“10 Novels I Would Like to Write,” “20 Businesses I Could Start Tomorrow,” “10 Blog Articles for My Site,” and chapter lists for novels I hope to write someday are examples of lists I frequently make.

Do this on a daily basis to strengthen your creative muscles.

3. Mastermind Groups

Mastermind groups are an excellent opportunity to benefit from the ideas, knowledge, and inspiration of others on your journey to happiness and success. Surrounding oneself with like-minded people who have similar aims is what masterminding is all about.

If you like, you may organize a formal group that sits down and participates in group talks or brainstorming activities. It’s a place where you may bounce ideas off one another and remark on them in turn.

You may even develop something more semi-formal, in which you meet every now and again to discuss issues impacting your primary industry or passion, and then fill each other in on your particular concerns and invite id.

It might also be entirely unstructured. Simply make an effort to exercise and mingle with others who are on the same road as you, as your mastermind ideas and inspiration will generally emerge organically as a result of your social interactions.

Masterminding may also be done in online forums, and you don’t even have to invite people to brainstorm expressly. Simply start a post about the problem or scenario, and others will respond with their own experiences and perspectives.

4. Meditate Before You Brainstorm

Directly after this meditation is a great time to do a brainstorming session. In fact, you can make it a habit to brainstorm every morning after your meditation on whatever is currently your biggest goal, idea, or challenge.

5. Brainstorm in Your Sleep

Developing the practice of meditation is one of the most effective ways to improve your emotional health and tap into your creative energies. After all, it’s difficult to tap into your intuitive side if your head is cluttered with the stress of daily living.

Meditation does not have to be esoteric or religious to be effective. Consider it learning to relax and concentrate on your thoughts. to refresh one’s mind.

I make it a habit to meditate every morning as part of a daily routine that I follow after working out and cleaning around the house. Just a 10 to twenty-minute meditation in silence.

6. Group Passing

While I advocate masterminding, I’m not a huge fan of group brainstorming. Not that I don’t believe they have great potential; I’m simply a more introverted thinker who doesn’t get as much out of them as other people do.

The notion of group passing, on the other hand, is one of the most effective groups brainstorming exercises.

Basically, you start with the primary concept or the basis of what you’re going to brainstorm, and the first person in the group develops it without any feedback from the rest of the group. This individual might even be in charge of coming up with the concept for the brainstorming session.

The document is then passed on to the next person, who builds on it as they see fit. The concept is then passed on to the next individual, who develops it further. The paper is passed around the group, and the final outcome is discussed with everyone.

Another advantage of this strategy is that it may be carried out virtually, without the need for actual gatherings. Google Docs is an excellent tool for this; the online documents can easily be shared and edited by the entire group.

7. Write It Out

When it comes to letting your thoughts run wild, a good old pen and paper will never lose its efficacy. In fact, some individuals like it because their minds work quicker than their fingers, so by the time you finish putting down one thought, you’ve already had another.

When many individuals type, on the other hand, they frequently start and stop, resulting in a considerably choppy process.

You may do this in any way you choose. Freewriting is especially useful for letting your mind wander. Write lists: this is a typical brainstorming approach for individuals who have no idea what the term means, so it appears that our thoughts operate in this manner instinctively. You can also make mindmaps, of course.

One of the nicest aspects of writing is that you can carry it with you wherever you go. Get a tiny notepad and keep it with you at all times, bringing it out as fresh ideas arise. I find that this puts me in a continual state of brainstorming, and I spend every minute of my day producing.

You can catch yourself at your most inventive when you take a consistent approach like this. When inspiration hits, all you have to do is sit down and start writing.

Whiteboards can also be quite useful. It’s official when you hang one in your house with your big projects or emerging ideas on it. It inspires you when you look at it. You come up with a concept and then add to it. It develops over time.

8. Give Yourself Omnipotence

Tim Ferris’ dream-lining approach is a good example of how to accomplish this. When he sets goals, he asks himself what he would achieve in three months if he were the richest and brightest guy on the planet, and then works backward from there.

This effectively grants you freedom by eliminating all restrictions. You don’t stop yourself from thinking along a certain route because, “Oh, it would cost a couple hundred thousand dollars,” and then go on to another idea. Instead, you come up with a concept that knows no bounds and figure out how to make it a reality.

9. Brainstorm the Outlandish

Take the preceding strategy a step further by seeing nothing being impossible. People have completed some of humanity’s greatest accomplishments by figuring out a method to do something no one thought was possible.

How can we launch a massive chunk of metal into the air and keep it aloft long enough to transport people around the world? How can I make a light that never goes out so that we don’t need fire to perform things we can only do during the day?

How can I create a gadget that allows me to have a face-to-face conversation with someone on the opposite side of the world?

The only way to get impossible outcomes is to set impossible goals for yourself and tackle them.

10. Walk Away From Thinking

Sometimes you become too engrossed in an issue and are unable to separate yourself from it, so your brainstorming may come to a halt or you may find yourself running in circles.

What’s going on here is that you’re attempting to reason your way through it rather than using your imagination.

Getting out from behind the computer or desk and going for a walk or doing something that entirely removes you from the situation is often the best solution.

Your brain may simply require some downtime to sort things out, and you’ll often find that an epiphany occurs minutes after you’ve forgotten about it.

The Power of Thoughts

Thoughts have the potential to be the most powerful force on the planet. Indeed, they are so strong that our ideas have put life on Earth in jeopardy-a frightening problem, to be sure, but a fascinating truth to consider.

Take a look at yourself. In your hand is a computer mouse. Your own computer. It’s software that keeps it running. It is seated on a table. Look up at the ceiling, the walls that surround you, and the structure that houses the room. Outside, the streets and the entire city are stretched out in front of you.

Everything you see and touch that was built by man began in a person’s thoughts and then proceeded through a process to become a reality. Indeed, some philosophers and maybe even scientists believe that your whole existence is nothing more than a thought and that your own ideas can be used to influence and construct the world around you.

I don’t want to get too philosophical on you today, but it’s apparent that ideas are a highly important resource that wise men have recognized and even revered throughout history.

Will you have the foresight to see their worth? Choose one of these brainstorming activities to begin honing your idea-generating skills.

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