Creative strategies produce inspiration

Be on the prowl
Read. Then read some more – especially outside your area of expertise or traditional areas of interest. Head to a bookstore or newsstand and buy a book or magazine that makes you think, “I can’t believe I’m buying this!”
Hop online and surf the Web. Ride the wave of wonder. Give yourself permission to go beyond your perceived boundaries. Seek fresh content. Open your eyes to new stuff. Play with the possibilities.
About a year ago, as part of a project for a new series of books, I was stumped. My creative inspiration for an impactful logo was frozen in futility. When my graphic designer kept asking, “What do you envision?” I’d reply, “Ain’t sure. Still thinking. Still looking.”
Then, one memorable night I received the lightning bolt of inspiration I was waiting for. Where did it come from? One of my kid’s magazines. With the turn of a page, boom, there it was! A publication geared to 11- and 12-year-olds stirred my creative juices.

Stop, look and listen
While focus is crucial, be sure to still look in all directions. Pay attention to the world around you. There’s lots of cool stuff happening! Look at billboards and signs. Walk into stores you’ve never visited before. Politely eavesdrop on conversations. Take a different route from point A to point B. Then wonder, “Whoa, when did they build that? Where did that come from?” See new things.
When you’re at an airport, a mall, a restaurant, activate all your senses. Look. Listen. Smell. Be ready and receptive to discover and uncover the possibilities, because sometimes, they sneak up on you.
The inspiration for the title of my book “Carpe A.M. • Carpe P.M. - Seize Your Destiny,” came from a passing bus billboard promoting a discotheque in Florida.

Keep it
When an idea hits you, capture it. Now! Don’t lose it. Mumble into a recorder. Send yourself an e-mail. Leave yourself a voice mail. Write it down. (I keep paper and pencil in my car, next to my bed, in the bathroom, near the treadmill, etc.)
Start a file, (either hardcopy or electronic) for your ideas, then categorize them, i.e., new products, new services, new clients, new strategies, etc.

Incubate it
The idea hits you, cool! You wrote it down, excellent. Now, forget about it. For an hour or a day. Get a good night’s rest. Sleep on it. Let your subconscious kick in.
Time is a miraculous contributor to upgrades and improvements. It brings clarity. Use time to your advantage.

Seek outside counsel
Ask others for their input. Capitalize on additional brainpower. Remember, “Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.” Or, to state it another way, “When two people are always in agreement, one of them isn’t necessary.”

Get abstract
Let the bizarre, absurd or goofy creep into your thought process. Defy the rules of conformity. I’ve always believed if enough people tell you you’re nuts, you’re probably headed in the right direction!

Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer based in Illinois. His clients call him a “business-growth specialist.”