Be an Idea Generating Machine!

Idea gathering is the first thing you need to do in the process of generating ideas. This step must be done extremely well to benefit the flow of ideas to come.

He who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet. - Joseph Joubert

After you have digested the information, you need to look at new combinations with the idea and have the ability to see the relationships. At this point in the idea quest, I would manipulate the facts in your mind. Bring facts together in different arrangements. Ask yourself questions. Search for combinations. Listen for the meaning. Ideas will start talking back in your mind. Listen to what makes sense.

"An idea is a feat of association. - Robert Frost.

Knowledge must be gathered, digested and emerge in the form of fresh, new combinations of thinking. - James Webb Young

Then finally, let the judge come in and judge the ideas.

"Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work it until it’s done right. - Walt Disney

To generate great ideas you have to love what you do. You have to love mixing and rematching unrelated ideas until there is a match. You may feel the insecurity of not knowing when you will get that great idea, but start by enjoying the process.

You need to love this game about coming up with ideas. I’ve always said to art directors and writers, "If you don’t love the business, get out of the business." By loving what you do, and having fun exploring ideas, the ideas will flow easier, and with little effort.

In the book, How to Get Ideas By Jack Foster, he says,..."the ones who come up with ideas know that ideas exist and know that they will find those ideas; the ones who don’t come up with ideas don’t know that ideas exist and don’t know that they will find ideas."

I agree with his assessment. Years ago, my client David Holt of Holt Marketing asked me if I ever get "writers block" with creative advertising ideas. I said, "no I always come up with ideas."

Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re absolutely right. - Henry Ford

I know how to come up with ideas and know that I would come up with ideas. This confident belief will work for you if you believe it will work for you.

In conclusion, remember to gather and digested knowledge, think of new combinations of thinking, judge it, have fun concepting and believe you will come up with ideas. Keep to these simple practices and you will begin to generate ideas more abundantly.