Recently I was at a movie with my kids and at the end of all the previews my youngest son leaned over and said, “Is there nothing new?” All of the previews that day were based on books or video games, so it was an interesting comment that he was making!
How often do we find ourselves lacking the creative energy and will to pursue new thoughts and ideas? I often find myself thinking about another person’s idea rather than a new idea. I build on what someone else has started rather than starting something fresh myself. I do the same things over and over because that is what I know and am comfortable with!
I observe organizations that do this all the time and I realize that sometimes out of necessity they have to do that. But, I see so much value in getting in a room with creative people and thinking creative thoughts. Being able to step outside the boundaries of our minds and leap into the great unknown.
Some idea busting ideas:
1. Spend time with kids, as they are not restricted in their thought process like some adults.
2. Take a different route home, as you might see something differently.
3. Meet with a group of people once a month and brainstorm new ideas together. Maybe a creative lunch or coffee break?
4. Write down a new idea and see where the idea might take you. Even the process of writing something down can lead to getting creativity flowing.
5. Don’t be afraid of failure!
How have you been able to develop new ideas? What holds you back from doing that? How much time do you devote to this pursuit?
I recently started using boxee as one of my main tv viewing platform. I have had it for awhile on my apple tv, but we added a boxee box to the system in the basement. Basically boxee pulls content from across the web and you would not believe how much content is out there.
