3 Easy Idea-Generation Tips

Idea generation is part of the creative process for just about any project. Idea generation can also be one of the hardest parts of the entire project. There is no special "trick" to generate ideas, whether you are a writer, painter, businessman or a crafter. There are many ways to provide inspiration to your brain though, and all it takes is just a little spark.

Take A Walk - Combining exercise and thinking is one of the best ways to generate ideas and get things moving. Walking gets your blood moving through your body, and the more blood the brain gets, the better it works. Of course this brings up the challenge of how to capture any ideas the brain generates for you, so that they are not lost when that piece of paper is nearby. One way to combat this is to bring along a voice recorder. Cellphones often have some sort of voice recording or recognition software. Or call yourself and leave a message.

Journal - There is a reason many famous writers, painters and other creative people keep journals. Within the daily musings are many tibits of ideas, that if fully fleshed out, can give form to a host of projects. The beauty of a journal as well is the fact that a journal keeps the mind clear of all sorts of random thoughts. And a clear mind is a wellspring of ideas. Journals are also great ways to actually sort out the ideas that come up, exploring feelings, reactions, and general musings about how the idea can come into fruition.

Free-Write - Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet and get wet. Free-writing allows the freedom of writing without a plan, just to see what the brain can come up with. Good ways to inspire a freewrite are photographs, old journal entries, a writing prompt, the view out of the window, and a dream that is remembered. Keep freewrites in their own notebook or computer folder. If the ideas that were generated aren't used right away, that's fine. One never knows when a tiny three line freewrite might be perfect for an upcoming project.

There is nothing like the glow a person gets when a project is going well. Use these three tips for idea generation and reclaim the enjoyment of the creative process. Generating ideas can be fun and easy, instead of painful. Soon you will be generating so many ideas that you will run out of projects to use them on!