How to Have an Endless Supply of Ideas

One reason that people are fascinated by creatives, is because they seem to have more ideas than everyone else.

• Ideas solve problems
• Ideas start businesses
• Ideas generate income
• Ideas are playful and fun

Fill in the blank. Why do you think that the ability to generate ideas is important?

We LOVE the thought of having endless ideas but think that it’s something that they needed to be born with, instead of understanding that it’s a skill that you can learn, practice, and develop.

People that are skilled at generating ideas are people that have worked to apply practices that support divergent and convergent thinking. They have tools and processes that allow them to quickly develop more ideas than the average person.

One way to help you quickly generate ideas is by creating and using an idea generation chart. Here’s how to get started.

1. Ask a question. What are you trying to solve, or understand?

Example: I want to come up with ways to sell my new book. How to promote a book on a budget?

2. Determine 3-5 categories that relate to the problem that you’re trying to solve.

Example: Platform for promotion, Info to share, ways to communicate, partnerships

3. Place those categories into a table, and add ideas below.

4. Combine options from each column to create endless solutions.

Examples:

Instagram + how to use the book + video+ podcasts

I might choose to create a video that shows how to use the book and use that to pitch podcasts.

website + what is the book about + writing + local bookstores

I might write a post sharing what the book is about, share it on my website, and then share that post with local bookstores to see if they want to carry the book.