Creativity Triggers

Need to jumpstart the creative process? Here are some ways to spark your imagination:

• Synthesis: add something. Introduce a new element, either similar or completely different.
• Subtraction: take something away. Make it simpler, purer. Reduce it to the bare essence.
• Connection: make connections from your subject to other subjects. Keep moving outward until you find a connection that no one has made before.
• Sheer quantity: how many ways can you think of to approach the problem? Use a sketchbook to come up with 100 possibilities.
• Nature: the source of creativity. Get as close to nature as your environment will allow. Let yourself become immersed in it.
• Complementary medium: for a different perspective on your problem. If you are a visual artist, listen to music. If you are in business, go to a museum. If you are a writer, examine architecture. You get the idea.
• Take a nap: your subconscious mind works while you sleep.