I - InkWe retain more of what we hear or see if we write it down. That applies equally to college lectures and our own brainstorming sessions.
Whether you use ink, pencil lead, crayon, or a computer, write down your ideas.
Make Notes Any Time, Any Place. Get in the habit of making notes, outlines, sketches, or doodles. If you are actively pursuing a specific idea or problem, always have paper and pencil or recorder at the ready. Jot down or record all your thoughts, no matter how "off-the-wall."
Keep a Notebook By Your Bed. Some of your best thoughts come just before falling asleep and just after waking. Keep a notebook at your bedside so you will always be ready to write down ideas whenever they come.
Create an Inspiration File. Whether it's a file folder, a notebook, or an entire file cabinet, keep clippings, thumbnail sketches, junk mail, photos, and anything else that inspires you or gives you ideas. Add the notes you regularly take. Don't just file it and forget it - go through the file curing your scheduled creative thinking times and when actively pursing ideas for a project.
You Are A Creative Person
The next time you start to think "I can never come up with good ideas," think backwards. There are a countless number of useful ideas and innovative thoughts in all of us -- if we take the time to learn to think and act creatively.
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Think Backwards to Think Creatively and Generate IDEAS
