Create Yourself a Creative Climate

Notes from Michael LeBoeuf's book, Creative Thinking Certain conditions and attitudes tend to result in new and better ideas. Your idea productivity can be enhanced by placing yourself in a proper state of mind.

Give Yourself an Incentive

Write down the rewards that you feel you will reap from making the effort to generate new ideas.

Put Pressure on yourself

You must create a sense of urgency about coming up with ideas. The necessary pressure can be created by giving yourself reasonable but challenging deadlines for coming up with new ideas and sticking to them.

Think Visually

Creative people frequently develop the knack of visualising and manipulating images in the area in which they are creative. A common techniques is to block out all verbal thoughs and concentrate on forming mental pictures of the subject or problem, for example Kekule's dream about benzene.

Be receptive to your new ideas

Almost every invention came about because some person stubbornly believed in the products of his or her own imagination. Judgment should be withheld when generating new ideas. Ideas are produced in greatest quantities when judgment is withheld.

Innovate with a spirit of playfulness

Creative people are known for a spirit of intellectual playfulness and a marked sense of humour. Such traits allow them to approach their work in a relaxed manner, which in turn stimulates their creative abilities.

Hang loose. Toy at the ideas. Avoid being too careful. Let your mind wonder. Enjoy.

Focus on one thing at a time

Relaxed attention on the most important task at hand.

Personal Touches

A final way to set the stage for creative effort is to perform an activity or set a condition which subsequently brings forth your ideas. This is covered elsewhere on this web site under the topic of rituals.

Last updated: 6th October 1996