THERE'S ONE THING TECHNOLOGY CAN'T REPLACE.

It seems that every day we are presented with a new app, a new program or piece of software, new inventions and so much more of the non-human variety.

Whatever needs to be done, someone somewhere is making a machine or writing code to do it. But there’s one thing that they can’t replace.

Ideas.

Creative thinking is something so uniquely human that an emotionless piece of equipment or software will never (well not in my lifetime at least) be able to replicate.

The beauty of ideas is that they seem to come out of nowhere, but they do come from somewhere – your mind and your imagination.

Over the years I have developed and embraced many creative thinking and idea generation methods and it has taught me that every creative mind is different.

Sure, some people will come up with the same idea as others at times, that is bound to happen, but they still ‘came up with it’. It was their mind and imagination that brought it to life. 

Many are predicting a world with fewer human workers. From driverless cars and trucks, to all forms of manufacturing, and customer service. Supermarkets already have self-checkout and soon maybe banks will only have ATM’s.

But when it comes to creative thinking, that is something that is very individual and unique to each person.

There is no cookie cutter solution to coming up with ideas; everyone approaches it in their own way.

For some it comes easier than for others, but that’s not because they have some secret genetic code or were born with different DNA, it is simply because they focused on it more than others, they trained their brands to think in different ways.

Many people are rushing to learn how to write code so as to make our machines smarter and faster, something I have nothing against, as we absolutely need great coders. 

But there should be just as many people wanting to learn how to be more creative, learn more idea generation techniques, and turn them themselves into ideas machines. 

Creative thinkers are problem solvers, they can find a path nobody was seeing, they can turn a paper clip into a new product, they can rearrange the English language and turn a few words into poetry or even a persuasive sales pitch.

When I started in advertising I was lucky enough to attend a workshop by the Father of Lateral Thinking, Edward de Bono. If you haven’t read any of his books, and you’re serious about creative thinking, then I suggest you start. For me it was a game changer.

I’m currently formatting some new creative thinking and idea generation workshops, classes, courses, and boot camps. Over the years I have taught groups and individuals and I find it so fulfilling to pass on what I know and use on a daily basis. It also helps keep me on my toes.

As I wrote about in a previous post, for the past 25 years I have a daily ritual that involves me coming up with three new ideas a day, every day of the week, every week of the year. It’s just one of the many technique I use to keep my mind in gear.

Ideas come to those who think.

Now I’m not sure what is taught in high schools these days, I left a very long time ago, but I would hope that creative thinking techniques are part of the curriculum. If not, it certainly should be.

To be an ideas person takes practice, sure some people will be better at it than others, but everyone has the ability to improve at it, it’s just a matter of making use of that part of your brain regularly, using it daily garners much better results.

Practice makes perfect, but practice also makes ideas.

Here are just a few techniques in my thinking arsenal that I use to help me find ideas. 

• The Box Method: I draw up 25 boxes on a page, I put an idea into each box, I push myself to fill 150 boxes in all without editing as I go, I then walk away and take a short break. I come back and sift through what I have and see if anything there is worth keeping. If there are some good ones I work on them more, if there is nothing worth salvaging I put myself through the process again. Usually the first round generates some ideas that hit the mark.

• Dictionary Method: open a dictionary and point anywhere on the page, take the word your finger landed on and see if you can develop ideas around that word.

• Go For A Walk: walking somewhere especially somewhere new, without a specific destination in mind (apart from getting back to where you started) can open up your mind. But remember to constantly look around you. I look up, down, sideways, everywhere as I walk, you never know what your eye will see and you never know what may inspire you. From a color or texture on a wall, to a faded poster, a fruit stand, a person, some graffiti, a shop front, or even something that has been discarded like trash. Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything; you just need to look for it.

• Morning Ideas Burst: as soon as you wake up, before doing anything else, ideally while still in bed, grab a notebook and write down as many ideas as you can, just let them free flow, don’t edit yourself. Your mind will be free of distractions or annoyances as soon as you wake up, you haven’t had to deal with emails, phone calls, commuting to work, or your favorite muffin being sold out.

• Go To An Art Gallery or Museum: all manner of stimuli are great for inspiring ideas. Just as going for a walk on the street opens you up to assorted sights and sounds, strolling though a gallery or museum does the same for you visually.

• Change Your Routine: most of us are creatures of habit, we tend to get the train or bus at the same time, from the same stop, we stop and get the same coffee and pastry at the same store on the way to the office which of course is in the same pace it will always be. Doing the same thing day in and day out does not stimulate you. Try a different route to work, even if you have to add some extra travel time, go to a different café, read a different newspaper or blog in the morning, walk a different route from the your stop to the office. Breaking out of routines will help freshen up your mind. As Einstein said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

So the above are only a few techniques I use, I have many more. But they are ones that are so easy to integrate into your day.

And please remember, you will not find new ideas on a Google search, if it’s on there that means someone else has already done it. Step away from the computer and use your mind, a pen and some paper.

Ideas vs. Machines

Stephen Hawking has warned that AI (Artificial Intelligence) could take over sometime in the future if we give it too much power. He told the BBC: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”

Personally I don’t want robots taking over, I’d much prefer people become ideas machines. Let’s leave the planet being ruled by cyborg overlords to Hollywood fiction, at least we can keep Arnold Swarzenegger in a job for a few more years.

 ? Rodd Chant 2015