Think in someone else's shoes.

There's a little game I like to play to help me come up with different ideas. I try and imagine what other well known creative people may do.

Some famous creative people had unique or even strange habits.

Salvador Dali would often hold a metal key in his hand. Beneath his hand was a metal plate. Should exhaustion get the better of him and he was to drift off to sleep the key would fall out of his hand and the sound of it hitting the metal plate would wake him up. That split second moment often allows the mind to conjure up unique ideas via a state called hypnagogia.

Maya Angelou preferred to always work in hotel or motel rooms.

Japanese inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu prefers to think underwater while holding his breath. He has over 3,000 patents to his name.

Composer Igor Stravinsky would stand on his head to clear his mind.

Haruki Murakami sticks to a strict regime when writing a novel. He starts writing at 4am and works for five to six hours. He then goes for a 10km run and a fifteen hundred metre swim and is in bed by 9pm. He does this every day for six to twelve months until his book is complete.

Often I will try and imagine how particular creative people would tackle a challenge and how they would approach it with their own particular creative voice.

What would Banksy do?

What would Warhol do?

What would Picasso do?

What would David Fincher do?

What would Trey Parker and Matt Stone do?

The list is endless. Just find people who inspire you, whose work you admire and do some research into their lives.

There are many articles online about the lives of renowned creative people. It can also be interesting to look at photos of their studios and workspaces.

I'm not saying you should somehow emulate these people and turn yourself into a clone of them. Far from it. The idea is to seek out some different inspiration. Let your imagination run free for a day as you try different ways of working and thinking.

Someone else's creative shoes may very well end up being a good fit for you.

Rodd

I'm a Creative Director / Writer / Strategist / Thinker and a bit more. I work with clients/brands directly and with agencies and production companies. I also teach creative thinking and idea generation to groups and individuals. You can read more of my LinkedIn musings here. You can also find me on Twitter,  Instagram and on Facebook. Or drop me an email – roddchant@gmail.com

Words (aside from credited quotes) Copyright Rodd Chant 2018

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