What is brainstorming?

Created by Joël Croichy

Anyone can be creative and an innovative thinker by learning different techniques and experimenting with creative exercises. There is no such thing as being too old to use your imagination. Creativity consists of three components: willing to experiment, experiencing new things, and searching for possibilities.  A creative individual sees things from different perspectives, usually accept changes and take lots of risks. A great exercise to start off is to create a list of five successful people who applied creative thinking to their work. 

Brainstorming is an essential activity because it allows participants to generate ideas to resolve issues, tackle obstacles, and improve existing products. This process can be accomplished by one person or an entire group. Most of the time original ideas come from people who stay productive and assist others with implementing their plans. 

With a successful brainstorming session, there are rules an individual or a group must follow which are: set an objective, abide by the rules you create, have goals, don’t be afraid to share your ideas, encourage each other, and look at things from a different point of view among other. By following these simple rules, you will utilize your collaboration skills while improving your creative ability. People tend to be less creative when they are under a lot of pressure, exhausted, nervous, or overwhelmed. These are called blockages, and it is crucial to identify what’s causing you not to accomplish your current project or task. Going for a walk, listening to music, doing yoga and calling a close friend or family member among others can help eliminate any blockages. 

Utilizing a focus group is a great way to receive feedback on your ideas. In most cases, individuals in focus groups aren’t associated with the person or company. These people maybe colleagues from a different department, members of your target audience or anyone off the street. Their objective is to provide honest feedback on a new product idea.  

Reference

Rich, Jason. Brain Storm: Tap into Your Creativity to Generate Awesome Ideas and      

        Remarkable Results. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career, 2003. Print.