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Brainstorming. The ability to be creative and solve problems.

I don’t care what your interests are, we all brainstorm in certain situations. We might be mulling over a mathematical proof, or planning a sneak attack in Call of Duty 4, or thinking of something to say to the girl who works at Starbucks – but all that counts, to me, as a form of brainstorming.





We are most likely to brainstorm when we have a clear goal in mind. That’s the point. We want to get from Point A to Point B, but we don’t know how, so we have to first think about it for a little bit. Within this thought process we may reflect on past events, imagine future ones, or argue with other voices in our head telling us, “Are you sure this is going to work?” or “You’re crazy!”

Whether we brainstorm in groups or in solitude, brainstorming is a constant battle of ideas. Neuroscientist Mark Beeman claims that, while an everyday thought like what to eat for lunch may involve millions of neurons, an insight might only be tens of thousands. It might be that we are having creative thoughts all of the time, but they aren’t being listened to because they are largely happening underneath the surface, competing for our awareness.

When you enter other minds into the picture, like during a business meeting, the brainstorming process becomes even more dynamic. Not only do we have different neurons competing in an individual mind, but we also now have full ideas being verbalized, grabbing more of our attention, and synthesizing with other ideas.

The creative process can be chaotic, especially if we don’t have a methodological way of sifting through new thoughts and ideas, or letting other voices be heard. Setting some guidelines can be a good first start.



Tips for brainstorming in a business or organizational setting



– Start off with 3-5 minutes of quiet writing time so each member can first brainstorm individually. – Have each member write down their ideas anonymously in order to limit social pressures that might hinder creative thought. – After, collect all the ideas in a hat, pull one, and spend some time discussing it as a group. – Encourage politeness and open-mindedness throughout the whole session. – Allow members to write down new ideas during discussion. – For extended meetings, make sure to include snacks and bathroom breaks. People that don’t have their physical needs met won’t be able to think as efficiently. – Don’t ignore the environment of the meeting. Choose something with vibrant and lively colors, but nothing too distracting.







Remember that you are trying to build a system where creative chaos can flourish, but also later be processed into something practical and useful. This requires a constant shifting of perspectives, both as a dreamer, and also as a critic and a realist. Once you begin scrutinizing these ideas, you can begin connecting, and as your visions begin to synthesize you might be getting closer and closer to that Eureka moment.

Most creative processes follow a similar pattern, but the form and context they take place in can be very different, so we don’t often think of them as comparable. This time instead of business I’m going to list some guidelines for a music band (notice the similarities and differences):



Tips for brainstorming in a music band

– First ask each musician to warm up, go over scales, stretch, etc… – Musicians think with their instruments, so after warming up the best way to brainstorm is through jamming. – Give each musician a chance to start an idea, a riff, or a pattern, and then have the other musicians build around it. – Read each other’s emotions and attitudes. Ask, “What is trying to be communicated?” – Play off others and build an energy around the sound. – Speak out when you hear something you like. – Give helpful critiques when you hear something that can be improved.





In both scenarios you want to let everyone’s individuality be expressed, and then you want to try and integrate that into a more cohesive whole. That is what it means when people have creative chemistry.





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Where Good Ideas Come From

Science author Steven Johnson spoke at a TED conference earlier this year about “Where Good Ideas Come From.” His theories come from an “environmental perspective,” meaning that good ideas rarely come from a single mind, but instead are likely to formulate when minds come together and exchange ideas in the right setting.

Most ideas, Johnson claims, take a long time to evolve. They remain dormant until our hunches combine with other hunches, and finally a full idea emerges. He says that the great driver of technology and science is our connectivity, and inventions like cellphones and the internet have become the primary engine of innovation.

Watch a great cartoon presentation of his lecture here:







His new book, “Where Good Ideas Come From” is coming out October 5th of this year! You can pre-order it here (or buy it depending on when you a reading this).



Individual minds and creative pairs

According to a recent article at Slate.com, there seems to be a debate among creative experts between what is more likely: the lone genius, or creative fusion when we work in pairs or in groups.

In a way this is a false dichotomy. Only individuals think, but their thoughts are very much influenced by their surroundings and interactions with others. If we were to take a newborn baby, put it in an isolated bubble and let it develop into an adult, it would have very few inputs to use toward creativity.

Rich minds always stay active and search for new experiences. They look at nature, visit New York City, talk to other like-minded individuals, and they also spend time alone, absorbing and reflecting on everything they have learned.

As an individual thinker, there are certain tips we can follow to enhance our creative output while interacting with our environment:

– Carry a notepad or voice recorder with you everywhere you go. – Be interested and curious in everything. – Always seek new knowledge. – Talk to other creative people. – Try and look at things in unconventional ways. – Be more mindful of your thoughts.

Besides the advice to carry a notepad or voice recorder, a lot of this is about fostering the right attitude. Brainstorming and creativity is very much about how you see the world, and consequently how you interact with it.



Other great links on the creative process

Creativity is something that has always interested me. Not so surprisingly, there are many different ways to think about it. Here are a few links I’ve discovered over the past couple of months that give some interesting insights:



Did you enjoy this article? Learn more about psychology and self-improvement in my new e-book The Science of Self Improvement.



