How to Have (Good) Ideas?
Where do ideas come from? How are they born? While it's true that everyone can have good ideas, as an agency, our job is to be able to have them on command, like by Tuesday at 2 PM, for example. Over time, with experience, numerous studies, and quite a bit of reflection, we've developed our own toolbox. And guess what? We've decided to share some of our secrets with you. (We're still keeping a few tricks in reserve for our clients, though).
Disconnect your brain
You don't come up with an idea by reasoning, you come up with it by thinking. When you reason, you deduce, you rationalise, you calculate, you prioritise and you end up with a logical, rational answer. When you ponder, your mind wanders and you have fun. It's in these moments of relaxation that the best ideas emerge. Remember all the times you've had a brilliant idea in the shower, while driving, in the middle of the night or while cooking dinner. Let your mind float... and boom, the brilliant idea appears!
A change of scene
Go for a walk, have a coffee, cycle, see a friend or read a novel. Breaking your routine and getting out of your usual environment will naturally help you. George Lois, an advertising legend in the United States, often says that the best place to find ideas is in a museum: great ideas rarely come from sitting at your desk between 9am and 6pm. The more you look, the less you'll find. So get out, breathe and let the ideas come to you.
Practice lateral thinking
Edward de Bono developed the concept of lateral thinking in his book Lateral Thinking. He invites you to approach a situation from different angles. Start by listing the obvious and conventional ideas, then challenge them with provocations to reach more original visions. This mental gymnastics, which de Bono calls 'movement', allows you to make jumps between the real, the absurd and the return to reality. So, are you ready for some brain exercise?
Take a dictionary
Who has a dictionary these days? If you don't, open a book at random and pick out a word. Then see how you can make a link with what you're looking for. Explore every corner, pull out all the threads and get to the end of your thought. If necessary, go back to the dictionary and choose another word. This technique is very useful for unlocking your mind and forcing you to approach the situation differently.
What if you want to make a joke of it
The best ideas often come in the form of jokes. Imagine you had to present your idea at a stand-up evening: how would you spin it to make your audience laugh? Brilliant ideas often come from moments of lightness and laughter.
A creative mind, receptive to new ideas, is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more you look for ideas, and the easier they will come to you. But seeing an idea is not enough. The work doesn't stop there. This is where it all starts, to turn it into a great idea, capable of making an impact.
The artwork for this article was created with Midjourney.