14 helpful tips I learned from my favourite writers about coming up with better ideas and being more creative

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14 helpful tips I learned from my favourite writers about coming up with better ideas and being more creative

I've been writing online for over fourteen years. I don't always come up with completely original ideas for my work (I frequently repeat the same ones), but it helps to know where to look for them, and how to present them in fresh ways.

You may be staring at a blank screen, wondering where to find your inner creative spark or a new idea people will love.

Here are some ideas from a range of people who have inspired me over the years:

Brainstorm ten ideas a day.

James Altucher spoke about the practice of writing down ten ideas per day.

It can be for anything, from solutions to your plumbing problem to cool ideas for new small businesses.

This daily brainstorm strengthens my creativity muscle, but it also greatly increases the odds that ideas will 'mate with one another' and have interesting idea babies.

This can happen by chance, but you can also actively bring two ideas together to see what comes from the combination.

Combine ideas.

Austin Kleon spoke about something similar in his book 'Steal Like an Artist.'

He encourages us to take inspiration from existing ideas and blend them with something new to make them unique.

He was right when he said nothing is truly original - that's all about how ideas are combined and presented.

Seek inspiration beyond your field.

Leave home occasionally.

Maria Popova spoke about cross-disciplinary inspiration. This means dedicating some regular time to learning more about topics you may have otherwise ignored were you to stay within your field.

Reading widely can lead to unexpected connections.

Mindful observation.

In his book 'The Art of Stillness,' Pico Iyer emphasises how deep observation brings about creative inspiration.

This means simply being aware of one's surroundings to still the mind and open up creative insights.

I often do this on my daily walks, making sure I bring my notebook to write down ideas that come up.

Use constraints to encourage more creativity.

Ernest Hemingway was well known for staying within a strict word count limit with his writing.

Most writers are tempted to write more than needed to beef up counts, which can result in lifeless, long-winded writing.

When you create parameters in which to work, you're forced to focus on the fundamentals and be more innovative.

Embrace failure.

In Elizabeth Gilbert's brilliant book 'Big Magic,' she talked about confronting the fear of failure we all have.

She says that so many hold themselves back because of fear, which is why creating anything is a courageous act.

To succeed, you must be willing to befriend your fear and see it as a channel to greatness.

Use mind maps.

Tony Buzan was the guy who introduced me to using mind maps to help me find and organise my ideas better.

I loved how he presented his ideas visually because it helped me memorise and understand them.

Mind maps serve multiple purposes, from brainstorming new ideas to structuring information, solving problems, taking notes, and even stress release. We don't always need to work in any one rigid medium.

Experiment with mind maps as a way to trigger your creative brain in new ways.

Think laterally.

'Lateral Thinking' was coined by creativity genius Edward De Bono. He emphasised thinking beyond conventional boundaries.

One of the examples he taught was 'Reverse Thinking,' which is to take a desired outcome and reverse engineer how it could possibly be reached, in steps.

He also encourages us to think of alternative uses for everyday objects, like paperclips, to encourage the mind to think in new ways.

Embrace play.

In Dr. Stuart Brown's book, 'Play,' he advocates bringing a playful approach to our work through things like adopting a more flexible work structure.

He also talked about introducing games, puzzles and challenges into our work.

One of my favourites is a 30-day challenge, which I'm doing right now, motivating me to record a short video for X for thirty days.

Doodle.

Sunni Brown was big on using doodling to enhance creativity and brainstorming.

Some of the ways we can use doodling:

• Idea generation

• Stress relief

• Becoming more mindful

• Memory enhancement

• Note-taking

• Improved concentration.

'Oblique Strategies.'

This was the name given to a card deck created by musician Brian Eno that served as a set of creative prompts.

At the start of each creative session, you pull out a card and develop some ideas based on that card's prompt.

Like I often do, you can create your own prompts with a tool like ChatGPT.

Collaborate.

Steven Johnson, in his book, 'Where Good Ideas Come From,' encourages us to work with others to solve problems.

Two heads can often be better than one, because you bring two human perspectives to one prompt, problem or question.

Daily writing.

In her book on writing, 'Writing Down the Bones,' Natalie Goldberg encourages a daily free-writing practice.

This means writing words quickly without overthinking it or judging the practice. It's about seeing what comes up.

The more you write like this, the more creative you become.

I often start the day journaling my challenges, and I find free-writing is a powerful solution to breaking new ideas free, when I just can't think of anything to write.

Get out into nature.

One of my favourite philosophers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, spoke of the inspiration we can get from being out in the natural environment.

We can observe its patterns and beauty, serving as a source of fresh insights.

This is why I make a point of walking by the river here as often as possible.

I don't have an agenda, but the stimulation of the natural environment has a positive effect on my mood and overall creative enthusiasm.

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