When you don’t know what to do next, do one of the following (or all of the five following) jumpstarting techniques for getting the creative juices flowing and the content ideas generated. After all, you need an idea before you can take action. Here’s how to get more and better ideas:
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)
1 || Force yourself to have and write down ideas
You have a brain that spits out a few ten thousand ideas every day. And at the end of the day, the odds are pretty high that at least one of those ideas was a semi-decent one. Once you convince yourself that an idea doesn’t have to be perfect to be written down, once you convince yourself that an idea doesn’t have to be perfect to be acted upon, you can have and hear better ideas.
“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?” (George Bernard Shaw)
Your mind is already creating ideas, you just have to quiet down your distractions and your fears enough to where you can hear them.
Pull out a notebook and set a number. Whether it be 3, 10, or 100, decide that you will come up with ideas. Whether it be something that you’ve already thought of, something you’ve already done, or something that someone else has done, it’s still an idea and you can still do something with it. If not, it’ll lead to bigger and better ideas along the way.
2 || Bounce off of other people’s thoughts
I love using Reddit for content creation ideas. Part of that love is based on the fact that my work in writing about and creating for knowledge of and about The Enneagram is based on answering people’s questions and solving people’s problems. Being an Enneagram coach, I have to be ready to help someone — it’s about finding out where they are and getting them to where they want to be.
“Everybody born comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. We come from the Creator with creativity. I think that each one of us is born with creativity.” (Maya Angelou)
All of the time, several times a day, even, I’m posting questions and waiting for the responses, and people deliver. I’ve asked about product ideas, content ideas, book chapter ideas, and just questions that people want to be answered about the system. The definition of brainstorming is literally about working with other people’s brains. You need other brains — and you can find them almost anywhere.
Whether it be in person with a colleague, your partner, your mastermind group, a coaching group, a friend, or a group on Reddit, find someone who you can bounce ideas off of and those who can give you ideas to take and run with.
3 || Intake other people’s creativity
Read. Watch documentaries. Watch high-quality content on YouTube. Listen to the best and most high-quality podcasts that are filled to the brim with creativity. When all else fails in your own mind, take in other people’s material.
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” (Leo Burnett)
What I write about is mostly found in the developments of other creators. Of course, I bring my original take to it, but my deeper and more complex ideas all start with someone else’s. All of my Enneagram work is based on a framework that someone else came with up. My novels are based on the lives and struggles of real people, people other than myself. And my documentaries and video work are simply documenting the lives of other people.
Don’t forget that there’s nothing new under the sun and that all of what you will create and come up with is built upon the backs of other creators and those who have come before you.
4 || Look back upon past developments
If you’ve written in a journal in the past, worked on certain projects in the past, or even written something down or documented something in the notes app on your phone — look back at that and see if you can get anything from it. Some of my greatest ideas have come from past journal entries or lists of goals I wrote out and documented several years ago.
“The creative adult is the child who survived.” (Ursula Leguin)
What’s so amazing about them is that my past ideas can take on a new life, rising up out of the ashes in a new and better way that adapts to my life in its current state and stage. Look back into the archives of your life and search for past ideas that could be edited, revised, or simply brought back to life in a new and creative way.
5 || Use journal prompts
When all else fails, look at ways that other people come up with ideas and use their tools to create something. Journaling prompts can be found almost anywhere. Online, in books, in videos, and more — you can find something that someone used, find something that someone used that worked for them.
The truth is, when it comes to creativity, all you need is a starting place. If you’re writing a novel, all you need is a character. If you’re writing a musical, all you need is a song. If you’re writing an article, you can start with a title. If you’re planning a trip, you just have to pick a place. If you need ideas, all you have to do is ask a question and start looking for and writing down the answers.
“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things” (Ray Bradbury)
All you have to do when it comes to starting with creativity is to remember how low the threshold is. Follow the five techniques we’ve covered. Then, go from there. And now you’re being creative. Now you’re on the right track to creating incredible content and valuable resources for your fellow human beings.