And connect more dots.

One of the most important attributes of a being a successful entrepreneur is having the ability to generate fresh and meaningful ideas, often. Then, connect the dots to move your business forward.

Many times circumstances for entrepreneurs make this pretty darn challenging. You have a microscopic budget, no staff, juggle two full-time jobs to pay your bills and your cat has the chicken pox; all while you’re building your dream.

No problem. Some of the biggest and best ideas are birthed because of the above. Why? Because you are forced to be a truly creative problem solver.

My best creative thinking happens when I stimulate my brain by exposing myself to other cool ideas that empower me to recognize patterns, think in a metaphoric way, and absorb a lot of information quickly.

Here are 4 easy ways to increase your idea flow.
1) Visit online and offline, high-volume idea venues.
Trend reporting websites like Springwise and Iconoculture are two of my favorites. Springwise showcases entrepreneurial ideas from around the globe, and Iconoculture recaps top consumer and business trends with a good mix of recent market facts and statistics in a free newsletter.

Schedule a trip to a shopping mall. Don’t go to shop. Go to discover with a conscious eye. Watch how people behave and respond to marketing initiatives; evaluate displays, and listen to conversations.

Annually attend industry tradeshows in innovative sectors. Journal what you see; the good and bad, pick up marketing collateral and take pictures of exhibits and people.

2) Pay attention to smart, successful companies and people.
My list includes competitors and random organizations, both large and small. I keep an admiration notebook and folder on my computer. I include words, images, and processes that I find intriguing.

3) Develop a habit of producing idea quotas.
This means, need a solution or big idea? Set a daily volume quota for your ideas. For instance, need a new product name? Jot down five possibilities a day for two weeks. Invite a friend or colleague to do the same. In 14 days you’ll have at least 70 seeds for finding your big idea. Remember, don’t set any limits for your ideas, the wilder the better. Ignore budget restrictions and don’t strive for the perfect idea; aim for quantity.

4) Master the art of scan and skim, and read more.
Early in my career I attended a workshop on how to read the Wall Street Journal in less than 15 minutes. This 60-minute class dramatically increased the amount of information I can absorb which, in today’s world of massive data deluge, is a necessary skill to have.

Here’s the fast track on how to be a better scanner and skimmer of publications.

Turn off distractions like music and the TV. Go straight to a publication content summary, sometimes this is the table of contents, sometimes it is a special section that features top stories. Find subjects that interest you, jump to those articles. Then read the subheads, the intro and the last paragraph. This filtering method is a quick and efficient way to cover a lot of ground. I also scan all visuals, images, and charts and graphs and set a reading time limit on a publication. I also use an index card to underline what I’m reading and I highlight information I want to retain.

New, different, and sometimes even recycled ideas are the vital ingredients for problem solving and connecting the dots. The better and bigger the idea flow, the higher propensity you’ll achieve success.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com.

The past few days I’ve suffered from a less than productive head. I absolutely could not get anything finished or even put a dent in a project. The more I tried, the less I achieved. It was like my brain was at a stop sign and then I ran out of gas. I could not think, create or solve any problems. After a couple hours of useless work, I started feeling very stressed and then I couldn’t even focus on what I was doing. Why does this happen? What can you do, when your brain feel less than productive?

This theory is not scientific. But for me, I think your brain gets clogged up and too many “ta does” and stress can actually immobilize your brain’s function. I noticed that when I stare at my computer screen for long periods of time, this brain freeze happens the most.

Get way from your computer and move around.

My good pal Doug Stevenson explains in his CD series on “How to Deliver a Dynamite Speech” that too much typing on your computer will keep your brain and your thoughts in the left sided, logical mode and will make solving problems and being creative a very difficult task. He suggests creative thinking should happen away from the computer. He also recommends moving around and that sitting still does not empower creative thinking. I agree with that idea. After I go for a run or play tennis my brain is on fire with fresh ideas. And I’m in great mood.

Manage disruptions and doing things tomorrow.
Another friend of Oddpodz is Mark McGuinness. Mark lives across the pond, is a poet and leads Wishfulthinking a consultancy for creative professionals, agencies and studios. Mark suggests managing disruptions like email and responding to clients, along with doing more things tomorrow and not today. Mark’s work and blog has been hugely helpful in moving me out of the brain freeze zone. Two of his brilliant pieces of work are featured in Oddpodz FREE Biz Findz. Both are FREE ebooks. One is called Time Management for Creative People and the other is called How to Motivate Creative People. I recommend both reading both of this and visiting his blog.

I’m out of the brain freeze now. Thank goodness. I know it will be back. I continue to battle this state of mind when my plate is very full. But, I am making progress. When I feel it happening, I change my environment, schedule uninterrupted time and get away from my computer.

Oddpod member John Cassidy and his company Duplicates are not stressing about the recession, but taking action. They teamed up with their local news and developed the campaign called Reject the Recession. Check out the TV Ad:

They also have Reject the Recession kits that includes posters, stickers, and tips to fight the Recession.

A positive mindset is better than doom and gloom. If you’ve got ideas to share, please post them on our forum under Campaign O. The first 50 entries receive an Oddpodz T-shirt.

“In a group, vary the environment. Break the routine. Brainstorm with people outside your industry. Outsiders will ask questions from an ‘unlocked’ and varying perspective.

Plus, listen to everyone - not matter the source. My son asked me just last week why there is no TiVo for radio!

Finally, I run - everyday. Without headphones. It frees my brain to drill deeper into questions or solutions. My most creative ideas have grown from the isolation.”

-Kevin Robinson

We asked some of our colleagues and members how and where they find the fuel for their creative businesses, and they answered in droves!

Sharon Hill suggests the following.

‘I subscribe to news clip services and several blogs, along with many newspapers’ online newsletters and news feeds. It’s about 300-500 releases or stories a day and I pass most of them by but there are several that get me thinking, “we could do that” or “that gives me an idea.” And I never throw junk mail away - you’d be surprised what that can get you thinking about. I just stay open to how everything I see might translate into something doable. My job is about marketing and advertising and so a book, a magazine, a billboard, junk mail, and so many other things might start an idea.

I also listen to people. As a reporter, I’m always looking for the clever and insightful quote. What people say can get ideas going as well.

I also find that most of my creative ideas come early in the morning - some even wake me up. I spend a day or part of a day pondering a thorny problem and then somehow the night’s rest gets the creative juices going. I have this little recorder next to my bed so I can remind myself and go back to sleep if it comes to me in the middle of the night. Otherwise I’d never get back to sleep.”

Some suggested links:

Links:
workathomejob
suburban news
masternewmedia

Do you ever have those dreams where you’re still at work? I do. Never the good parts, only the seemingly hopeless stressful parts.

I worked in the service industry for years, waiting tables and bartending to get through school and pay the extra bills. One dream I will never forget was my odd currency dream. When I delivered a drink, the customer gave me a hundred dollar bill. I had to go get change (causing me to get even more behind…) and when I returned, he was furious. He said, “I specifically asked for my change in a $38 bill, an $18 bill and two $9’s.” I spent a good portion of the rest of this dream trying to deal with someone who was asking for things that I could not give him. It was like we were living in two completely different realities.

I remember this dream even years later because my feeling of helplessness and frustration was so acute. Since then, I’ve experienced many times in my career as a designer when I felt I was being asked to perform a similarly impossible task. Or, as one of my instructors used to say, to try to put the Gettysburg Address on a business card. And sadly, no matter how much you may be attached to simplicity and negative space, you’ve got to make it work. So, what to do?

Ask questions. Get to know what your client does in far more detail than your initial consultations can provide. What are the lesser known details of their industry? What is their audience? (And do they actually have a grasp on what it is?) What are their goals beyond the scope of the project you are working on?

You might come to find that the $38 bill really does exist to them. You’ve just never heard of it, and all you needed to do was understand more about where they were coming from to get it. Or, you may discover that what they have asked for initially is not actually what they need. (I don’t say this in a “designer always knows best because other people don’t understand my creative vision…” way.) If you think there is a better method for them to meet their goals, offer suggestions. The worst that can happen is you still have to complete a difficult project but with a much greater understanding of your client. And the best is that you collaborate to come up with a creative solution and in the process develop a relationship that will last longer than one individual project.

Practice some design Zen. I know, I know people throw the word “Zen” around like it’s going out of style. But it really does have some value in this situation. The goal is to do what you’ve been doing, only with a completely different understanding of it. As the lecturer Genro Seiun Koudela says, “…the mind has a chance to quiet down. You get away from this habitual way of thinking, and discriminating - judging good, bad, unpleasant, and so on.” I’ve occasionally caught myself thinking things like “I can’t do X, it’s not the way layout (or logos, or whatever) works…” or so on. Don’t fall into that trap.

While I’m practicing design Zen, I like to assume that I already know the answer top the problem I’m facing, I just haven’t given my my mind a chance to tell me about it yet. But I know it’s in there. This allows me to deal with “blocks” without loosing too much sleep about it.

I know you have some suggestions to add to the mix.

A tip from a colleague on creative problem-solving:

“I revel in taking each project and turning it around so it may be viewed from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. From there the concept an grow and you can discover what’s beneath the surface to make the right connections for it to succeed. I research keywords, phrases, other industries and many ideas. I get out and talk to people. I ask lots of questions and do lots of active listening to remain curious so the special nugget can rise to the top. I believe success has many masters, so it’s important to be flexible and expand with the idea as it grows. It rarely goes in the same direction you start and that creativity is what makes it all exciting.”

Sammy Simpson
Helpful links:
thetunein