Clever tips for maximizing your brainstorming brainpower and creative thinking. Training tips for writing, art, teaching and relationships.
We’ve all experienced the ‘Brick Wall’ that stops us in our tracks. Whether agonizing over a title, the perfect name for a new business, the subject of the next painting, tackling a new project, or asking for a first date, most of us have felt the agony of defeat by our lack of imagination. As a writer, teacher and artist, I’ve discovered several ways to either get around the brick wall, climb over it, or just cut my losses and turn around.
Since, right this second, I’m trying to build an income stream from writing, let’s begin there. To even get a glimpse of the Brick Wall, I started walking. I knew I’d smack into it eventually, but I was still merely hoping to make something of my love affair with words, not even flirting. It brings us to STEP 1:
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Do something
Get out your paints, find your toolbox, open a blank document, send a funny story or comment (that you made up) to a trusted friend. Even if your first strokes are weak or hesitant, there’s always the delete key, spellchecker and/or more paint. If they’re a trusted friend, they’ll be truthful and as kind as possible without letting you make an idiot of yourself. So, here’s STEP 2:
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Allow yourself to err.
One of the most formidable talents to master as an artist was to look at each fresh sheet of paper as an opportunity rather than a duty to create a masterpiece. We know as much from our catastrophes as from our brilliant successes. And if your experience parallels mine, the embarrassing performances outnumber the Oscars by a long shot. At the very least, every mistake means that you tried. You took a risk. You couldn’t have failed if there hadn’t been a risk. Count them and congratulate yourself for at least giving it a try. Let someone else be your worst critic for a change! So here’s STEP 3:
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Listen to the feedback from your friend and proceed with that in mind
Please take it in, but remember your own best judgment. It’s only a second opinion, not the only one.
So, hopefully, you’ve managed to gather a bit of momentum with these first three steps and are toddling off on your own now. But, be prepared; toddlers fall on their asses all the time. The trick is to take a breath and realize you’re not hurt, and you can get up and keep on truckin’. The other toddler metaphor that comes to mind is that Mom’s on the phone, anyway, and can’t hear all that crying. All happy toddlers know this (all happy speed-daters, as well, for that matter.) And on to STEP 4:
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Proceed, for Pete’s sake!
Regardless of what you may be attempting, you probably do not know everything already. It must be my favourite mistake since I make it all the time. Take stock; you probably have a favourite mistake, too. If you did know everything already, you’d be rich and famous or whatever else you want out of life and have people to do the icky stuff on your payroll. Learn everything you can about accomplishing your goal and then actually try putting some of it into practice.
BRICK WALL
And there it is. You might be able to pretty it up with a mural or cool philosophical graffiti, but this is your brick wall; no one else will ever see it. What has helped me with mine?
- Recognize your favourite mistake. (addressed previously)
- Take off your ‘Black Hat“
People wear all manner of “hats” when they come to a meeting. Some are “white” – every idea is excellent. Some are “red” – sounding the alarm at each new suggestion, finding fault and worst-case scenarios. But the worst is the “Black Hats” – sucking the wind out of everyone’s sails with consistent and premature criticism. Take off your black hat for a while. On it will go again at the perfect time. Removing it allows your ideas to flow. Get them all down. Sort them out later. One stupid one may be the seed for a perfect one.
This board meeting is a meeting of your mind. Don’t squash the part of you that barely has its hand in the air. Ask it to “stand and deliver”. Be sensitive and take notes. Let this timid little piece of your mind have its say, too. In advertising, they say, “there are no bad ideas”. If you approach your brick wall this way, you may find you’re a regular McGyver when the going gets tough.
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Sort and stimulate
Once you’ve got some thoughts collected, take a minute or two. Then, walk away and return with fresh eyes. For me, words almost always spark my imagination. For you, it might be music, a shape in the clouds, or a picture book. Which ones do you like? Which ones spook you?
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Make connections. Build the bridge to your solution
Start connecting the dots. Which ones go together? What rhymes with food? What’s my favourite song about chocolate? Is there a superhero related to that? My point is that once you set your mind free, you never know where it will take you. But, unfortunately, the rules we impose on the value of our thinking stand in our way.
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Make your pile of bricks.
I mean by this: begin to make a pile of your very own bricks stand on. It is all you know how to do. Go ahead, find a room where no one can see you and remind you of humility’s great virtue. If you’re short on compliments, quote your dog. Does he welcome you? He knows a lot about you.
Start small, if it helps—especially you girls out there. We’re never supposed to talk ourselves up. If you’re old like me, you never got the opportunity to excel or build your character through team sports. If you kept home for any length of time, you measured your success by the successes of those you cared for. So this step could be pretty tough. So start small; just because you didn’t earn a paycheck for doing something or behaving a certain way doesn’t mean the experience or quality is without value. Far from it! And this goes for you guys and young people, too. Here are some examples:
- I can fix a toilet = Risk-taker, problem-solver, crisis management, will take on jobs no one else wants, work well alone, self-starter.
- I kept my baby alive till it could walk = dedication, commitment, patience, adaptability this list might go on indefinitely, but you get the picture)
- I’m a good cook = creative, able to follow directions, put out fires, problem-solve when I have to make “spaghetti and something” from the recipe I don’t have the macaroni for.
- I accessorize well = understanding of colour, design, fashion.
- I recognize a bad haircut when I see one = Human Resources, Public Relations, Social Networking Skills, Career Counseling.
See what’s evolving? Gradually, you will get to the bigger things; skills and qualities that translate into applicable bricks in your pile. So the next time you hit the Wall, and until you figure out how to handle it, you can stand on your bricks and maybe get a peek at the other side. The beauty of this brick pile is that it never changes. Once you’ve collected them, you know what each one looks like without ever having to pick it up again. They’re at your disposal for every foundation you begin to lay. Here’s what led to the name of my catering business a few years back. Catering means portable food (i.e. Meals on Wheels). That doesn’t conjure up a pretty picture, but it was a seed. Food for Thought (taken), Catering Cart, Meat Wagon (another awful image), 10 or 20 more and then… Eureka! Ernest Hemingway… A Moveable Feast! Perfect.
I’m still searching for a name for my writing business… Finally, doing it and earning money. The following is my train of Thought: incredible/notorious/famous writers – Lois Lane, Perry White. Comic books aren’t only for high school dropouts. Hmmm, the Daily Comet.…? No, I found out that’s a Louisiana newspaper after a little Googling. The Daily PLANET (copyrighted). Superman: justice, truth, and America! Was Steve Reeves creepy or what? How about the DALAI PLANET*? Close enough to Daily Planet to bring Lois and Clark to mind, but also that know-it-all, teacher-of-truth-justice and the Tibetan Way – THE DALAI LAMA! Perfect! There are several levels of meaning and interpretations. Great. Mine. I smile every time I see it. I’m using it, and I hope I’m accepted because it’s stupid or too cryptic. And even if you don’t get it, it’s a proven fact that misspelt words attract attention. Toys R Us, to name just one self-explanatory one.
I’ve been staring at that brick wall for close to a year (perhaps, most of my life) and finally licked it by taking stock of who I am, what I’m good at and what makes me feel good. Try it. You’ll like it. And if you don’t figure out a better way to ask for a first date, at least you’ll know it wasn’t for lack of imagination.
*Don’t try to find it: it doesn’t exist yet. It came to me barely five minutes ago. However, since this format doesn’t allow the little R in a circle for trademark, if you steal it, I may have to hunt you down and become rich and famous from the lawsuit. It’s mine.