YOUR CREATIVE MINDSET
“To be creative, you have to value creativity.” – Matthew Diffee
Matt stressed that the first step of generating creative ideas is to get yourself in a creative mindset. It sounds obvious, but you have to value creativity to be creative. This means starting with an open mind. Focus on building upon ideas instead of shooting them down. He referenced the improv idea “Yes, and” – in which you respond to all ideas by validating them and continuing to build on them to keep the conversation moving forward. This is as important in a group setting as it is when evaluating your own ideas.
Matt also discussed the emotional state required for creativity. Put simply, “stress is bad for creativity.” When it comes to generating creative ideas, have fun with it and enjoy the process. He described the emotional feeling of anticipation that comes as you feel an idea bubbling up inside of you. His advice: Embrace that anticipation!
TIPS FOR A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT
Be so focused, you’re drooling. – Matthew Diffee
Your creative environment should be the right place and right time for your needs. Different people have different ideal environments. Whatever that means for you, set aside a time and place to let your creativity flow. The ideal is when you are in “the zone” where you’re not distracted by anything.
CREATIVE PROCESS TIPS
“Here’s a stat I just made up: 95% of people don’t try.” – Matthew Diffee
Matt’s creative process includes a daily morning ritual where he takes a full pot of coffee and an empty sheet of paper. He fills the paper with ideas until the paper is full and the coffee pot is empty. He then takes the 10 best ideas each week and presents them to his editor. An example is below:
Here are our favorite creativity tips from Matt’s process:
1. Make it easy for you to start working.
Before Matt even begins his brainstorming, he starts his morning by doing the dishes – something he does not enjoy. That way, when it comes time for his morning brainstorm, it is extremely easy for him to stop the dishes and start working.
2. Set yourself a scheduled time to write.
Set aside a time and place to be creative. This helps your brain focus on the task at hand.
3. Flip the funnel.
If ideas sputter out, do something Matt calls “flipping the funnel.” At the top of a funnel ideas flow easily, and then you filter down to fewer and fewer. If you are having trouble with ideas flowing, add something new to the equation to bring in new ideas to your thinking. Matt recommends something as simple as reading an article related to the topic to jog some fresh ideas, or add a related topic to the mix.
4. Add, subtract, switch, invert, and mash up.
One way to bring new ideas in your funnel is to shift your thinking. Think about how you can do the following to your ideas: add, subtract, switch, invert, and mash up. For instance, mash up two unrelated ideas to create something new, like in this Diffee cartoon:
5. Maintain creative momentum.
Generating ideas takes time and work. Keep going and flow through as many ideas as you can. Don’t shoot down “bad” ideas. Build on them to keep your creative momentum moving forward. Don’t give up!
6. Focus on quantity over quality.
One of the biggest takeaways from Matt is to focus on generating as many ideas as possible. In your initial thinking, don’t even worry about quality. Come up with more ideas than you need, and then keep what works. If you start to make judgments about those ideas before they are fully developed, you may stifle a great idea that just needs more time to grow.
7. Give yourself time
“The good news and the bad news is the same: Inspiration doesn’t necessarily come because you work harder.” – Matthew Diffee
Usually, a great idea just hits you in the face. And often it takes many, many good ideas before you come up with a great one. Matt stressed that one of the best things you can do for yourself is give yourself time to let inspiration flow. In our world of deadlines and tight timelines this can sometimes be difficult, but is extremely important. Give yourself time to think through as many ideas as possible until the great one hits!
