Source: Business2Community By Natalie Clive
The hardest part of any project is coming up with an original idea. The carrying out of the idea can take very little time compared to how long you took to even come up with the idea. If you are stuck on a project, and need to find a way to expand your list of ideas, here are five ways to brainstorm an idea:
Free write. This is probably the oldest, and most traditional, method of brainstorming. Doing a free write is very simple. All you do is pull out a sheet of paper, or more likely for our day and age, a laptop. Set a timer for however long you think you’ll need, and start writing. You don’t even have to start writing about the problem, or project, you want to get ideas for. You could start by talking about what you’ve done so far that day, what food you ate, or even what new high score you just got on your favorite video game. Gradually, steer your thoughts towards the problem at hand and let the ideas flow out on paper. Let your mind continue in this way until you are exhausted with writing. Hopefully by the end of it, your mind will have come up with something good for you to use!
Speak out loud. Sometimes you just need to speak something out loud in order to really visualize it. Go for a walk, or a drive, by yourself and talk it out. You might feel foolish doing this at first. That feeling will fade as you really start to get into the conversation you’re having with yourself.
Talk with a group. If you are really stumped, and need an outsider’s opinion, get a group of friends, coworkers, or family together. Let each person take turns presenting their ideas and thoughts. You will find that other’s unique perspectives can open up more ideas within your own mind.
Exquisite Corpse. The Exquisite Corpse is a brainstorming method that was started by various professionals in the early 20th century. The Exquisite Corpse involves creating a story, or other type of artwork, by adding one piece at a time. The first person will write a paragraph and then send it on to the next person, who may or may not know what the previous person wrote. They add another paragraph, and so on. By the end of it, you have a story, or piece of art, that no single person could have possibly created.
Think about something else. When all else fails and you feel like you just can’t think or talk about the issue for a second longer, give it a break! Go watch a movie, make an elaborate dinner, or go for a walk. Don’t think at all about the problem while you are taking this break. Who knows, maybe an idea will inadvertently pop into your head when you aren’t even thinking about it. Our brains are almost magical in that way!
Contact us – Print Media Collective – when you want to brainstorm your year-end fundraising campaign.
We are happy to help and introduce you to our exclusinve Nonprofit Partnership Program.