So you have a brief. But how to start your creative juices flowing? Here is a list of simple techniques that will work like a charm for any creative project. More you practice with time you will come up with your own secret ingredients. But for now, let us dive into mine.
A Guide to Creative Thinking
Personal Project
Personal Project
We all have a magic recipe for getting our creative juices flowing. Meditation, walking in nature, taking a nap or reading a book are some of the several techniques I use when generating ideas.

- Meditation stands at the top of my list for generating new ideas at the moment. What if you are working on two or even three creative briefs simultaneously? It for sure can be stressful, right? We live vibrant and busy lives and are constantly bombarded with information, but you will be surprised to get to new ideas we need to find a way to quiet the mind. Mindfulness helps to train the mind to be quieter and be more focused at the present moment, and instead of finding distractions, it sharpens your concentration. It helps to deal with a stressful situation calmly by accepting the storm and moving through with grace.
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Walking in nature is another way to restart the brain and help with problem-solving and discover the well of creativity that lives inside you.
- Before I discovered meditation, I used to nap for 10 or 15 minutes after receiving a creative brief, and it was one of the best methods to see the project's result. It would always come right before you get up or the second after.
- Reading a good book not only can help you to solve problems in your creative brief but improve the quality of your life by making you rich on a much deeper level.
- Who doesn't like a piece of good tune? Yes, listening to lovely music is always inspirational. Regardless of what mood you're in, music is always to the rescue, and generating new ideas can sometimes come in very handy. So next time you are stuck, just put a nice record and chill your overloaded brain with a sweet tune.
- Taking a shower is another way to refresh yourself and be ready for new adventures. Water has a powerful cleansing element that promotes energy and release. While in the shower, bring your intention to mind and simply listen for any messages that might come.

- There is no secret that gardening boosts creativity, focus, productivity and relieves stress. So next time you're stuck on major problem solving, have a look at your green friends around your house. Maybe they need some help of yours and at the same time take your mind away from the brief. You'll come back refreshed and bursting from creative ideas after your houseplant adventures.
- Creating a mood board is another one of the most important steps of your creative process. Mood boards are a very powerful tool to navigate your project. It can be collage, text, photos, font types, textures or colour combinations that reflect the feel or a vision of the future project. When creating mood boards, you build the bridge of communication between you and the client that will keep your clients vision in place and easier to deliver or describe ideas.

- Read and reread the brief again and again. It will help you familiarise yourself with the project, understand the core problems you need to solve while working on the brief and ask additional questions to your client if something is unclear.
- You will be surprised how simple mind mapping will lead you to generate better ideas. Our brain does not process information or content in a sequenced or linear fashion. The average human brain has around 100 billion neurons; these neurons travel in a full gear triggering each other into action. This collaboration is essential to keep the body functioning and alive but at the same time causing a constant stream of thoughts. Mind maps will help you organize your creative brief and generate new ideas while brainstorming. Start with your primary concept and create a few branches; think if it needs further segregation. Then, keep going until you feel you have fully expressed the idea; this step will help you to develop the project in the later stage.
- The 5 W's and the H are formulas to gather the information about any creative brief.
Who is it about?
What happened?
Where did it take place?
When did it take place?
Why did it happen?
and How?
Simple but comes very handy when working on the brief.

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