From Vacuuming To Ice Plunges: How These 13 Creative Experts Get Into The Mood
As you may know, I enjoy studying creativity. The importance of it, the psychology of it, the ways to improve it. I have a whole page on this company’s site devoted to scientific studies around improving our creativity (view that here). So as part of this study I wanted to ask real people whose creativity is their professional product. What their hints, secrets, and rituals were when it comes to creativity. And who better to ask than my own Ideasicle Experts?
The question I posed to them: “How do you create?” We got some surprising, funny, and insightful answers.
Matt Lindley
Writer, Digital Expert
I vacuum. It's 100% true. Ask my family. Always done it. If I can't sort something, I vacuum - sometimes for an hour. Something about the consistent hum. The dust receptacle is like a timer. I watch it fill as I follow wherever the dog has been nesting. When full, idea has to be at least partially baked. The noise also covers my mumbling, which sometimes is more than mumbling.
My commentary: I asked for a photo and was told (firmly) that wouldn’t be possible. Lol.
Libby DeLana
Designer, Author, Ideasicle Expert
Trixie Ferguson Gray
Brand Strategist, Marketer, Ideasicle Expert
If I'm stuck, I'll brief my academic husband. He thinks completely different than me, has his own set of cultural studies references, and doesn't self-censor!
My commentary: Trixie is describing what’s beautiful about the Ideasicle X web application. That is, different perspectives colliding over a problem.
Roger Baldacci
Writer, Creative Director, Ideasicle Expert
For me to get into the creative zone, I have to get my work out in. Exercise is vital to reducing stress and getting the blood flowing to the most important organ, your brain. The next thing I have to have is a cup of hot tea. And if I’m faced with a particularly daunting project that may be complex or out of my comfort zone, I find it’s best to “break the ice” by putting down even a crappy, obvious, first-thought idea. Subconsciously this allows me to feel like I’ve already started and I’m less likely to procrastinate.
Monica Taylor
Art Director, Writer, Creative Director, Ideasicle Expert
I get superstitious about my first responses in a project. Before I get briefed, I try to capture my "uninformed" thoughts about a brand or problem. Then when I get briefed, I do the same to what comes up for me in the moment. Usually I'm frantically taking notes while I read or listen, so I don't lose anything that might have juice in it! Then I start exploring and pushing the edges, like we do. :) But so many times I find the heart of the winning idea is in those "pure" hits from the beginning. It took me years to realize this wasn't "first-thought theater" for me, that it was ok, and valuable.
When I get stuck, I try to write about the subject in a stream-of-consciousness style, no editing or stopping, till I fill a page or two. That usually generates some good nuggets for me, and gets me out of being too clever or twisty. I've passed this idea on to creatives who are having a hard time, and it's amazing how many gems they generate when they are freed up this way. And, it's fun.
If all else fails, a walk in the woods here, a forest bath, is the best.
Armin Molavi
Media Director, Fractional Marketing Consultant, Ideasicle Expert
What I do is put myself “somewhere new”. I go for walks in new neighborhoods, I go buy different PRINT magazines that I don’t normally read, I go surf social “in dark mode” (so less echo chamber). Even Pinterest, to one side, there’s so much crap there… but if you just float around, some of it triggers something.
My commentary: Steven Johnson wrote a book called “Where Good Ideas Come From” (highly recommend) and he talks about how new ideas are the collisions of two old ideas. Armin is accelerating that process by finding outside stimuli to increase the number of collisions.
Katherine Londergan
Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Ideasicle Expert
My favorite is a sideways thinking / analogous exercise where you look outside the category for inspiration to jog less obvious thoughts. For example who else is designing for this need? Talking about this benefit? Helping solve the problem? For an insurance project at IDEO I remember visiting doomsday preppers and interviewing prenup lawyers.
By abstracting the need or benefit away from the solution there might be richer territories. A new service that delivers on brand attributes more demonstrably than a campaign could…
Also walking!!! On my treadmill hamster wheel right now :)
My commentary: according to one study found on our Scientific Studies page, walking increases creativity by a whopping 60%.
Don Lane
Chief Marketing Office, Ideasicle Expert
A few years ago I realized I needed help jump-starting my brain. Running was one way to get started, but hard to commit to more than 3-4 days a week. Listening to music was stimulating, but not always possible working from home with the rest of my family. I needed a daily routine that would wake me up, and not feel like a chore.
Enter the NYT crossword puzzle. Every morning, before anything else, I pour a cup of coffee and finish the puzzle. 7 days a week. I print it out and practice my penmanship when filling out all the little squares. I think using my hands and taking good care helps me slow down and feel the experience. It’s time to myself. It’s problem solving. It’s improving my use and understanding of language. Plus, it’s fun. I’m more attuned to culture. More educated. And my pun game has never been more on point.
Claudia Caplan
Creative Problem Solver, Writer, Ideasicle Expert
I do my best thinking in the shower (no pictures please). I imagine because it's a bit of a sensory deprivation tank. My mind wanders and tends to have spontaneous solutions to things I've been pondering. Then I have to repeat them over and over to myself until I get out as I have no way of writing them down. This is certainly in line with the idea of "quiet moments." The other great thing about the shower is that unless you have very small children, you're unlikely to be interrupted and there are no phones.
Mike Labella
Media Director, Entrepreneur, Ideasicle Expert
Before I was a media guy I actually went to university to write beer commercials. My advertising concepts professor, Linda, introduced me to “creative aerobics” and I still use them every day before I start my work day. For just 5 minutes I take a random object in front of me and write down anything that comes to mind. For example if we’re looking at an orange, it has hundreds of other uses… a replacement for a baseball, pen holder, room deodorizer.. etc. It’s silly but it forces me to open my brain to creativity.
Bob Kilinski
Retail Expert, Entrepreneur, Ideasicle Expert
ADHD is a superpower and a curse. I have it and lean into it. Similar to others I run and cycle, a lot. I also make notes when running using voice texts and while indoor cycling I just sit up and write. I'll spare everyone the spandex picture but that compression may just be a catalyst. I do believe the steady rhythm of my natural running and cycling cadence allows for a lot of free thinking.
My commentary: What Bob and Claudia above with her showers are describing is the creative effect of “mundane, repetitive tasks.” Your working memory is helpful for focusing. Think doing taxes or putting together IKEA furniture. But it’s terrible for creativity because focusing eliminates/edits our thinking. By giving your working memory something to focus on (in Bob’s case, cycling or running), then it’s less likely to edit out seemingly irrelevant thoughts. Also, studies show that people with ADHD tend to be more creative because their working memory isn’t as strong.
Scott Biniak
Brand Marketer, Strategist, Ideasicle Expert
As I’m pretty sure it’s true for everyone else, some of my best ideas have come from my "monkey brain." When I’ve immersed myself in a project and stopped working - during a bike ride or even when I’ve laid down to go to bed for the night - those quiet moments I find my brain in overdrive. If I tune in and just observe, I’m consistently surprised by the solutions and ideas that appear without deliberate intent. Less frequently, at least that I can remember, the same will happen when I’m dreaming.
David Baldwin
Writer, Creative Director, Ideasicle Expert
I don't have any creative rituals but I do have an app called Braintoss that allows you to email yourself a note/file/audio/video so if you have an idea you can instantly send it to yourself with one button rather than fumbling with your phone to get to the notes app. It's great when you're not in concentration on a project and you subconscious goes, "Hey, how about this?"
My commentary: I’m going to try this. Because as I always say “Ideas happen out there while you’re living life, not when you’re sitting behind a desk.”
Ernie Schenck
Writer, Creative Director, Ideasicle Expert
I do have a ritual. It’s nothing exotic like some rituals I know of. Say, Roald Dahl's writing shed. For me, it's just getting in the car and driving around aimlessly. Apparently, science has an explanation. And if science says so, it must be true. :)
What are your creativity rituals?
Amazing to me how different the ways to increase creativity can be from one person to the next. Now it’s your turn. In the comments section below, share your ways to increase creativity and otherwise get in the mood.
Will Burns is the Founder & CEO of the revolutionary virtual-idea-generating company, Ideasicle X. He’s an advertising veteran from such agencies as Wieden & Kennedy, Goodby Silverstein, Arnold Worldwide, and Mullen. He was a Forbes Contributor for nine years writing about creativity in modern branding. Sign up for the Ideasicle Newsletter and never miss a post like this.