Simple Tips for Effective Brainstorming for Writing
We all brainstorm at some point in our lives, whether for school, university, work, or pleasure. When putting pen to paper, brainstorming helps us focus and determine the path we will follow, helping us achieve our ultimate goals. Brainstorming can also help us organize and form our ideas. Regardless of the brainstorming technique we follow, here are some simple tips to make brainstorming easier and more effective.
1. Write everything down. Start big. Don’t judge.
Effective brainstorming is judgement-free. Freely writing down every single one of our thoughts helps us generate as many ideas as possible. It is important, if not vital, to first write down all ideas without worrying about whether they are good or bad. Later, we can go over them to see if they are worthy of expanding on or not, improving on the ideas we decide to keep.
At this stage, mental freedom is imperative. Creating a safe and judgment-free zone for brainstorming, even if that is with ourselves, will allow our creativity and productivity to flourish. We should make room even for the ideas that initially appear far-fetched or out of place. Alex Osborne, who created the technique we now know as brainstorming, once said, “It’s easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up one.” By considering our “wild ideas,” we might arrive at remarkable and unique topics.
2. Discuss your ideas
At some point or another, we’ve all felt like we have no ideas left in our heads. It is normal to feel frustrated because of a lack of ideas or the inability to word them properly. In these situations, it is helpful to take a step back and search somewhere else for inspiration, such as through discussions with our friends, family, professional peers, and even our competitors. Being open to feedback during our discussions can be helpful in the brainstorming process because everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different thoughts. Through discussions, we can come up with new ideas by combining others’ thoughts with ours, clarifying or enhancing our own ideas.
3. Search for inspiration everywhere
Sometimes we might feel uninspired and have the need to search deeper for inspiration. We all get inspired from different things: reading books and articles, from social media, taking a walk or participating in other activities we enjoy, or simply observing others’ behavior. An effective way to boost our imagination is to stimulating our five senses. This way, can cause our imagination to will wander and will lead to the awakening of memories and emotions, helping our creative juices to flow. Smelling or tasting our favorite foods, for instance, can cause wonderful memories to come to mind and help us come up with brilliant ideas.
4. Take regular breaks
It is often helpful to take breaks from brainstorming and approach it again with a rested and clear mind. This can allow us to return to previous brainstorming efforts and approach our thoughts from different perspectives, improving our original ideas. Likewise, it is not unusual for idea generation to get bogged down during brainstorming sessions. Relaxing our mind can help overcome the blockage of ideas.
We can all benefit from brainstorming, and following these tips can help us to become stronger and more effective thinkers. Through practice, each of us can determine the style of brainstorming that is most effective for our personal needs. Regardless of the brainstorming techniques we use, these tips are simple guidelines that can significantly improve our creativity and productivity.