Freshness is all about how you search for stimulus and fill your mind with freshness so you can break out of conventional thinking in order to generate truly unique ideas.
Freshness is something Stimulators are naturally good at. Fresh inputs and unique perspectives are some of the things they bring to the creative table. Freshness is not something Stimulators try to do, instead it is something they are and in fact, cannot help but being.
In case you’re not a Stimulator yourself, and the success of the project you’re working on depends on generating truly radical ideas, make sure you’ve got a bunch of Stimulators who can help you.
If that’s not possible, then there are always a number of things you can do to add freshness to yourself and your stimulus cupboard. ?What If! talk about ‘river jumping’ and have created four neat little tools:
• Re-expression (finding alternative ways of describing something)
• Related worlds (looking at different areas where a similar issue has already been solved)
• Revolution (breaking assumptions and perceived rules)
• Random links (making completely random connections)
Re-expression is something Sculptors love. So if you’re a Sculptor and need to be more of a Stimulator, then this one might be for you!
Random links on the other hand, is a Spotter-friendly tool. So if you’re a Spotter and you need to generate truly fresh ideas, try this one.
Related worlds and Revolution are both tools that appeal across the board – so keep them handy in your tool box regardless of the shape of your Creative ID.
You’ll find everything you need to know about these techniques in Sticky Wisdom – How to start a creative revolution at work.
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[...] Freshness is the Stimulator’s playground, Realness is the territory of the Sculptor. Sculptors are good at [...]