Most of us often think that only geniuses have the inborn ability to generate great writing ideas. But that is not always the case; great ideas are indeed within the grasp of many people. In Steven Johnson’s book Where Good Ideas Come From we see this to be the case. Johnson argues that you can generate, nurture and develop ideas if you know the secrets of idea generation.
In his book, Johnson believes that one doesn’t have to score a high IQ in order to succeed in generating great ideas. In his book, he presents us with the many ways in which you can creatively position yourself to allow the generation of great ideas. Below are 5 great ideas to assist you in idea generation.
Be Willing To Be Patient
According to Johnson, ‘Eureka’ moments are not the only source where great ideas emanate from: You can get a good idea from a gut feeling or a hunch. These gut feelings are like little seeds planted in the ground that, if well cared for, will grow into a beautiful plant. You should not ignore your gut feelings or hunches.
In research as well as in any discipline that requires thoughtfulness, recording your ideas is crucial. It’s important to record the ideas that cross your mind even if they don’t seem tangible and make any sense when they occur. These subtle experiences of the mind that appear across the consciousness can be captured. These ideas that may seem little and of no consequence can be nurtured and developed by recording.
We often make the mistake of thinking that we will remember these fleeting mental impressions. Do not trust your mind to remember them. Our minds are often bombarded with so many thoughts and we are likely to forget. These ideas are fleeting in nature and if you don’t record them, they will disappear and you may not be able to recapture them again.
Record Your Ideas to Stitch Them Later
Write down your ideas as they come to you. You can revise and order them later. Where you record your ideas should not really matter as long as you can put them where you can get them later for revision.
One way to record your ideas is to use your notebooks. You can use your phone or tablet or computer as the case may be. You may also use online platforms that offer do my essay services. There are many ways in which you can record your ideas to use late. Social media platforms like Bogger and WordPress will give you a place to share your ideas privately or publicly.
According to Johnson, you don’t have to categorize your ideas. Categorizing or organizing them will limit the free flow of ideas. Let them mingle and have a free association, that way you don’t limit the creative channeling of thoughts as they happen.
Brainstorm Your Ideas
Brainstorming is to bring your idea(s) to the public with the intention of sharing them to gain more insight. The collaborative efforts of others can help you analyze and challenge your idea to help you develop it in anyways.
One of the ways to do this is to get a few people who are willing to share your idea and improve on it. You can do this by setting a meeting with them or through any forums where they will be able to see your idea and think about it.
“In brainstorming your ideas with others you will open new avenues of thought and discover numerous ideas,” said Darren Barden, a competitive essay writer at WriteMyEssayForMe. Others will come up with different versions of your idea which will stimulate you for more.
Great Ideas Can Emerge From the Diversity of Minds
Do not be afraid to share your ideas with people with divergent views. Speaking and interacting with people who have different perspectives is also very important in the generation of ideas. Although this may not go well with most people, according to Johnson, getting your ideas on the public domain can help you get feedback to help you grow your ideas.
However, if you find this a little difficult, take it one step at a time. You may start with those who are closest to you. You will find this a very helpful strategy. With the internet this will work out very well, you can publish your ideas out there and let others give you their honest feedback.
As you let people with divergent opinions share your idea, this will help you generate other ideas as a result of hearing from others who share a different opinion. This will help you know how your idea is received by others. This will give you food for thought and often lead to a generation of more or better ideas.
Let your mind relax and wander
Last but not least, it’s the nature of great ideas to emerge when you don’t force them. Although research projects often make one very busy, it’s important to look for time to relax, meditate and leave let your mind wander. You can, for instance, do this by taking a leisure walk outdoors or just sitting quietly and letting your mind wander to wherever it wants.
Patience is paramount to allow great ideas to be born. Great ideas are like a seed planted into the ground. You have to exercise patience to see positive results. Do not keep your ideas to yourself share them with others to get sincere feedback. Always remember to jot down your ideas and let them sit there for a while for later use. Keeping them for a while will make them incubate and produce other great ideas for you later.
To conclude, many of us often think wrongly that great ideas are only the preserve of geniuses. But from the above illustrations taken from Steve Johnson’s book where you can see that anyone can generate great ideas. John recommends that having a lot of hobbies helps. Johnson believes that interests that are diverse in nature are the main sources that led Charles Darwin in the development of the famous theory of evolution. John Snow is another great person who from his diversity of activities discovered that cholera was an airborne disease and not caused by contaminated water.