9 places to find THE IDEAS

1. In the oatmeal. Add raisins and brown sugar if you like. Eat that healthy little breakfast slowly and quietly … and see what comes to you.
2. In the shower. Rinse away stress. Sing loud and off key. Let the warm water heat up your imagination.
3. On the pavement. Whether you’re in running shoes or four-wheel drive, a little motion is good for your mind.
4. In the laundry basket. Get something done. Nearly mindless work that leads to accomplishment clears a space for creativity.
5. In the paint. Cover a wall with latex, decorate a box with acrylic, or make a mess with a child’s set of watercolors. Get absorbed in the depth of the color and the feel of the brush.
6. In the checkout line. Instead of scrolling your tiny screen, study your surroundings. Notice how they’ve organized the candy bars or who’s on all the tabloids. Watch human beings do what they do.
7. In the snow. We’ve had about enough of this in the Midwestern U.S., thankyouverymuch. Shoveling may be detestable work, but it’s the kind of exercise that occupies your body so your brain can roam free.
8. In the sky. Look up. Remember how you used to find shapes in the clouds? You still can.
9. In the cards. Play a game. Solitaire or Uno or Trivial Pursuit. Play for fun or play to win. Play past your bedtime. The key? Play!

Beth Nyland is the Corporate Poet & Cutter of C.R.A.P., proving every day that creative business communication is not an oxymoron.