flickr image by Dalydose Flickr图像由dalydose

by John Hoff @ eVentureBiz.com 约翰hoff@eventurebiz.com

A short time ago I received an email from a young entrepreneur asking me how he was suppose to compete in a marketplace where the competition was high and more established companies had big advertising bucks.在短短的时间内，我收到一个电子邮件从一个年轻企业家向我询问他是如何被假设竞争，在市场环境下，竞争是高更成立了公司，拥有庞大的广告雄鹿。 I mentioned a few ideas to him but the one that concerned him the most was creativity.我所说的几点想法，以他的，但一涉及到他最深的是创造力。 Give him numbers and he’ll work them, but tell him to come up with some creative idea, forget it.给他号码，他将工作的他们，但告诉他来了，与一些有创意的想法，忘记它。

He said he doesn’t have a creative bone in his body.他说，他不具备创意骨在自己的身上。

People who tell themselves that have already lost unless they decide to do something about it.人对自己说，至今已失去了，除非他们决定要有所作为。

The development of a creative thought process is no different than learning martial arts.发展的一种创造性思维过程，是没有什么不同的学习武术。 At first, someone shows you how to stand, execute proper body movement, and teaches you a Kata (aka form - a set of movements that help develop your technique).起初，有人告诉您如何站立，执行适当的身体运动，并教导你一个字（又名形式 -一组动作有利于发展你的技术） 。

Once these techniques are learned you must practice them to become a good fighter.一旦这些技术的教训，你必须实践使他们成为一个好战士。 When fighting, it is taught that the best place for your mind to be is no where at all, called Mushin (means “no mind”) .当战斗，这是告诉我们，最好的地方，为您的心目中，是没有任何地方的一切，在所谓mushin （意思是"不介意" ） 。 The point of Mushin is to blank out your mind so that you are in a state of “openness.” In other words, it allows you to simply react and not worry about what might happen when fighting.点mushin是空白了你的心，让你身在一个国家的"开放性" ，换句话说，它可以让你简单地作出反应，不必担心可能发生的事情，当战斗。

The same can be said when learning to be creative.同时，可以说，当学习，以富于创造性。 You first learn what techniques help develop a creative thought process and then you have to practice them while keeping your mind open to endless possibilities no matter how ridiculous they may seem.你先了解什么技术，帮助发展一种创造性思维过程，然后，你必须身体力行，同时还可以介意公开，以无限可能，不论如何荒谬，他们看起来可能。

But how do you train your mind to become a well-oiled creative thinking machine?但你如何训练你的心，以成为一个良好的油创造性思维的机器？

Like the first sentence of this post says, you have to first believe you are a creative person.像第一句话就是这华盛顿邮报说，你必须首先相信你是一个创造性的人。 Following that you need to exercise your mind in various ways.之后，你需要运用你的心在以各种方式。

Let’s take a look at some creative mind-pumping ideas and activities that will help widen your mind’s creative eye.让我们来看看一些有创意的想法抽水思想和行为，这将有助于拓宽您心目中的创意眼睛。

I. Listen一，听

Don’t Jump the Gun 不偷步
It is important listen to everything and not judge or come to your own conclusion prematurely.这是很重要的听一切不是法官或得出自己的结论过早。 This is vital if you are to create a product that wins in the eyes of your customers and employer.这是至关重要的，如果你要创造一种产品，赢在眼里，你的顾客和雇主。 Remember, listening does not equal simply hearing.记住，听不等于简单的听证会。

Examining 审核
Try listening to a different radio station (or TV channel).尽量听取不同的无线电台（或电视频道） 。 See if you can figure who the intended audience is.看看，如果你想不出谁是听众。 Who would be the dedicated listeners and who might be the occasional?他将成为专门的听众，他们可能是偶然？ What influential people might be listening to this station?什么有影响力的人可能是在听到了这个站？ What is it’s market?什么是它的市场呢？

II.二。 Brainstorm头脑风暴

Brainstorming can be an effective way to generate creative ideas; however, before brainstorming about your subject at hand, try warming up the creative juices.集思广益可以成为一种有效的方式来产生创意灵感，但思前对你的课题在手，试图升温，创意新鲜果汁。

Warming Up 升温
Grab a pencil and blank piece of paper and just start writing.抓斗铅笔和一张空白的纸和刚开始写。 If nothing comes to mind, write that, then write whatever comes to your mind next no matter what it is.如果对方没有想到的，写，然后写什么来您心目中未来不管是什么。 Then expand.然后扩大。

In another example, grab yourself a pencil and paper and create something new and describe it, no matter how absurd it may seem.在另一个例子中，抢到自己铅笔，纸张和创造新事物，并描述它，不管是多么荒谬，它可能是两回事。 Try creating a new life form.尝试创造新的生命形式。 Where does it come from?那么，它从何而来？ What is its goal?什么是它的目标呢？ Or try creating a person.或者试图创造一个人。 Who is she?谁是她？ Expand on the idea.扩大对这一想法。

These are good exercises to get you in the mindset of thinking outside the box.这些都是很好的运动，以获得你在冥想的思维外箱。

III.三。 Counter the Negatives with Positives柜台底片与阳性

This is probably one of the more important ones to do.这可能是其中一个较为重要的事。 Whenever you want to do something but your mind tells you that you can’t, write that thought down and then next to it write down 2 or 3 reasons why you can.当你想做一件事，但你的心告诉你，你不能写这么想过下来，然后在明年给它写下来， 2或3的原因，你可以。 Do this quickly and often.这样做的很快，常常。 Soon you will notice that you have trained your mind to automatically react with a positive thought whenever you think of a negative one.很快，你会发现，你们培养了你的心，以自动反应的一个积极思考的时候，你要想出一个消极的。

IV.四。 Be Ready准备就绪

If you’re searching for creative ideas, keep a pen and pad handy at all times, you never know when a thought might pop into your head - or maybe someone else’s thought spawns a new thought of your own that you can build off of.如果您正在寻求创新意念，保持一枝笔，垫得心应手，在任何时候，你永远不知道什么时候想过可能会流行到你的头上-或者别人的思想，造成了一种新的思路你自己的，你可以建立小康的。

For example, one of my favorite shows is举例来说，我的一个喜欢的节目是 Kitchen Nightmares厨房做恶梦 . 。 I was watching an episode one night and Gordon Ramsay was offering up business advice to the store owner.我看着一个插曲一晚和戈登拉姆齐是提供业务咨询，以店老板。 During the show, I kept getting up and jotting down a few ideas that he had mentioned that I wanted to expand on for my blog.展会期间，我不停地起床，并记下一些想法，他曾说过，我想要扩大对我的博客。 The result was结果 an article you can read here一篇文章，你可以在此阅读 . 。

V. Learn五，学习

Obviously, the more you know about everything, the more you can come up with creative ideas by linking things together.很明显，更多的，你知道一切，你越能想出有创意的想法，连接东西在一起。 You wouldn’t know how Physics and landscaping might go together unless you knew at least a little bit about both.你不知道如何物理和环境美化，可能是相辅相成，除非你至少知道了一点两者。

Therefore, the more you know, the more you can create.因此，越是你知道，你越是能够创造。

Ideas to help you expand your horizons 巧思帮你拓展您的视野

• read blogs阅读博客
• take classes采取班
• read books阅读书籍
• try something you’ve never done before尝试一些你从来没做过的才
• teach something to someone教东西给其它人
• participate in a group or online community参加A组或在线社区
• talk to people you might not otherwise talk to倾诉人，你可能不会，否则谈

Can you add to the list?你能添加到列表？

VI.六。 Evaluate评价

Often times I find when I’m stuck in a rut and can’t come up with a creative idea, I evaluate things.很多时候，我发觉当我不停留在墨守成规，不能想出了一个创造性的想法，我评价事物。

Magazines 杂志
If you’re stuck, try flipping through a magazine and evaluate the ads.如果你坚持，请尝试翻阅一本杂志和广告进行评估。 Which ones catch your attention and why?哪些吸引您的注意，为什么？ Who is the target audience?谁是受众？ What might you do differently if you were to write the ad?可能是你做不同的，如果你写广告？ On the ones that catch your attention, how can you modify what they did to what you’re doing?对确需赶上你注意，你怎么能够修改他们所做的什么，你正在做什么？

Your Competition 你的竞争
Get online or flip through the yellow pages and evaluate your competition.上网或翻阅黄页，并评估自己的竞争。 See if something they are doing spawns an idea for you.见，如果他们这样做会产生一个想法供你。 Is there something there you can build on that they could have but didn’t?有一些有，你可以借助他们可以有，但没有？

Self-Evaluation 自我评价
Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the center.抓斗在一张纸上画线下行中心。 Label the left side “My Weaknesses” and the right side “My Strengths.” List all your weaknesses and then under the strengths side, combat those weaknesses with your strengths that might compensate.标签左侧"我的弱点" ，右两方面的： "我的强项" ，列出所有你的弱点，然后根据强项方面，打击这些弱点与你的优势可能补偿。

You now have a blueprint of what you need to work on and what you have to build off of.你现在有一个蓝图，您需要什么工作，哪些是你也必须建立起飞的。

Ask Questions 提问
When stuck on the problem of trying to be creative, ask a series of questions to gain a new perspective of your product or idea.当卡上的问题，就是要发挥创意，提出了一系列的问题，争取一个新的角度，你的产品或构想。

• What can I substitute?有什么我可以代替？
• What can I add to it to make it a little better?我能再说些什么，以使之成为一个好一点？
• What is not needed?什么是不是需要？
• What is the opposite of this?什么是相反的呢？
• Where did this come from?如果这样做是从哪里来的呢？
• How has something like this been used?怎么有这样的被利用的？
• What else can it be used for?还有什么可以被用来？

Can you add any?你能添加任何？

VII.七。 Exercise Your Creative Thought Process运用你的创造性思维过程

Try some of these activities from time-to-time.尝试一些这类活动，从时间到时间。

• Every day pick any topic and write it down; then create a flow chart and see where the flow takes you.每天接任何话题，并写下来，然后创造一个流程图，看看那里流带你。
• Think of a product.要想出一个产品。 How could it have been invented in a different way but produce the same result?怎么可能，它已经发明了一种不同的方法，但产生同样的结果呢？
• After reading half a book, close it and write or think about how you would end the story.后半读一本书，然后关闭，并写信或想想看，将结束的故事。
• Read non-fiction books and solve the problem before it’s answered.阅读非小说书籍和解决问题之前，它的回答。
• Do crossword puzzles, it gets you thinking about all kinds of stuff.做填字游戏，它让你想到的各种东西。

After a while, by doing these exercises you’ll find that your mind approaches ideas in new creative ways.过了一阵子，做这些演习中，你会发现你心目中的方法思路，在新的创作方式。

VIII.八。 Travel旅行

One of the best ways to generate creative ideas is to go to new places or simply just get out and go for a walk.其中一个最好的方法，以产生创意灵感，是去新的地方，或只是刚刚走出去，去那里散步。 Don’t have the money to travel?没有钱旅行吗？ No problem.没有任何问题。 Go where you need to go but get there in a different way.去那里，你一定要前往，但得到有不同的看法。

New experiences and going to new destinations is a great way to gain new perceptions that can generate creativity.新的经验，并前往新的目的地是一个伟大的方式，以获得新的看法，认为其可以产生创造力。

So there you go, 8+ ways to to mold you into a creative thinking machine.所以，你走， 8 +方式来塑造你成为一个创造性的思维机器。

Do you consider yourself creative?你认为你自己的创意吗？