Firstly, the people around me.
I don’t have many ideas myself, so I’ve always found it helpful to go and steal them from other people. I find it’s pretty easy to steal them too – you just have to ask them. Some planners and strategists hide in the corners of agencies, behind their introversion and intellectual insecurity, worried that they have to ‘crack’ it themselves. However, when you think about it, that’s a silly strategy, because none of us are as smart as all of us. Talking the problem through with someone else can be therapeutic and they will often throw a new perspective into mix which will get you closer to a solution. So, the next time you are given a tricky brief, go for a wander and ask other people what they think.
Secondly, a pen and paper.
I might be a ‘digital native’ and a much-maligned-millennial, but I love a bit of old-school too. There’s something about a crisp white piece of paper and a free-flowing pen that really gets me going. When your laptop is open or your mobile is in your hand, it’s easy to get distracted. However, with technology put away, and a pen and paper in front of you, clarity of thinking can begin. You can scribble and doodle until things become clearer. You can see things in your mind’s eye and hear the argument in your head. So, next time you have something to think about, try a pen and paper, before you open your laptop. The pen can be mightier than the powerpoint.