Monday, July 8, 2013

What can you create in 10 minutes?



Sitting down to write a strategy, proposition or new product idea can take a long time. Often it's hard to tell just how long it's going to take because it's a creative process, right?

Assuming you've done some of the leg work and have your target audience in mind, sometimes I find giving yourself the 10 minute challenge can be all it takes, or at least works really well to get the ball rolling. 

Proponents of the 80:20 rule, the theories behind Blink and ordinary brainstorming all have shown there is a lot that can be done if you let your mind do it's thing. The 10 minute challenge, in effect, is your solo brainstorm, with the same rules - there are no bad ideas, get as many ideas out there that you can in a short time. There's no time to argue with yourself. 

So the next time you are under creative pressure, maybe you could try giving yourself less time, not more. What do you have to lose...it's just 10 minutes, right?

You? What techniques do you use when you need to be creative?