How to Generate Ideas while Watching TV

Does TV really kill your brain? No! All the while you are watching, your brain is absorbing and reacting. When you watch a crime show, you are guessing what is going to happen next. Or you are thinking how lame a particular joke was in a comedy, or wishing the commentator was paying better attention to what is going on in a sporting event. Even with advertising you may be thinking "good idea" or "bad idea" over the marketing concept. You can teach yourself to channel that creativity.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• TV
• Tivo or DVR would help
• Paper or notebook
• Pen or Pencil

1. If you have a DVR, Tivo or some other method of pausing what you are watching, you may want to use it at first. You could get so into your new ideas that you miss something in your show!

2. Before turning on the TV, think for a while about whatever it is you want to find ideas for. Problems at work, ideas for your online business, ideas for stories you want to write. You don't want to limit the ideas you generate in this free form exercise but you do want to have your brain already chewing on your biggest issues.

3. Get a pad of paper and a pen or pencil, and then just relax and watch your show. When something occurs to you, write it down. Don't worry about whether it applies to your problems or goals or not. This exercise is trying to tap into the creativity of your relaxed mind.

4. After the show, look over what you wrote down, and note down any more thoughts you have. If you have any real winners of ideas, circle or mark them.

5. Collect these sheets, and use them as fodder for a more formal work session later on.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget the ads. They can be great sources of additional ideas.

[sunshine11219]

on 2/5/2009 I do this all of the time .. Television is a great resource for ideas