Running out of original ideas? Creative thinking can arise using a creative approach. Try this exercise and you’ll discover there’s another world of untapped consciousness out there.
One challenge researchers face when pursuing a subject that will be the focus of their investigation is to come up with original ideas. They want to do something nobody has ever done yet.
This desire is justified in the light of the quest for the truth. Original ideas prevent duplication of effort among those who work along similar disciplines. Original ideas break new grounds—the unknown is uncovered.
But is there a way to do it without relying on just pure luck? Do you need an inspiration to come up with an original idea that no one has ever thought before?
How can one come up with an original idea?
This is my quest. To present to you something that I have accidentally discovered because of my mind that occasionally goes wild with ideas.
Hence, I make it a point to always bring with me something I could write on. What I did is I bought a small notebook and named it “Ideas Notes.”
My intention was to capture everything the suddenly comes out of the blue that I often miss because I did not take the opportunity or just cared to write something that could be lost in a few seconds.
We forget!
And I always feel bad about missing an idea that can make or break my life. Well, I think that’s too emotional.
Well anyhow, I share with you how this works. It’s amazingly effective, I assure you.
Now, let’s get on with it.
How I Discovered the Way to Generate Original Ideas
At this time of writing, I felt tired of having to write and fix my eyes in front of the screen. The laptop computer’s glare and screen brightness make my eyes tired.
I thought: “Is there any other way I can compose something without tiring my eyes?”
And it occurred to me: “Why not try something new?”
[I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head on the top rail of the chair I was typing the next sentences.]
Since I can type without looking at the keyboard, I embarked on something which I believe nobody has done before. And that is, to type what I have in mind without looking at my computer’s screen.
Why not mimic a person who is blind?
How can a blind person write? How does it feel like?
I know that a blind’s sense of touch is well developed such that they can navigate through feeling their way through. Imaginative people, like Louis Braille in the latter part of the nineteenth century, made reading without seeing possible through the use of braille—a system of raised dots that blind people or have poor vision can decipher with their fingers.
Using the Two Raised Portions of the Typewriter Keyboard
My only guide in writing this article are the two protrusions of the letters “f” and “j” on the portable keyboard powered by a battery. In fact, I could not easily remember that I am hitting these two keys as I type by touch.
I just close my eyes and rest the back of my head on the top of the back support of a chair (which I later identified and named appropriately as the rail) as I hit the keys. Slowly at first, and faster when I got accustomed to the keyboard, avoiding errors by spelling out the words.
I planned to edit my work after having written at least the ideal number of words an article should contain—around 600 words at the time of writing. But after I wrote this article, I made some edits to reach my target of 1,000 words.
While editing, I looked at the indicator on the number of words on the right-hand side of my editing page. I am already approaching the target!
Now, I realized I can actually write something even at this position, letting the mind flow, with eyes closed and feeling the keys with the tips of my fingers. We call this approach free writing. Just put down anything that comes to mind on a particular topic. You can organize the statements later on to make them logical.
The Role of the 5 Senses in Generating Original Ideas
Being more mindful of my surroundings as I close my eyes and activate all of my sense, I can hear the television set, the sound of conversation next to our house and even my breath. I’m in a different world.
I can also savor the taste of our lunch at home, and hear the crowing roosters hundreds of meters away, punctuated by the occasional noise I hear in the kitchen—dishwashing with the accompanying hissing sound of the faucet.
Have you ever tried this? I bet you did not when your eyes are fixed in front of the computer screen. And this strategy in writing is one of the original ideas I came up as I explore topics to write about.
I have a different consciousness and I feel that this will be one strategy that I will use to compose some of my articles from now on, especially on those times that I experience mental block. My eyes are rested and I can compose something and focus clearly on what’s in my mind.
Now, I open my eyes and conclude everything. I came up with something new. Now, I can write using a whole new perspective and get rested at the same time.
Repeat the Process to Come Up With an Original Idea
Now, try this new idea and I’m sure it’s an original one. To make it a habit, I need to repeat it. I saw an article somewhere that says you have to repeat an activity at least 18 times to make it a habit. The same study says that a new behavior becomes automatic after practicing it for 66 days or roughly two months.
Write with your eyes closed and feel the keyboard. Your eyes are rested and your senses become much more sensitive. New ideas present themselves and your brain reboots once again and help you compose things in your head.
New strategies in doing things like this can help you think clearly and that’s a whole new world to explore. There’s another dimension unraveled with this writing approach.
© 2023 February 2 P. A. Regoniel
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