If You Get Stuck, Walk It Out! Three Steps to Reignite Inspiration

We are very fortunate to work with some amazing companies and organizations here at Sol. But even the most intelligent organizations get stuck. Whether they are stuck in the product innovation process, creating a brand name, or even masterminding a strategic plan, we’ve developed some creative and effective ways to get them “unstuck.”

Here’s how we’ve helped executives, teams and individuals find their way out of tough spots so they can reignite or even begin their creative process. 

1. Go outside and take a walk!—Sounds like something your mother said when you were watching too much bad TV, right? But I promise you, it works. When we are beginning a creative brainstorm with our clients, we usually start with a walk. Weather permitting, we walk outdoors. First and foremost, we ground ourselves in where we are in the process. If we are just beginning, we outline what will happen next and what to look forward to in the upcoming day(s). If we are in the midst of getting unstuck, we acknowledge the challenge and—that’s right—walk it out!
   
   (Naming/brainstorming session with our favorite client Southface and our beloved Scott Z —from L to R—Scott Z, Gretchen, Haven and Mary)
   
   So, now that you’ve taken your jaunt outdoors, grab some paper or your whiteboard and begin identifying what transpired during your breath of fresh air. No pressure! You may not have thought of anything brilliant but you can start by listing any ideas or thoughts, even ones that may seem insignificant. 
   
2. Redefine your goal/opportunity––Depending on what you’ve got cooking—brand strategy, product launch, campaign ideation—going back to the beginning (your goals/opportunities) can help you reignite excitement and sometimes elicit new ideas. Take a moment to jot down what that original idea was. It can be a sentence, bullets, paragraphs or even a hand drawn sketch, but get back to why you’re here and what brought you to the table. Make it a group effort. Discussion and debate can get ideas percolating! You’ve just warmed up your brain on your walk. Now you are literally exercising it by thinking through where you are headed. There’s power in restating and even redefining your most basic goals. By articulating what you are working toward, the words themselves can begin to weave together real magic.
   
   
   (Marius from Sol writes a welcome message to the group before the brainstorming begins)
   
3. Get creative and start gluing!––Here’s what you’ll need: large boards, magazines, books, markers, glue, tape, sticky notes, food and music (and if you can get a crackling fire and a beautiful farm as your background, that’s even better). Create a vision board for this project. “You may be thinking, I am working on a strategic plan, how the heck can I create a vision board?” Here’s how: first you ask yourself, “what end result am I working towards?” “What does it look like?” Creating a visual of where you are heading is so helpful in the creative process. And you don’t have to be a “creative type.” You can use scissors and glue! We’ve had many a CEO sit on the floor and paste together an award winning visual board. They even have fun while they do it. Once everyone has finished (don’t forget to give them some time for a snack afterward!) ask them to present their visual masterpieces. The results will be amazing. Just like that, you’ll have a visual representation of where you are going while having a fabulous time getting there. 
   
   (Adam from Sol explains the inspiration behind our board)

After walking, talking, writing and gluing, step back and assess your progress. While the solution may not be apparent yet, your mind should now be in a receptive mode that allows you to see things more clearly. You’ve reengaged and that’s an important first step!

Remember that it’s always important to catalog this work, either in a document or a visual slideshow. We recommend recording every moment of the exercises. No fancy recording devices needed—an iPhone or iPad will suffice. Then, because no one wants to sit through hours of conversation, we get EVERYTHING transcribed at rev.com. This way, you can easily find the genius idea someone had during the cookie break.

Are you ready to dream up your next product or campaign? We’d love to help inspire innovation with your team! Contact us to get started.