'Thinking outside the box' has become a cliche, and cliched thinking is exactly what you don't need when you are looking for new ideas. However, it is easy to feel boxed in when trying to puzzle out a problem or find ideas for a new project.  I keep a reminder list of favourite tricks to try when my thinking has become stuck in a groove, otherwise I forget the best tools when I need them most. 

My list will be easier to find here online and perhaps these thinking tricks will help you too.  Try one when you feel that you are going round the same problem in useless circles, or when a creative session has run dry before you have generated enough ideas.

• Go into reverse: Turn your question or challenge back-to-front; inside out or upside down
• Analogy: Look for a metaphor or analogy that parallels and your issue, product or challenge.  Now find 3 more!
• Map out a process visually, then change the entry and exit points
• Random words, images or sounds. Relate the issue to each new item from a set of flashcards, an image bank or a special effects library
• Divisions: Can you divide the process or problem into smaller parts or change the way it is divided up
• Polarisation: Project the issue to extremes, ideally two or more extremes
• Categories; if the issue seems has headings and categories try changing them and re-ordering things
• Is a dominant idea making it hard to find other solutions?  Neutralise or somehow put that idea aside while you look for more options
• Is a critical path or 'bottleneck' blocking the development of new ideas? Can you work around it or break the limition into smaller components
• Time travel or cutural travel: Move the problem or issue into the past, forward to the future or into another culture.  Does this change things?

If nothing seems to work, don't worry. Write down the discoveries you have made using these tools and let your issue 'sit in the fire' to cook for a while.  Don't forget about it - that rarely helps.  Once you have all the information you need uppermost in your mind your brain will work on the challenge, even if you are busy with other tasks.  An answer may pop up, or you may need to do a more radical reframing. 

Feeling 'stuck' is something creative people hate, but trust your own abilities; I always find an answer once I am properly focused on the right issue.

Thank you to the group who listened to a (very fast) version of my 'Creativity' presentation last week and gave me such useful feedback.  For those who asked for resources on expanding creative skills here are the two books I mentioned.

Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity by Edward De Bono.  I still refer to this classic book often - mainly to remind myself of the pattern breaking and reframing techniques described in the later chapters.

I plan to write a  full review of "The Accidental Creative" by Todd Henry.  It's a useful ongoing training and maintenance programme if you are already comfortable using creative skills.

My plan now is to work on a shorter presentation about sharpening your personal creative and problem solving skills. I will keep it ready for the next time WPtoPM has a less busy meeting.  In the meantime here are my latest favourite ways to feed my brain with quality, high energy 'mental nutrition'.

• Twitter.com
• TED.com
• History - time travel gives me so many different viewpoints!
• English: A rich, diverse language with yet more history and unlimited potential for subtlety and playfulness; an unequalled creative resource.

We also mentioned mindmapping.  I like Mindmeister.com, which is browser based so my maps are available wherever I have internet. Freemind is another opensource, downloadable option.