How to Come Up With Your Next Brilliant Idea
Your home can set the stage for your hidden genius to emerge, and with it, the recognition you deserve
It’s hard to be amazing when you’re racing from one task to the next without stopping to reflect, ruminate, or re-energise, but your home can create just the setting you need to change all that. Whether you need to step back and look at the big picture when it comes to your business, yearn to get in touch with your creativity for a masterpiece to emerge, or want to come up with an innovative project to wow the world, your house holds the key to all this and more. Get ready – these simple ideas could pave the way for your next big lightbulb moment.
Read your way to brilliance
You’re less likely to come up with brilliant ideas in a vacuum, let’s face it. Let go of your ego and seek inspiration and wisdom from those who have gone before you by reading widely the works and biographies of experts in your field. Try not to skim read – take the time to absorb the material and ponder on it; the eureka moment you’re waiting for could be just a page away.
Novel ways to put your books on display
You’re less likely to come up with brilliant ideas in a vacuum, let’s face it. Let go of your ego and seek inspiration and wisdom from those who have gone before you by reading widely the works and biographies of experts in your field. Try not to skim read – take the time to absorb the material and ponder on it; the eureka moment you’re waiting for could be just a page away.
Novel ways to put your books on display
Sleep in
A well-rested brain is a high-functioning brain. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, has been shown to slow down cognition, and reduces your ability to concentrate and make sensible decisions. In other words, you’ll be walking around with your head in the clouds instead of coming up with clever ideas.
TIP: Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing haven by ridding it of dust, turning off electronic devices an hour before bedtime, and sticking to the same sleep routine each night. Lovely bedlinen doesn’t hurt, either.
Bedroom colour combos that soothe your soul
A well-rested brain is a high-functioning brain. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, has been shown to slow down cognition, and reduces your ability to concentrate and make sensible decisions. In other words, you’ll be walking around with your head in the clouds instead of coming up with clever ideas.
TIP: Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing haven by ridding it of dust, turning off electronic devices an hour before bedtime, and sticking to the same sleep routine each night. Lovely bedlinen doesn’t hurt, either.
Bedroom colour combos that soothe your soul
Put an end to interruption
When your train of thought is broken, however well-meaning the interruptor, it takes time to sink back into the flow. Carving out some regular brainstorming time for yourself and trying to eliminate distractions entirely is a recipe for innovation and creativity. Let your family know you only want to be interrupted in an emergency or, better still, create a you-zone separate from the main house. A studio you can call your own, for example.
14 creative home studios shared by Houzzers
When your train of thought is broken, however well-meaning the interruptor, it takes time to sink back into the flow. Carving out some regular brainstorming time for yourself and trying to eliminate distractions entirely is a recipe for innovation and creativity. Let your family know you only want to be interrupted in an emergency or, better still, create a you-zone separate from the main house. A studio you can call your own, for example.
14 creative home studios shared by Houzzers
Get yourself some vitamin D
Exposure to sunlight isn’t a problem for most Australians in summer, but as temperatures drop, we cover up and head indoors. Beware! Studies reveal that people with a vitamin D deficiency show signs of cognitive impairment. If you don’t get enough sun, your brain’s processing speed slows down, you’ll find it harder to pay attention and making decisions will be more difficult. And that’s not what brilliant ideas are made of.
TIP: Set up a north-facing outdoor space that’s sheltered from the wind – it will be bathed in warm winter sunshine all season long. Make it a habit to sit outside for 20 minutes whenever the sun is shining, even if it means taking a blanket out there with you.
Exposure to sunlight isn’t a problem for most Australians in summer, but as temperatures drop, we cover up and head indoors. Beware! Studies reveal that people with a vitamin D deficiency show signs of cognitive impairment. If you don’t get enough sun, your brain’s processing speed slows down, you’ll find it harder to pay attention and making decisions will be more difficult. And that’s not what brilliant ideas are made of.
TIP: Set up a north-facing outdoor space that’s sheltered from the wind – it will be bathed in warm winter sunshine all season long. Make it a habit to sit outside for 20 minutes whenever the sun is shining, even if it means taking a blanket out there with you.
Get rid of the clutter
A cluttered space makes for a cluttered mind, so clear your home of any unnecessary bric-a-brac making surfaces look messy. The less stuff you have, the less time you’ll need to spend tidying up … and that means more time to spend on being brilliant.
A cluttered space makes for a cluttered mind, so clear your home of any unnecessary bric-a-brac making surfaces look messy. The less stuff you have, the less time you’ll need to spend tidying up … and that means more time to spend on being brilliant.
Turn your bathroom into an ideas factory
The best ideas often come to us when we’re not trying to come up with them – in moments of stillness or boredom … or singing in the shower. Lying back in a warm bubble bath and switching off from the day is an easy way to let the ideas flow. And when the tub is in a relaxing bathroom sanctuary, it’s the perfect setting for all those lightbulb moments to occur.
The best ideas often come to us when we’re not trying to come up with them – in moments of stillness or boredom … or singing in the shower. Lying back in a warm bubble bath and switching off from the day is an easy way to let the ideas flow. And when the tub is in a relaxing bathroom sanctuary, it’s the perfect setting for all those lightbulb moments to occur.
Be true to yourself
Tune in to your real wants and needs and you’ll not only start to live a more authentic life, you’ll connect with what’s truly unique about you. No one else has the same insights and experiences as you, and this could be the wellspring from which you draw inspiration for your next project or idea. So, if the colour purple brings you joy, embrace it. If yellow polka-dot walls make you feel alive, disregard what anyone else thinks and go to town.
Tune in to your real wants and needs and you’ll not only start to live a more authentic life, you’ll connect with what’s truly unique about you. No one else has the same insights and experiences as you, and this could be the wellspring from which you draw inspiration for your next project or idea. So, if the colour purple brings you joy, embrace it. If yellow polka-dot walls make you feel alive, disregard what anyone else thinks and go to town.
Talk it out
If you’re stuck in a rut or unsure how to solve a problem, the answer often comes of its own accord when you talk it through – that’s one of the reasons therapy can be so effective. Invite your partner or close friend to take part, and try this nifty idea once a week – take turns to each talk for five minutes starting with the words: “I feel like saying…” The only rule is that the other person has to listen and not interrupt for the whole five minutes, and then you do the same for them. Talk for the whole five minutes even if you start out thinking you have nothing to say – clarity and perspective is sure to arise, and with it an idea or two.
YOUR SAY
How do create headspace for great ideas? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Get Your Feet Off the Ground and Into the Swing of Deep Relaxation
When Less Is More: 10 Ways to Give Your Creativity a Boost
Chill Out: 17 Ideas to Create More Relaxation Zones at Home
If you’re stuck in a rut or unsure how to solve a problem, the answer often comes of its own accord when you talk it through – that’s one of the reasons therapy can be so effective. Invite your partner or close friend to take part, and try this nifty idea once a week – take turns to each talk for five minutes starting with the words: “I feel like saying…” The only rule is that the other person has to listen and not interrupt for the whole five minutes, and then you do the same for them. Talk for the whole five minutes even if you start out thinking you have nothing to say – clarity and perspective is sure to arise, and with it an idea or two.
YOUR SAY
How do create headspace for great ideas? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Get Your Feet Off the Ground and Into the Swing of Deep Relaxation
When Less Is More: 10 Ways to Give Your Creativity a Boost
Chill Out: 17 Ideas to Create More Relaxation Zones at Home
If you secretly (or not so secretly) harbour a dream about becoming a successful artist, writer or musician, it’s time to start taking that dream seriously. No one wants to go to their grave with regrets, after all. But that doesn’t mean putting pressure on yourself to produce a masterpiece every time you sit down to create. As author Julia Cameron points out in her book, The Creative Way: “Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse … too far, too fast, and we can undo ourselves.” Instead, she suggests taking it slowly and accepting that progress will involve mistakes – it’s all part of learning. “Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves,” Cameron says. And who knows? If you stop trying to be great and just enjoy the process of creating, great results (and ideas) might start to emerge.
TIP: If you’re an artist, put your works on display and be proud of your efforts. If you’re a musician or writer, set up your home for inspiration. Place an emotive painting somewhere prominent, start your day with a burst of motivating music, display the works of your favourite authors on a mantelpiece – whatever it takes to get you to put self doubt aside and embark on your artistic life with delight.
More: How to Nurture Your Creative Side at Home