Where is the box.

We hear this very often, “creative people think outside the box,” and hence this is crucial to creative thinking whether in solving problems, coming to business solutions, writing good articles or creating good designs. But where is the box?? We need to realize that “there is no box” to step outside of. We create our own imaginary boxes simply by accepting certain things as “real” when they are just as illusory. The difference is, enough people agree that certain man-made concepts are “real,” so we’re viewed as “normal.” It is this sort of unquestioning consensus that inhibits our natural creative abilities.
So, rather than looking for ways to inspire creativity, we should realize that we are already capable of creative thinking at all times, but we have to move away the imaginary mental blocks (or boxes) that we’ve picked up along the way..
Here are 10 common ways which become barriers to good ideas and suppress creative thinking.
1. Trying to Find the “Right” Answer: There’s often more than one “correct” answer, and the second one you come up with might be better than the first. Many of the following mental blocks can be turned around to reveal ways to find more than one answer to any given problem. Try reframing the issue in several different ways in order to prompt different answers.
2. Logical Thinking : Too much of logical thinking is often the enemy of truly innovative thoughts. One of the best ways to o escape the limitations of your own logical mind is to think symbolically. This makes your mind free to come up with more alternatives.
3. Following Rules : One way to view creative thinking is to look at it as a destructive force. You’re tearing away the often arbitrary rules that others have set for you, and asking either “why” or “why not” whenever confronted with the way “everyone” does things.
4. Being Practical : Like logic, practicality is hugely important when it comes to execution, but often stifles innovative ideas before they can properly blossom. You might just find yourself discovering a crazy idea that’s so insanely practical that no one’s thought of it before.
5. Play is Not Work : Allowing your mind to be at play is perhaps the most effective way to stimulate creative thinking, and yet many people disassociate play from work. You’ve heard the expression “work hard and play hard.” , they’re the same thing to a creative thinker.
6. That’s Not My Job : In an era of hyper-specialization, it’s those who happily explore completely unrelated areas of life and knowledge who best see that everything is related. Sure, you’ve got to know the specialized stuff in your field, but if you view yourself as an explorer you are likely to gain more.
7. Being a “Serious” Person : Most of us stick to conformity, consistency, shared values, and yes, thinking about things the same way everyone else does. Give yourself permission to be a fool and see things for what they really are.
8. Avoiding Ambiguity : Ambiguity is your friend if you’re looking to innovate. The fact that most people are uncomfortable exploring uncertainty gives you an advantage, as long as you can embrace ambiguity rather than run from it.
9. Being Wrong is Bad : We hate being wrong, and yet mistakes often teach us the most. The best thing we do is learn from our mistakes, but we have to free ourselves to make mistakes in the first place. Just try out your ideas and see what happens, take what you learn, and try something else.
10. I’m Not Creative : Denying your own creativity is like denying you are a human being. We are all limitlessly creative, but only to the extent that we realize that we create our own limits with the way we think. If you tell yourself you’re not creative, it becomes true. Stop that.



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For US.. .... the Designers....

To increase creativity, you need to do two things. First, you need to encourage it. Second, you need to train your brain. Start on both of these right now, and you can experience greater creativity today.

Follow these tips to be more creative. Use your improved creativity to develop and donate ideas to help others.

Try the following tips to help you on your journey to be more creative:

1. Record your ideas on whatever is comfortable and convenient at the moment.

2. Don’t limit yourself to ideas that seem possible.

3. Change your scenery or location.

4. Read on many topics.

5. Go for a walk.

6. Think big.

What You Don’t Do Can Boost Your Sales

Want to boost your sales and income? Then STOP…

+ advertising the old way. Instead, do what your competitors don’t: try your hand at website advertising. Or, capitalize on free publicity, the best advertising that design pros can’t buy. The media is very interested in stories by, and about you, and you get visibility and credibility when they run them. In my 16 years speaking to and coaching thousands of design professionals, I have never met one who got a big job from a big paid advertisement in a print publication. Never.

+ selling “stuff.” Clients can get nice furniture, fabrics, and window treatments elsewhere, but they can’t get you elsewhere. Promote your service and yourself. The most important sale you’ll ever make is the personal one.

+ qualifying. Why waste time – yours and your prospect’s – asking questions that you hope will determine if they can afford you? Disqualifying prospects makes more sense. Inform them that they should look elsewhere if they’re seeking the cheapest design service, wall covering, lighting systems, etc. Advise them to hire you if they’d like to work with, say, a color and space planning specialist who is an award-winning designer with 20 years experience serving a variety of clients with a variety of tastes and budgets.

+ asking about “budget.” Prospects don’t have one. They don’t have a clue about what design professionals do, or how they work, so how can you expect them to have a realistic idea about what they want to spend on your service? Focus instead on their wish list. Discuss their wants, needs and priorities, then let them know your cost for fulfilling them. That will help them decide and you to know how they’ll invest their money.

+ closing deals. Your goal, instead, should be to open long term relationships. Your best customers are your current ones. It’s much easier, and more profitable to do repeat business with a few good clients, then to try to close single sales with lots of individual customers.

+ giving away your time. The most successful design professionals all charge for their time -- all of their time, all of the time. An hourly fee has become an industry standard.

+ resisting price objections. View them as what they are: opportunities, not obstacles. They enable you to differentiate yourself from competitors who charge less. In addition, they’re buying signals. Studies show your chances of closing a sale are substantially higher when price objections are raised.

+ apologizing for your price. You’re a unique, one-of-a-kind design professional who saves clients money, time and headaches. You should be compensated accordingly. High-end clients are used to paying top dollar for top service. They question how good you are if you charge too little, and/or are uncomfortable quoting your fees.

+ working hard. Work smart, instead. Make the most valuable and productive use of your time, and you can double your income without working longer hours. How? Focus each day only on the 3-5 activities which will generate the most income.