Have you ever read a great classified ad or seen a spectacular web site and wished you had the creative ability to produce work like that? Chances are you do have a lot more creative ability than you are currently making use of, it just needs to be unleashed. This then leads to the question, how can I unleash my creativity?
I have always had a difficult time getting the creative juices flowing. But over the past few years I have discovered a couple of techniques that work wonders for me. I didn’t invent these techniques, they’re not new, but they work.
The first technique is a two step process. I start with a word-association exercise. When I need to write a new ad or design a web page, I take a legal pad or use my word processing program and start by writing down a keyword that relates to the product or service I am working with. Then I write down whatever word that the key word brings to mind. I write down ANY word that pops into my head. I don’t reject anything at this point, the object is to keep the process flowing.
After I have a page or two of words, I go to the second step. Now I eliminate the garbage words, words that I know won’t work in my ad. I use the remaining “nuggets” to start a sentence-association exercise and continue until all my words are exhausted.
This technique may seem like a lot of work, and it is, but I have produced some great ads with it. Plus, most of the time an idea for the complete ad will pop into my head before I have spent too much time with the process. Sometimes the idea will come after only writing a few words in step one.
The second technique you may find easier. This is a free-association with other peoples ads or web sites. Don’t misunderstand, I am not looking at other people’s work to steal their ideas, I use them to trigger ideas of my own.
Another way to use this process is to look at some your own past work. See if you can determine why a particular ad worked or didn’t work. Sometimes this can lead to some amazing new ideas.
Remember, you have a great deal of pent up creative ability. All you need is the right devise to unleash it. Try the techniques I have given you and let me know how they worked. My email address is listed below.
Bill Daugherty is the editor of the acclaimed marketing ezine “E-Power Marketing.” Subscribe free at: http://www.adsgalore.bizland.com See Bill’s latest project at: http://www.instantez.com To contact Bill: epower@www.com
