ideas

Wise Bread Reloaded: Hack Your Creativity With a Trick the Yogis Use (Plus Scores More From the Archives)

Lars Peterson — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 11:00:05 +0000

Need some clever ideas for gifts or entertaining for the upcoming holidays? Take a moment to meditate.

Scientists at Leiden University in the Netherlands found that a few moments of quiet "Open Monitoring" meditation prior to a brainstorming test helped study subjects generate more ideas. Open Monitoring meditation is meditation open to ongoing sensation and experience and not focused on a single thought or feeling. Experienced meditators and novices both benefitted from the practice.

If meditation is not your thing, Wise Bread has lots more ideas about how to generate more — and better — ideas. Read on, and that get brainstorming!

Relaxing Is Like Meditation, Isn't It?

Sarah Winfrey tells us how to boost creativity with 9 Surprising Ways to Generate New Ideas. First on the list? Relax!

Good Ideas Come in Bunches

Not to be outdone by Sarah's nine surprises, Mikey Rox shares 25 Ways to Boost Creativity. Number 10 I wonder about (seems like more of a time sink than a brainstorming tool), and Number 7 is proven, but only in moderation.

Make Time for Creativity

Creativity takes time! In our hurry up and be late anyway hectic lives, who has time to ponder up new ideas? You do, if try one or more of the 15 Tested Tips for Creative Efficiency that Annie Mueller dreamed up.

Rely on Routine

Annie Mueller has another unique suggestion for boosting creativity — stop trying so hard to be creative all the time and start relying on routine and habit, especially for the mundane. That's How Less Creativity Can Make You More Creative.

Go for a Walk

Writers throughout the ages have commented on the effect a good walk has on their creativity. Wise Bread writer Tara Struyk comments on walking and creativity, too, in 25 Reasons You Should Take a Walk (see Number 6 and Number 21).

What do you do to generate ideas and get more creative? Please share in comments!

This article is from Lars Peterson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: 98 Cheap Summer Date Ideas

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:00:35 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some amazing articles on cheap summer date ideas, remaining frugal while traveling, and free (or nearly free) summer projects for kids.

Best Money Tips: Money-Saving Ideas for New Parents

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 19:00:16 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on money-saving ideas for new parents, pet peeves of hiring managers, and using Pinterest to be more productive.

Boost Your Creativity: 9 Surprising Ways to Generate New Ideas

Sarah Winfrey — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:19:39 +0000

Whether you're solving a problem at work, figuring out how to remodel your home, or trying to come up with something new to fix for dinner, you'd probably have an easier time if you had access to better ideas. Creativity is the art and science of generating these sorts of ideas, and nearly everyone wants to be more creative. (See also: 20+ Ways to Boost Creativity)

Improving creativity often involves knowing how your brain works best and utilizing techniques in your thinking that will allow access to your rich, most creative mindspace. While some aspects of creative thinking are different for everyone, many depend on how the brain itself works. If you're not sure how to jumpstart your creativity, try applying some of the brain hacks below.

1. Relax!

Creativity requires dopamine. The more dopamine we have in our systems, the more creative we will be, and the better the ideas we will have. Dopamine is associated with activities that make us feel happy, full, and rested, like showering, exercising, sleeping, etc. That's why we often find that we have our best ideas in unexpected places — because those are the places where our brains are relaxing. (See also: Free Videos That Help You Relax)

2. Get Distracted

Along with relaxation, distraction often produces some of our best ideas. We often stew on the problems we're trying to find solutions for. When we don't come up with an answer, we walk away to do something else. And that is when we find the solution. New ideas often need an incubation period, where the connections being made in your subconscious can leap into your conscious brain. If you've been working on a problem for a while, try doing something else for a bit.

3. Let Your Brain Get Tired

When your brain is tired, it doesn't filter things as well. One result is that in this less focused, less sharp state, our brains are free to room and make new connections. Since a huge part of having new ideas is simply letting your old ideas connect in new ways, this gives them the chance to do just that. So, if you're an early bird, try looking for new ideas at night. If you're a night owl, get up early to generate new ideas. (See also: 5 Things to Do in the Morning)

3. Create a Safe Place to Think

Your creativity, according to comedian John Cleese, is something like a tortoise. Before it really comes out to play, it pokes out its nose to see if the environment is safe. We talked about relaxing above, but it also helps to give yourself a certain time slot in the day where you try to think creatively, so your tortoise brain knows it's safe to come out. You can also make your workspace a friendly, inviting place where you feel happy to lure the tortoise into the open. (See also: 10 Ways to Be Happier)

4. Deprive Your Senses

Some people find that sensory deprivation helps them think more creatively. When you deprive yourself of all the sensory input you're normally getting and processing, your brain can use that energy to generate new ideas. While a sensory deprivation chamber is the best way to do this, simply dimming the lights and working at a time and place where noise won't distract you can help you generate more ideas. Since vision is your dominant sense, shutting that off can be the most effective in generating more brain power for fresh ideas.

5. Get Warm

If sensory deprivation isn't your thing, or isn't possible for you, then at least make sure you're warm enough. Being warm makes us happy, which produces dopamine. As mentioned above, more dopamine means more creativity, which means more great ideas. What's warm for one person may be cold for another, though, so you may have to compromise on this to optimize creativity for everyone in your workspace. (See also: How to Be Happier and More Likeable at Work)

7. Don't Fear Bad Ideas

Being afraid of bad ideas can paralyze us and keep us from thinking up new ideas in general. When we fear bad ideas, and there's no way to tell if our next idea will be great or terrible, we tend to stop thinking up new ideas in general. Instead, we can let our new ideas come as they may, knowing that we can discard the bad ones and keep the good ones. This way, we'll generate more great ideas than we will when we fear the bad ones.

8. Let It Sit

Sometimes, we wonder how to tell the difference between a good idea and a bad one. We don't just fear having bad ideas, but not realizing that one is bad and investing ourselves in it before realizing our mistake. One sure way to determine which of our ideas is great is to simply let them sit. Take a vacation. Walk away. Go do something else. When you come back to the problem, you'll often find that your brain has sorted your ideas and determined which ones are more likely to be worth following up on.

9. Meditate

These days, I sometimes feel like meditation is supposed to be the cure for everything. However, a recent study out of the Netherlands shows that people who meditate and then are given creative tasks perform better than those who are given the tasks without the meditation time before. Meditation seems to predispose the brain to generating ideas, possibly by helping it relax, or by inducing mental states where ideas can connect.

When it comes to generating great ideas, what works for you?

This article is from Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

10 Places to Go for Inspiration

Jennifer Holder — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:24:03 +0000

Inspiration comes to people differently. With the internet (ahem, Buzzfeed), there are tons of inspirational quotes and stories, but for me, physical locations are often more inspirational than memes. (See also: 8 Quotes to Inspire Your Dream Career)

It usually all boils down to what your interests are, or what you're struggling with in the first place. Below are the 10 places that inspire me, but I'm sure there will be an overlap in your own lives.

1. Live Music

I work at a music venue sporadically, and live music is simply the best. From seeing music in a small, intimate setting or in a large arena, you're able to see a musician really dig deep into what they're playing. Their love for what they do always reminds me that we should love what we do for a living as well.

My father loves jazz, and the live experience of improvisational jazz can't be topped by recorded music. It's freeing, and you don't know what could happen next. In college, I met almost all of my friends through music, whether they played it or enjoyed it as equally as much as me. In fact, it was a friend I met through one specific band's (Warning: Autostart Music) many live performances who then inspired me to move to New York and ultimately shaped my destiny.

2. Comedy Clubs

When I moved to New York, I met quite a few comedians and improvisers. I've seen some of the funniest people alive today perform comedy, and it's amazing to see how quick their minds work and how they can recall the slightest detail. Also, laughter allows you to steer your mind in a different direction, so you distract yourself long enough to work out an issue. It's also nice to hear a stand-up comedian make fun of something that's been on your mind lately. Having people find the humor in sometimes difficult situations can help you move on.

3. Public Parks

Sit on a bench, play on the swingset, or just stroll around. Public parks are often filled with children and watching them smile, share toys, or ride a slide 50 times because it's just as fun the last time as it was the first time is uplifting. Children take joy in the little things, and it's a nice reminder that we should too. Take a journal with you and write down random thoughts or observations. Life is short, and being happy and having fun every day is important.

4. Nature

Find a trail to hike or bike. Take in the sights, smells, and sounds as you go. There are no car horns or televisions on those trails, just the blowing wind and crunching leaves. Or if you live near a beach, head down to the shore for a few hours and lay in the sun, taking in the crash of the waves and the smell of sea salt. The ocean refreshes itself, so let it refresh you. And don't think nature is just for art — nature has influenced quite a few tech geeks as well, so you never know. (See also: Over 50 Ways to Have Free Outdoor Fun)

5. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

You have nothing but time while in transit, and the momentum helps to get your juices flowing. While traveling, I've always had the ability to completely clear my head and focus. I've written some of my best stories with the unlikely aid of leg cramps and exhaustion. Use your time wisely and charge up your laptop or don't forget a pen. And if you're worried about anyone reading what you write, who cares… it's all worth it in the end. (See also: 6 Ways to Get More Done on a Plane)

6. Bookstores and Libraries

Books themselves are, of course, often inspiring. Often when I read a book, I think like the author and pick up on their writing style. But I love diving into one piece of literature and a chapter later reading another piece of literature. I sit on the floor surrounded by books, reading everything at once.

Go through different sections and topics — you might be surprised at what might pique your interest, especially books from different time periods (both fiction and nonfiction). After all, history can be a great source of inspiration. We constantly learn from the past to shape our future.

7. The Gym

Exercising is the perfect way to unwind and relax. It's also the perfect way to think about things you might be pushing away because you can't make a decision or don't know what you want. Yoga helps me meditate and plan things out, and I find that the grueling task of spin class helps me to refocus my energy and teaches me self-discipline. You go hard in spinning classes, and there is no room for complaining. The stress relief will make you feel better and really get you moving both mentally and physically. (See also: 20 Really Cheap Ways to Relieve Stress)

8. Flea Markets and Thrift Stores

As they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure. Browsing around flea markets and thrift stores is a great way to get inspired by the past.

I have a number of friends who are excellent "pickers," and when they buy an item that is slightly used, they're instantly ready to go to work on it or use it to change their entire motif. Looking at something worn and run down and creating something beautiful from it is inspiration at work. For instance, my friend used thrift stores and flea markets to style her wedding. It was cheaper, and she felt more of a connection with the items because they were made or improved by her own hands. In the end, working on her wedding inspired her to pursue a career in styling weddings and photo shoots.

9. Dreaming/My Bed

Yes, my own brain is my inspiration. I'm often described as random, mainly because my brain goes from one totally inane topic to another. Therefore, my dreams do, too. Most of the time it's my brain working something out for me, whether it be a problem I need to solve or an issue I need to address. My dreams are also vivid and creative, which leads to imaginative storytelling. And sometimes at lunch I take a power nap so I can refocus myself, as Thomas Edison did. A nap hasn't led me to an invention like the light bulb, but it has helped me sort out issues for clients.

10. Restaurants and Bars

Eating and drinking with friends is a great source of inspiration for me. Discussing issues with a friend and sharing personal experiences makes me think of the problem in a completely different light. Getting away, having a drink or two, and relaxing makes me focus on the big picture, rather than being stuck on one problem. It also gives me new perspective on the issue because I'm able to step away and come back to it later.

What places serve as your inspiration?

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This article is from Jennifer Holder of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

59 Ways To Get A Bright Idea

Julie Rains — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:04:12 +0000

Looking for a creativity boost? Here are 59 ways to get inspired and generate ideas that can help you gain a fresh perspective, solve a problem, present information, increase profits, and more --- TODAY.

Start with clearing your mind:
1) Take a walk, hike, or bicycle ride
2) Read a romance or mystery novel
3) Visit a playground and swing

4) Indulge yourself with something new: try a new flavor at Baskin-Robbins, a new pastry at the bakery, or a new tea at the tearoom
5) Go to a toy store

Start with clearing your mind:
1) Take a walk, hike, or bicycle ride
2) Read a romance or mystery novel
3) Visit a playground and swing

4) Indulge yourself with something new: try a new flavor at Baskin-Robbins, a new pastry at the bakery, or a new tea at the tearoom
5) Go to a toy store

Reconsider your problem or opportunity:
6) Restate your problem until you get to its simplest form (example: “I need to money for a car” becomes “I need transportation” becomes “I need a way to get to work” or “I need a way to get groceries”) and then consider your options
7) Define, then challenge assumptions and consider new possibilities for solving problems (problem: “I want to share photos”; assumption: “I need to buy double photo prints in order to give photos to a friend” becomes “I can take digital images and email images to my friend” or “I can take digital images, upload them to a photo-sharing site, and invite my friend to view the photos”)
8) Reverse assumptions (“I can generate income on photos from my friends” perhaps by receiving royalty payments on images that my friends download and/or print)
9) Consider what the problem looks like from your co-workers', shareholders', customers’, and/or vendors’ perspectives.
10) Reread the rules (does it really say you can’t do <insert your idea here> ?)

Think of ways to make more money for your company:
11) Sell a complementary service if you sell products only now
12) Sell a complementary product if you sell services only now
13) Transform byproducts (waste) into a product or service (my municipality is selling organic pellets from a wastewater treatment plant, which will generate $30,000 in annual sales but will save $800,000 in waste-disposal costs)

14) Find a new market for an existing product or technology (GPS moves from military applications to car navigation and fitness tracking)
15) Join forces with a business partner for special projects
16) Simplify your pricing
17) Bundle products (generate a higher dollar amount per transaction, increase total sales)
18) Un-bundle products (sell products separately with lower dollar amount per transaction, generate higher profit margins)
19) Restrict supply to increase demand and produce higher profit margins
20) Increase supply to generate higher sales

Get someone else’s perspective for a specific problem or dilemma, ask for advice from a(n):
21) Friend
22) Child
23) Customer
24) Vendor
25) Someone from a different culture
26) Person over 65 years old
27) Expert
28) Stakeholder
29) Someone who (previously) knows or cares nothing about your problem

Discover new ways to
attract people to a business, civic club, professional association, etc.:
30) Listen to a new radio station
31) Visit a new website
32) Try a new restaurant
33) See a new movie

present information by going to a(n):
34) Art exhibit
35) Concert
36) Speaker program
37) Craft fair

38) Worship service (contemporary or traditional)
39) Museum with multimedia exhibits (such as the International Spy Museum)
40) Community event
41) Trade show

package products:
42) Make the product easier to ship, hold, or store
43) Create packaging that has a use after the product is opened (Lego Bionicles come with packaging that can store pieces or serve as a stand for completed sets)

make a product more effective, more versatile, less expensive, and/or more environmentally friendly:
44) Add a feature(s) that makes the product easier to use or expands its capabilities
45) Identify new uses for existing products (See Myscha's posts on canning jars)
46) Eliminate a component
47) Substitute a part
48) Make it easier to replace parts (shoes with replaceable parts)
49) Change materials
50) Modify the product for a new application
51) Combine it with another product (phone+camera = camera phone)
52) Eliminate a function
53) Add functions that are related (electricity + blanket = electric blanket)
54) Add functions that are unrelated to original purpose (Smart Shirt invented by researchers at Georgia Tech enables detection of wearers' vital signs with applications for healthcare, fitness, and more)

Test new methods to spark ideas for becoming more efficient:
55) Eliminate a step and see if the result is the same
56) Do a process in reverse
57) Change the schedule (See Greg's discussion on the 28-hour day schedule in the forums)

58) Try out ideas you had already considered but were afraid to try
59) Reintroduce an old business model with your own twist (In the 80s, you could rent movie videos at the grocery store, then came free-standing video rental stores, then mail-order services; once again, you can find rental movies at the grocery store via redbox)

Ways of generating ideas were inspired by the book Thinkertoys and my experiences as an Odyssey of the Mind coach. Share your techniques for encouraging innovation.

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This article is from Julie Rains of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

101 things to do with a $1 bill.

Paul Michael — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:32:20 +0000

What can a dollar buy you these days? Certainly not a gallon of gas, which it could have done 6 years ago. Anyway, this idea actually came out of a lunchtime chat with some friends. I’m a sucker for writing lists and I wondered how many different uses I could find for your humble $1 bill. Some are fun, some are silly, some may actually be useful. The list took me a whole week to compile. Enjoy.

Save it (sorry, but this is Wisebread).
Become a very small partner in a very small business.
Mail it to someone, anyone, in the phone book (you’ll have to find a stamp).
Buy a few bites of someone’s pizza slice.
Make an expensive paper airplane.
Cash it in for 100 pennies and drop them everywhere (it’s good luck for people).
Alternately, use those 100 pennies for 100 wishes in a fountain.
Light a cigar with it (shame on you, for smoking too).
Use it to win a crappy stuffed toy from a grabbing machine.
Give it to the homeless guy in the city center.
Double it every day. You’ll be a millionaire in just 20 days.
Borrow 7 cents and buy something from the dollar menu.
Make a bet to trade the lives of a stockbroker and conman.
Swap it for a shiny English 50 pence piece.
Get fake attention from a stripper for roughly 5 seconds.
Buy a scratch card and turn your $1 into a piece of garbage.
Buy a Powerball ticket, dream for a day (if you win, you owe me).
Get a bargain from Goodwill and help a charity at the same time.
Frame it (especially if it’s the first dollar you ever earned).
Request a song from the busker in your local town center.
Buy and read a classic novel from a used bookstore. Then sell it for $1.
Develop 10 digital photos and create a mini album of memories.
Put it down as extra principal on your mortgage, pay off your house 0.00000000000000000001 years earlier (best guess).
Cut it into small pieces and create extravagant confetti.
Use it as a clue in the ancient hunt for hidden government treasure.
Photocopy your butt multiple times and decorate your cubicle at work.
Download a legal song from iTunes.
Stock up on a week’s supply of Ramen noodles.
Get one third of a loaf of decent 7-grain bread.
Buy a full day’s food for a poor family in India.
Get the silence of a child if you buy a big sucker pop.
Buy one share of an ailing corporation.
Buy one-thirtieth of one share in Microsoft.
Put it on the end of a fishing line and catch yourself a Wisebread reader.
Bribe an office worker for a tip about what to do with $1 (thanks K).
Write a message of hope on it that will pass through the hands of many people
Or, doodle a moustache on Mr. Washington you little rebel.
Exchange it for the new $1 coin and hunt for a vending machine that accepts it.
Eat it (probably healthier than eating anything off the dollar menu).
Try and fold it in half more than seven times (supposedly impossible).
Buy 10 copies of Vanilla Ice’s fabulous 1991 movie “Cool As Ice.”
Make a fortune by betting on a winning horse with odds of 50,000 – 1.
Purchase a $1 million bill from a magic store and cash it at WalMart
Buy a newspaper and read yesterday’s news.
Sign it and sell it on eBay for big $$$ (this only works if you’re famous).
Fold it into a rude and amusing shape and give your friends a laugh.
Bet someone $1 you can dance worse than M.C.Hammer. Lose bet.
Tear it in half and give one piece to your true love.
Get half of your shirt dry-cleaned.
Buy a sheet of paper and a pencil. Write an award-winning short story.
Bury it. Dig it up 200 years from now and hey presto, it’s an antique.
Get a haircut. Which hair is up to you.
Roll it into a tube shape and use it as a feeble straw.
Buy a year’s supply of food for your pet worm.
Spend one hour at the penny arcade.
Get your palm read at the carnival (for $1 your fortune may be bleak).
Buy a key ring, open up a gift shop at the airport and sell it for $10.
Visit the $1 section in Target, close your eyes and pick up a lovely surprise.
Buy a bunch of jaw breakers and shove them all in your mouth.
Exchange it on Craigslist for something cool, like a jigsaw with 5 missing pieces.
Knit yourself a one-fingered glove.
Slice it into tiny strips, join the ends together and create a jump rope.
Buy a tub of imitation playdough and regress to childhood.
Make lemonade out of lemons; two for a buck at most supermarkets.
Write, direct, produce and star in your own seriously low-budget movie.
Team up with 100,000 other folks with $1 and have an enormous party.
Or, team up with a billion other folks with $1 and feed the hungry.
Buy a $1 gift card to your favorite store.
Fill your tires with air and vacuum the car’s interior.
Buy two large rubber bands and make your own designer thong.
Buy a pay-per-view episode of a show you could have seen for free last week.
Rent a car for 10 minutes.
Put it through a cross-cut shredder for a cheap jigsaw puzzle.
Shrink it to the size of a stamp using Wonkavision (Wonka fans, unite)
Blow your nose on it (cheaper than a handkerchief, ~~but not washable~~ < thanks Colin)
Travel back to 1885 and pop it in a savings account.
Paint it red and pretend it’s a dollar left to you by a Martian.
Give it to the guy in Robocop who always said “I’ll buy that for a dollar.”
Fold it into a V-shape, lengthways, and use it to pour spices into small jars.
Buy some Tic-Tacs for the chain-smoking coffeeholic at work.
Fold it accordion-style and make a hand fan.
Write “the crow flies at midnight” on it and pass it to a complete stranger, winking.
Roll it into a ball and let your pet mice recreate the 2006 World Cup final.
Keep it in the bathroom as a last resort for those ‘no toilet paper!’ emergencies.
Stick it to your arm and create a cheap and non-painful tattoo.
Glue it to the underside of a glass table and watch the hilarious results.
Ask a complete moron to swap it for a $100 bill (if this works, let me know).
Tape it to your forehead. When people ask why, say your name is Bill.
Bet George Lucas he can’t create a worse character than Jar Jar Binks. Win bet.
Throw it into the path of an F6 tornado; watch it slice through a tree.
Flush it down the toilet or buy shares in newly bankrupted Amp’d mobile.
Give it to the CEO of a major oil company, along with the shirt off your back.
Drop it at your accountant’s office to test his/her honesty.
Get something cool in your local Discovery Channel Store’s closing down sale.
Buy ¼ of a bag of popcorn at the movie theater.
Purchase enough paint to completely redecorate one wall of the dog kennel.
Give it to your grandma to say thank you for all the times she gave you a $1.
Save it until the day after Valentine’s Day and buy a big bag of candy.
Get front-row tickets to the New Kids On The Block comeback tour.
Take it to a scientist to prove that money does not actually talk.
Write a list of 101 things to do with a $1 bill on the back of it.

Blurry but cool pic by Dances Fantastic. Thanks.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Over 7 million money-making ideas - Google Patents

Paul Michael — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 05:35:08 +0000

Ever dreamed of patenting a great idea that could make you a fortune? The Pet Rock maybe? Or the Jump To Conclusions mat? Well, you'll find even more crazy ideas using Google Patent Search , or even better, submit one of your own.

I've only been buzzing around on Google's patent search engine for a few minutes, but I have already found some very unusual and unique inventions. For the sake of Wisebread readers, I thought I'd look for inventions about saving money, time and hassle. I found thousands. Here are just a few of my favorites.

1: The Compartmented Piggy Bank

2: A space-saver pizza box (nice)

3: A wine & spirits carry-out package

4: A briefcase that converts into a table

5: A split-ends remover (not much use for me, I shave my head)

I'm sure you'll have something more specific in mind when you're looking around. Maybe it will inspire you to invent something of your own, and file a patent. With over 7 million already out there, you've got some competition. But who knows, maybe your idea will be the next iPod. Go for it.

Oh, and speaking of inventions, check this one out. A fridge that throws you a beer. Nice.

Beer Fridge Launcher - Click Here for more great videos and pictures!