Are you itching to start a new project but you don't have any ideas to work with? Then, fear not! Today we will be talking about 9 ways to find ideas for your upcoming projects.
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Sometimes we don't get ideas due to our lack of information. So this is what you need to do:
CONSUME CONTENT
This is really straight forward: the more you know, the more chances you'll get to make new connections and come up with ideas.
Also, consume content in multiple areas. This will broathen your awareness of what is possible, which can give you a better chance of getting new ideas.
One of the best ways to get meaningful ideas is to find problems to solve for yourself or for other people. Observe the world around you and try to add value to people's lives.
Let me give you a quick example:
My brother needed a way to create specifically edited instagram photos but he didn't have the means (capable computer or skills) to do so.
And so I thought: Why not creating a simple interface that does exactly that?
And that's exactly what I did.
You can read more about this specific example here.
This is a really powerful one. By sharing your thoughts with other people, you'll be able to:
This is probably one of the most effective ways to get meaningful and solid ideas for you next project, so I'd consider this a high priority task.
Skill aquisition can bring you new perspectives on what can be done and how it can be done by removing technical barriers and see what's possible.
Here is a list of platforms that I urge you to leverage.
This is a no-brainer, but I still have to mention it. Youtube is your free learning platform with tons of content to leverage.
But the problem of being a free platform is that it becomes harder to filter useful and structured information.
So my advice to you is to search for playlists from reputable experts on the subject you want to learn and follow them.
Skillshare is an online course platform where anyone can create online courses and share their knowledge with the world.
They have a ton of courses available in every genre and you can access all of them through a monthly subscription.
When you hear that “anyone can create an online course” on Skillshare, you might think that the quality of the content is crap. But this is couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s true that some courses might suck, but the majority of them are really good! Creators usually put quite some effort on these courses because Skillshare pays them according with how many minutes students spent watching their content.
This is a great way of learning something in a very structured way, so if you are interested in this service, you can get a 2-months free trial here.
Audible is a service that provides you with an insane amount of professionally voiced audiobooks for you to listen to. Even if you don't use it for learning purposes, you might get ideas by listening to what authors have to say.
This is a subscription-based service, so once you are subscribed, you will get:
One feature that I really love on it is the capability of downloading your audiobooks into your phone. This way you’ll be able to save some mobile data. Also, you can jump from chapter to chapter with ease and tune the audio speed to your liking.
Sound good, right?
If you are interested to try Audible, click here to get a 30-day free trial, which includes a free audiobook that you can keep forever and 2 Audible Originals.
Some of my better projects became what they are by being curious. Sometimes, the only thing that you need is to do is to question yourself about everything.
What if this lamp also had an embed holographic projector?
Is there a better way of lighting my room?
What can I do with the NFC functionality on my phone?
These series of questions might lead you to the ideas you are searching for. After all, curiosity is a big fuel for creativity!
Having a place to store your thoughts and ideas is really important in order to review them later. And you know what? Sometimes you'll be able to get new ideas by reviewing old ones!
My tip for you in these regards is to get a notepad and write down your ideas as they come. I find this habit really helpful in many ways, and I even wrote
For this purpose I use an Infinitebook, which is a notepad with cleanable sheets (it works like a whiteboard). Infinitebook also features a mobile app whose purpose is to store what you wrote on the cloud, so that you won't lose your notes.
Another powerful way of getting new ideas is by exposing yourself to new experiences, even if they are unrelated to your interests.
By experiencing a different reality than what you are used to, you'll be able to open your mind to new possibilities. Thus, ideas will come eventually.
And let me tell you, traveling may be one of the best activities for this purpose due to the amount of external stimuli you'd be exposed to.
You know what I'm talking about if you visited another country: from culture to language, everything seems so different. And that sensation of novelty might be what it takes for you to come up with your next big idea.
The simple fact of working out, sleeping well and eating healthy will make you more creative. This will make your ideas flow easier and be in an overall better state.
And hey!
You should do this anyway to ensure your health!
Sometimes we don't get ideas just because we are trying too hard to get them. Instead, go for a walk, play with your pet or enjoy some time with family and/or friends.
Maybe getting a break is all you need.
Also, it is a good idea to bring your notepad with you. You might get some good ideas during your break, so it would be optimal to write them down while they are fresh.
These are just 9 ways of finding new ideas for your upcoming projects, but they might help you greatly on your creative endeavours!
I know they helped me!
Do you know any other ways of finding new ideas that were not mentioned here? What are your thoughts about this subject?
Let me know!
Until next time!
