It’s a simple goal: Come up with the most amazingly fantastic, mind-blowing, yet inexpensive, and completely original idea possible.  

At Black Sheep we do it all the time, but even for us, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Drawing from our many experiences, we’ve gathered a few go-to tricks, and if you stick to the rules, they’re sure to result in something spectacular. Or at least make you laugh. Either way, it’s a good time.

Role play – It sounds naughty, but it’s only as dirty as you want it to be. Use your imagination, and approach the problem from a ridiculous, unexpected perspective. Pretend you’re in colonial times, or Egypt or that you’re a clown with superpowers from Iceland. Maybe you’re a golden retriever or a president or a teacher – from the Stone Age! When you put yourself in someone (or something) else’s shoes, you’ll start seeing the problem with a whole new point of view. It’s the less-than-obvious scenario that gets the attention every time.

Steal ideas – If you’re brainstorming in a group (and you should be), this is a little activity that allows you to steal your neighbor’s ideas. And make them better. It goes like this: Everyone in the group writes a simple idea or thought down on a piece of paper. Pass the paper to your left and the next person builds off of the first one. Repeat until everyone’s worked on everyone else’s original, and see what you come up with. You may not get a fully fledged solution, but you’ll definitely get the creative juices flowing.

Pull the trigger – This one’s another group activity. Brainstorm as many ideas as possible – there is no wrong, stupid or throw-away answer. Pick the best one and use those as “triggers” for more ideas. Continue until you’ve found the perfect answer. You will!

Be an astronaut – First, before getting together as a group, give everyone the chance to come up with a list of their own ideas.  Next, two people will sit together and discuss, covering everything on their lists. Then, add a new person to the group, discuss and repeat, until everyone has shared all their thoughts with the group individually. These steps make it difficult for a member to “hide” in the group or get squashed by bigger and louder members, and it’s a technique that has been proven by NASA! We trust those guys.

Follow the rules – 1. It’s a brainstorm, not a blamestorm. Don’t belittle other people’s ideas, kids. It’s just not nice, and it’s ultimately counter-productive. 2. Go for quantity over quality. The more ideas on the table, the better. 3. Drink while you think. You’ve heard of a drinking problem, well this is a drinking solution. Let loose, and throw a few back. It will make the creative process SO much easier. 4. Let the record show. WRITE everything down! Save your ideas for future brainstorms, and don’t risk forgetting the ones you have now. We’re talking to you, Paul Kinsey.

Regular

Writer’s block. It strikes at the worst possible time making what would be a simple, fun exercise an exhausting one. It is exacerbated by stress, and often, leads to endless hours of frustration and hundreds of pages of useless copy, discarded for eternity. At least we don’t use typewriters anymore, right? Copywriters back in the day must have been the leading cause of deforestation and global warming (as if advertisers needed any more blemishes on their reputation).  

Here are some ways to cure the linguistically challenged.

Misdirection. Try thinking of topics completely irrelevant to the task at hand. If you’re supposed to be writing about the social consequences of performance monkeys (what more can you say?), start from a different angle. Maybe it’s sandwich making, Disney princesses or firefighters. Sometimes the most random approach results in the most interesting, creative outcome.

Move and Shake. Get up. Go do something. Anything that will distract you from ruminating over those darn performance monkeys! Clean your office, go for a jog or call your grandma – she misses you! Once you allow yourself to relax and step away from the computer, the creative juices will start flowing once again.

Ask someone else. A different set of eyes, ears and brain cells can make a world of difference, and having a conversation can provide a fresh perspective to the problem. Experts tend to be TOO involved and often lose sight of what they have to offer - give someone else a chance to think for a change.

Research. What are other people saying about performance monkeys? Maybe you can build off someone else’s idea or maybe their opinion will spark a thesis of your own. Gathering as much information as possible will allow you to view the problem holistically and give you a more knowledgeable outlook going forward.

Wait until tomorrow. If you have the option, nothing beats getting your beauty rest. Who knows? Those performance monkeys may come to you in your dreams with just the right story… or maybe when you wake up, rested and refreshed, you’ll have the energy to tackle that writing once and for all.

Write exactly what you know. Right now, you think nothing more can be said about the social consequences of performance monkeys. So say that. Tell us what led you to believe that, and speak honestly and openly. A candid piece will come naturally, and even if it’s not your final draft, it will get your writing gears running smoothly.

Or, you can just write about writer’s block. That’s what we did!

7 Ways To Chip Off The Old [Writer's] Block