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If you\u2019re a creative entrepreneur or a voice actor like I am, you\u2019ll find yourself needing to solve problems, come up with new ideas or create a business plan-of-action on a regular basis. It\u2019s part of our job!<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re a creative entrepreneur or a voice actor like I am, you\u2019ll find yourself needing to solve problems, come up with new ideas or create a business plan-of-action on a regular basis. It\u2019s part of our job!<\/p>\n
And a lot of the time, YOU are the only person you can turn to for answers!<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s great to have a coach, a husband or wife, or a fellow entrepreneur to go to for help, ideas or support, but you\u2019ll find that there may be times where you\u2019re on your own.<\/strong><\/p>\n YOU alone have to come up with the answers, the plan, the money, the strategy, the motivation, the solution.<\/p>\n On your own.<\/p>\n And you can!<\/p>\n The fact is, you have an infinite number of fantastic ideas, resources and <\/span>available intelligence in your own mind that\u2019s just WAITING to be unleashed! You just have to know how to access it, on demand.<\/p>\n However, there are practical challenges, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s just say it can be a challenge to uncover solutions or find creative answers if you\u2019re all alone!<\/strong><\/p>\n Well if you\u2019ve ever found yourself with a challenge, problem, elusive idea or project you need to get moving forward, I want to share with you one of my all-time favorite ways to brainstorm when it\u2019s just me, myself and I<\/em> sitting at the table!<\/p>\n It\u2019s something I learned about many years ago when reading the amazing book, \u201cWomen and Risk\u201d by Nicky Marone, (a must read for all my women readers here!), but I\u2019m guessing this creative process has been around for a long, long time.<\/p>\n This technique is referred to by a number of different names \u2013 mind-mapping being one of them. <\/strong><\/p>\n I like to call it the \u201cCreativity Wheel.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n So if you\u2019re someone who needs some help with brainstorming or accessing the creative side of your brain, (and you\u2019re all by yourself!), this is the perfect solution.<\/p>\n You can create a stream of great ideas and strategies yourself!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a fun, easy exercise in \u201clateral thinking,\u201d is WAY MORE FUN than just making an ordinary \u201clist,\u201d and is a fabulous way to generate new ideas around a central subject.<\/p>\n The Creativity Wheel looks just like it sounds. It\u2019s a wheel with a hub in the middle and spokes emerging from the center hub. (See example 1a, below.)<\/strong><\/p>\n I guarantee that when you do this exercise you\u2019ll be amazed at how it can literally open the flood gates of creative brainstorming.<\/em><\/p>\n And the more you do it, the more fun it becomes!<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/strong><\/p>\n First, on a blank sheet of paper, draw a circle in the middle of the page.<\/p>\n Write your idea, challenge, or question inside this circle.<\/p>\n Next, allow your mind to freely explore any and all ideas associated with this central issue. Associate as many secondary thoughts as you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n When ideas or thoughts come to you, draw a straight line, or spoke, from the central idea circle, and then draw another circle on the end of the spoke. In the second circle, write the related idea. (See example 1a, below.)<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019re essentially brainstorming with yourself! And you\u2019ll find you\u2019ll be able to come up with more ideas, more easily, than writing a linear list on a pad of paper.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an Action Challenge for you:<\/strong><\/p>\n In order to gain more clarity and detail on an idea or challenge you have, use The Creativity Wheel. This is a wonderful brainstorming tool you can use by yourself, but be sure to undertake this exercise when you know you can have some uninterrupted time.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s a SUPER IMPORTANT bonus tip and action step!<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you have one Creativity Wheel completed, drill down even further into your brainstorming session (and make it even more effective), by using the associated ideas (the circles at the end of the spokes) as the central idea<\/strong> on a NEW<\/strong> page.<\/p>\n Just take that<\/strong> idea and make it the center circle on a new page and continue to free-associate around that idea. (See example 1b.)<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019ll get the greatest benefit from this process if you create several Wheels and you\u2019ll be astonished at how many new ideas you\u2019ll be able to generate!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t censor yourself. Create a new spoke for every idea that pops into your head.<\/p>\n If you really want to get into \u201cfree association,\u201d what\u2019s even more fun is to cut out all the circles with a pair of scissors and arrange them all over your dining room table and then shuffle them around.<\/p>\n Arrange them in different configurations on your table and take notes on the ideas and connections that present themselves to you.<\/p>\n Then, once you\u2019ve contemplated them for a while, rearrange the circles you\u2019ve cut out (with ideas on them) and see what OTHER connections or ideas reveal themselves to you! Trust me, this is a completely different process than just \u201cwriting lists,\u201d (although I love that too). It will get your mind thinking in new ways!<\/p>\n This is a FABULOUS way to practice free-association creative thinking and will reveal many ideas, strategies and conclusions you would never have thought of. Try it!<\/p>\n Below are a couple of basic examples of the Creativity Wheel that I\u2019m referring to.<\/strong><\/p>\n See how easy it is?<\/p>\n And you can use this process for ANY challenge or idea you have.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s brainstorming around creating a new voice-over demo or figuring out a strategy to quit your day job and become an entrepreneur, using the Creativity Wheel will help you come up with unique ideas that you wouldn\u2019t have access to by writing a linear list on a lined piece of paper.<\/p>\n Leave a comment below and let me know how this works for you and if you like the idea! I love hearing from you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019re a creative entrepreneur or a voice actor like I am, you\u2019ll find yourself needing to solve problems, come up with new ideas or create a business plan-of-action on a regular basis. It\u2019s part of our job! And a lot of the time, YOU are the only person you can turn to for answers! 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![\"Creativity](\"http:\/\/www.maxinedunn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Creativity-Wheel-1a.jpg\")
![\"Creativity](\"http:\/\/www.maxinedunn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Creativity-Wheel-1b.jpg\")