I have been sick with some dastardly virus for the past ten days, so I am just not up to blogging. However, today I felt well enough to do some reading, and here is a very useful post that I found, by Andy Eklund:

Creative Streak: Solo Creativity, Part 1

As always, you should articulate the goal (what are you trying to solve?), and the need or problem (what’s preventing you from being successful?) Start with the tips below, but not necessarily in order. Write or draw your ideas on blank paper. (Be environmentally friendly and use old pages from your printer!) Don’t worry about how long you brainstorm. Sometimes it’s best to brainstorm for 10-15 minutes, return to a previous project, then return for another stretch of brainstorming an hour or so later on. You can keep this up for several days, returning whenever you need a mental break.

A variation of the “solo” idea, sometimes I write my ideas in the body of an e-mail, then exchange it with a colleague elsewhere in the world for additional ideas. Living in Australia, I simply have to wait for my network to respond with new ideas overnight. One final tip: keep your notes handy and visible to your eye.

1. Select a noun.

A descriptive noun conjures up different aspects which you can use to brainstorm ideas. Open to any page of a book – or better yet, a dictionary – and select a noun at random (preferably one with no connection to your topic or problem). When you combine this word with your problem or need, what idea does the “merger” suggest? If one word doesn’t work, pick another, then another. Go to here for a list of my favourite nouns. If you’re addicted to the Internet, try www.dictionary.com or www.thesaurus.com.

2. Or, try an action verb.

Verbs work differently in creative thinking because – by their very nature – they suggest action, specifically a change. Pick any specific attribute of your product or service that you believe is central to the problem. Next, select any action verb from a variety of sources (see above) and force-fit it with the problem. The first few “mergers” might be odd, but don’t despair. I typically go through 40-45 verbs in one sitting before I look back at no more than 8-10 good ideas. Again, go here for a list of my favourite verbs.

There is more at the original article.