There's Nothing New Under the Sun

What is Creativity? That word is the curse of advertising, according to David
Ogilvy, the industry’s guru. It puts copy writers and art directors into a realm
where they don’t belong. They should think of themselves as salesmen, but with a
special gift of words and pictures.

There are only new connections. Combine some old thing with another existing
thing and---Wow, a “new” idea!

I think the secret to finding un-thought of connections lies in the subconscious
mind. Do you get your best ideas in the middle of the night, or in the shower?
What are dreams but the subconscious at work---trying to relate your problem
to another circumstance. Hypnotism can put you into the subconscious mind,
where connections are rampant.

Lateral thinking---out of the box---also works. You must smash boundaries, force-fit
one subject into another and look somewhere else. My favorite quote from an
unknown genius is, “When we find the answer, it will be simple.” It’ll be right there,
waiting to be connected.

If you have reached the bottom going deeper, try going broader. Look outward and see what’s going on there that you can connect creatively with your problem.