Get Out There
While you are not thinking about specifics, an idea will occur. It may come while you are riding a bicycle, at a concert, on a road trip, or walking along the street. When inspiration comes, do not ignore it. Abandon the step-by-step approach and master lateral thinking.

Don’t Be Afraid
Make friends with fear. It’s OK to pause, look at it, slow down for a moment. However, do NOT let it stop you! The only way to lessen fear is to do the things we are most afraid of. Expect fear. Break out of self-imposed limitations.

Be Sense Able
Touch it. Smell it. Hear it. See it. Get your hands dirty, scrape your knees, explore. Sketch it out. Sharpen your brain – communicate and exchange ideas with other creative people. This is useful for stimulating ideas. It also gives you an opportunity to validate your ideas with colleagues.

Take Five
If you are thinking along a certain line and nothing happens, stop. Step out of your shoes, stretch, take a deep breath. Stop thinking about the problem. Let your subconscious take over for a while. There are cycles of creativity. We are not always in the harvesting phase.

What You Know
Gather information and materials. Be endlessly curious and collect specific and general information from as many sources as possible. Store data in any form you wish: computer or electronically, on file cards, in a series of notebooks. Putting information in your own words helps you remember and clarify the thought process. Learning is a lifelong quest.