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How to be creative

Rona Levin is a freelance PR and Communications specialist. She is the Freelance of the Year 2007 and has worked independently for clients including the British Library for over five years.

"Creativity flows from the ability to aim sky-high and imagine that anything and everything is possible and ‘do-able.’

"I fantasise about what the absolute, ultimate, coolest, most amazing scenario or outcome for a project might be - however fanciful - and then work back from there into formulating a more down to earth plan that could actually work in real life.

"I believe negativity stifles creativity. To be truly creative you have to be able to go out on a limb, take chances and also allow yourself a few failures - don't be afraid to try new things.

"I staunchly believe in the old adages: 'If you don't ask, you don't get!'. And 'If you don't try you will never succeed.' People can be so negative and put the lid on ideas without bothering to even have a go.

"It's a great feeling when you're working in a team, brainstorming, and all getting a ‘buzz’ off each other - but make sure you don't rush to put someone down even if they have come up with the most ridiculous suggestion you've ever heard in your life! Bear in mind that some of the greatest creative inventions have been borne out of the daftest ideas!

"However hard it may sometimes be, don't be afraid to challenge what has previously been accepted as conventional wisdom or belief within an organisation. Push the boundaries - but know when to stop.

"And, when all else fails, the odd bottle of something alcoholic can work wonders for the flow of creative juices, but don't drink on the job - that's a guaranteed flop!"

William Knight is a freelance journalist specialising in IT and Computing. His client list includes the Financial Times, Computing, Contractor UK and InfoWorld .

"For me, creativity flows from sitting down and doing it. I think that quotes are very applicable here: genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

"From a writing point of view, the art of writing is most definitely the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. And that other great saying works also: write it down then get it right.

"I suppose therefore I get inspiration by setting the machinations of my mind in gear and letting it go. Most of what I do is a process, but just occasionally my working brain puffs out a smoke of creativity - that's always nice. Thing is, it has to be working first, trying to be creative from a cold start is like trying to burn a log before setting the kindling alight."

Gill Taylor is a freelance copywriter, specialising in services for the IT and Telecoms industries. Her background is in marketing and communications.

"Being creative is not something you can suddenly decide to do. It’s like singing I think, either you’ve got it or you haven’t! You can be taught to a certain extent, but creativity is very much about something from within. People who tend to be creative are usually those who have been taught to always question everything and to challenge the norm. This gives you a great head start when it comes to putting a ‘creative’ slant on something, be that writing, design or whatever.

"I always make a point of digesting a brief before I start work on it. If I am allowed the time of course! Take a piece of direct mail for example. It’s getting harder and harder to create marketing messages which really catch they eye and which people respond to – as there are more and more of them around. I’ll usually try to have a thorough read of the brief and then to forget all about it for 24 hours while my brain ticks away in the background.

"Then, when I do sit down and start writing, some of the groundwork has already been done - and some of the more obvious and immediate approaches have usually been considered and dismissed before pen even gets to paper, or fingers to keyboard in my case!

"Another very useful approach is good old brainstorming. Some of the best ideas I’ve ever seen have come from something which looked utterly ridiculous on first consideration. But sometimes you have to be different, to ‘think outside the box’ as the old cliché goes. The problem as a freelancer is that you don’t always have someone to sound off, and brainstorming is definitely something that is better done as a group activity!

"This is where your network of industry associates will come in. Give them a call and ask if you can bounce a few ideas around. Even better, if you know someone who is actually in the target audience for the piece, call them and see what would ring their bells!

"So, in summary, these would be my key points for thinking and acting creatively:

* Challenge the norm and ask questions

* Take time to consider the brief and let your imagination run wild

* Consider everything that comes to mind, however ridiculous it might seem at first

* Bounce ideas off colleagues and friends over the phone

* Try to get inside the head of the target audience, what will strike a chord with them?

"And lastly, when you think you’ve cracked it, walk away for an hour and then come back and look at whatever it is you’ve created again, as if you were seeing it for the first time. Does it still work!?"

Mar 11, 2008
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