Let's take a step away from the troubles in the economy for a bit and take a refresher class on personal creativity.  After all, the only real way out of this current economic "crisis" is going to be that one key idea that someone generates and has both the courage to pursue and the ability to shepherd it through into reality.  Maybe the next "big thing" is currently incubating, waiting for its opening.  What if it is sitting as a prototype in some laboratory?  Perhaps it is waiting for a funding review and project prioritization committee to give it the green light.  It's hard to say exactly what stage it is in, but it is most certainly out there...somewhere.

Assume for the moment that the "killer idea" has yet to be discovered.  Here are some suggestions to increase the odds of getting that idea to see the light of day:

• Do you have a passion for this?  Do you have "skin in the game?"  It helps...
• Understand the climate in which you most effectively and efficiently generate ideas
• Set up a separate work area dedicated to ideas, deep thought, prototyping, etc.
• Identify areas of potential personal improvement in education, play, experimentation and thought processes to challenge yourself in improving those skill sets
• Carve out protected durations of time to reflect, think and generate ideas
• Spend time defining your challenge or problem
• Force yourself to develop the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th "right answer" or next best idea
• Don't expect the first idea to be perfect
• Document all ideas that present themselves

Sometimes, your challenge isn't "being creative" but instead holding obstacles to creativity at arms length.  Here are some common biases, obstacles, barriers or challenges to creativity that you should watch for and attempt to avoid:

• Failing to ask questions
• Failing to question common assumptions
• Seeking to remove all ambiguity
• Failure to intently listen, observe and understand
• Poor environment for creativity
• Risk avoidance
• Resistance to change
• Trying to go too fast
• Fear of failure
• Silo thinking, herd thinking, group thinking, etc.
• Avoid "Yes...but" thinking

Maybe you just need these tips, tricks or ideas on taking your creativity to the next level:

• Keep a dedicated idea notebook, recording device, e-mailbox, voice mailbox, etc.
• Force collisions of uncommon assumptions
• Use analogous thinking
• Find ways to expand your thinking and knowledge
• Use idea generation techniques to push thinking further
• Network and collaborate with a broad and diverse set of people
• Experiment often, fail often and learn from failure
• Reward yourself and others for being creative
• Ask questions that lead to more questions
• Step outside your current view or hire someone else to do it for you
• Don't be afraid to bend or break some rules

Regardless of these ideas, tips, tricks and/or suggestions, the most important first step you can take is to decide and act, preferably with strong purpose and resolve, to being more creative.  Once you set your mind and actions to something, you'll be amazed at how great you and your ideas can be!