In order to gain a fresh perspective you literally have to stop, make some time and go on your own creative retreat. Whether it is an hour or an entire day, we encourage you to channel your outside the box, outside your industry thinking. Sometimes we need to stand still for a moment in order to spring forward.
1) Pretend you are still 4 years old: Keep asking questions!
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Knowledge is power and information stirs imagination. Ask why!
2) Develop a creative consortium
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They are your fertilizer. Creative brainstorming is critical. Don’t be afraid to align yourselves with your competitors and colleagues inside the industry….and out! Sometimes the very best ideas for an event can come from unlikely resources.
3) Don’t be afraid to doodle
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As our dear friend Joan Eisenstodt and her highlight of Sunni Brown’s TedX presentation reminds us, give yourself permission to play. Bring out full bloom of color, you can do it!
4) Make sure your message is clear
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The danger of over thinking and overproducing can really muddy up the waters on your events messaging and purpose. Also, don’t over water you message, you’ll drown it in a sea of “too much…”
5) Clean lawns help keep naysayers out of your process
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Keep the compost where it belongs. Nobody wants weeds on their front lawn; they suffocate growth.
6) Blooming is tricky – go ask any flower
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Bloom where you’re planted. And if you’re not blooming, consider a replant. If you are not inspired where you are with an idea, then it is time to move on. Don’t be afraid to throw away a season of work if there is no sunlight!
7) Get a sun lamp…or better yet, go get some sun!
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Go outside, get some air, walk around the block, feel the sun on your face. Breathe deeply. Then revisit your ideas with a clear head.
8 ) Great ideas should inspire a comma….not a period.
The wow element should be something you can carry after the event is over it shouldn’t end when the event does.
9) Use nature to nurture
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Cheap and clever goes a long way. Using natural resources that already surround you can breathe familiar life into your program and create familiar association.
10) Remember….growing pains yield great results
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Don’t be afraid to learn from your mistakes! Take these in stride and add them to your tool belt. Every situation provides opportunity for growth.
What steps do you have that helped you gain fresh perspective on a project? Thoughts on our 10 steps?