Ideaspotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

I read this as soon as it arrived in the mail, and was done with the book several hours later. I'm a graphic designer and was in a bit of a creative drought, and reading this book really helped lift my creative spirits and got those creative juices flowing. There's lots of inspirational stories about Fortune 500 companies and their design teams, and what they do to get their staff motivated and creative. I've already started implementing several of the ideas into my own staff at work. This is a must read for anyone looking to get that creative spark going.

This is one of the best books I've read on generating creative ideas, and I've read many of them. It is clear, simple and to the point, and gives plenty of examples of creative techniques and applications. The book has many references to a wide variety of creatives, from the most well known (Da Vinci, etc) to those lesser known to the common man yet creating effectively in their own spheres. It also provides useful note-taking areas for specific creative tasks, which are wonderfully effective for following up on the suggested activities.

As a writer I'm constantly in search of ideas: how to structure a story, which fact-finding methods to use, what sources to interview, and, most importantly, where to look for new topics to write about. As a freelancer I have to keep myself motivated enough to continue hacking away at the iBook even when all inspiration has fled. And as a creative person, I've got the "Negative News Network" constantly broadcasting in my head, worrying my next idea will never be as good as my last. Ideaspotting is three books in one: a handy collection of advice from all the greats to console me in troubled times, a set of exercises sure to dump all the excess slush from my brain, and honest-to-god new ways to think about my work, my passions and my life. Ideaspotting is a philosophy about how to open yourself up to all the world has to offer. And it works.

I just finished teaching a class on creativity, and this could be the text book for my future classes. Harrison has brought together things that some do naturally without thinking, and puts it before those of us that forget we should be living creatively every day. A gem of a book that will be dog-eared in no time!

"Harrison's previous book, ZING!, has been required homework for my clients who are feeling stalled and stuck for the past two years. I've personally seen their worlds turn from black and white to color! I just finished Ideaspotting and am looking forward to using it in a similar way."