“Cooking dumplings in a tea kettle” is what the Chinese say when they want to describe someone who has much to say but unable to express it.
You must have had that feeling. It’s like you have much to say and to express, but somehow you just can’t let it out.
“I’ve got it.” You say. “I’ve got the idea but I’m not really sure…”
See, your problem is right there.
You can’t expect to let the dumplings out from the small opening of the kettle. You have to open the lid instead!
So, how do you open your “lid” to let out all the good stuff in your head?
Answer: have an idea generating session!
But not a 45-minute sit-in while having a staring contest with your blank paper.
A 10-minute quick but intense session of jotting down anything that pops in your head.
This is how you do it:
You can write the main topic on the top of the page. Say, “creativity”.
Then you note numbers from 1 to 15. Like the following:
Creativity
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| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
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| 15. |
Then you give yourself a 10-minute timer. Write down anything that you think is related.
Be specific if you can. Write down essential words so that you know what you mean.
For example. Some of the things I wrote down are: use of time, coming up new ideas, comparing self with others, sleep or no sleep?…
No matter what, fill in all 15 of them.
There will be some that spark more inside of you than others. When you start to create, start with those.
This is what I call the blitz-brainstorm session. The brainstorm session fast as a blitz. 🙂
The reason why this is an effective way to generate ideas is simple: you shut down your need to “be sure” about something, which is in your “mind”; instead, you let things out without filtering them, from your subconsciousness or simply your “gut”.
Not all of these ideas are worth going deeper and eventually becoming something. But you’ve got at least one good idea. That might be the one idea you’ve been searching for the whole time. It’s been hiding in your brain all along.
Like the dumplings in your kettle, you just need to find a way to let it out.
Clear Word Drops 