Where do you get your ideas?

I get asked this a lot, and you probably do to.

The answer is actually quite simple. Ideas are everywhere. Sometimes they seem to appear out of thin air, other times you have to forage for them.

So the question shouldn’t be where do you get your ideas. The question should be how do you lure them in and trap them.

A Pot Full Of Honey to Make the Ideas Come Around

The term “honeypot” refers to a lure and a trap — particularly one for [1] malicious hackers (crackers), [2] spies, [3] tourists, or [4] Winnie-the-Pooh.

Ideas and creativity in general, come when they’re lured. An idea honeypot is just a way to prime yourself for ideas to come to you, and having the means to catch them.

For example:

• Writers read. A lot. You can’t expect to write or attract ideas for your writing if you’re not reading. Writers create a honeypot by [5] immersing themselves in good writing.
• Artists and designers surround themselves with inspiration. From art galleries, to design books, to [6] online design galleries, having visual stimulation helps put them into the flow of ideas. They also look to their [7] peers and other experts in their field.
• Coders look at code. They look for [8] design patterns and elegant solutions to help inspire and fuel their own projects.
• Entrepreneurs surround themselves with [9] innovative thinkers. From books, magazines, Websites, and feeds, to communities of inspiration and frustrated potential customers — innovative ideas for businesses come from immersing themselves in the world they hope to make better. And profit from.

Once the ideas come, they are caught in some way — notebooks, sketchbooks, PDAs, etc. Ideas come when they are welcomed, and when they are well fed. Finding your own way to entice them to come, then snagging them to be put to good use, is a crucial ingredient for [10] creativity.

Do you have an idea honeypot?