As we get into the holiday season, I often get a little stir crazy and miss working. I always promise my wife I will focus on family and only handle any problems, or client emergencies, in the week between Christmas and New Year.
However, that doesn’t stop me thinking about the upcoming twelve months and getting the old brain cogs turning to consider how I might generate more business next year, or write more creatively. In fact, it’s an ideal time to let my imagination go wild.
One of the ways I do this by reading the newsletters of two of my favourite innovation sites. The first is www.springwise.com. Its free newsletter contains innovative new ideas from companies from around the world, and never ceases to amaze and inspire me. In the current issue, I am staggered by a new internet connected device that, until you touch it, is just a piece of wood, or a ceramic tile. Touch it and it can show your voice mail, allow you to alter lighting, provide information, or show the time and temperature.
Seeing stuff like this gets my creative juices going – I immediately think of other applications, or spin-offs, or how it might work in an article, or story.
My other favourite is www.trendwatching.com – if you want to get a handle on what consumers will want in the future and how it might affect your business, or your life, this company’s five trends for 2018 is a must-see. They seem to have a crystal ball when it comes to consumers. Don’t know what A-Commerce is? Then you need to. It’s actually Automated Commerce and it’s about to rock your world! The world is changing – and getting a little weird. Virtual companions (one of the five trends) are of course, tied to artificial intelligence and that itself is a little scary. But it’s also inspiring when it comes to enhancing our creativity and innovativeness.
If you are a writer, or an entrepreneur (I am both) there are hundreds of ideas hiding in every business trend and product innovation. Use either of the sites I’ve mentioned as a starting point and then chase the rabbit down the rabbit hole, you never know where you might end up!