How Do You Generate Great Ideas, Insight And Content?

I just finished reading the recently-updated version of Accident Genius by positioning guru Mark Levy.

If you don't know Mark, he is amazing. He is one of the most considerate individuals that I know.

Mark helps business owners position themselves within their industry to stand-out and own a niche. For instance, he helped Steve Cohen turn from a struggling prestidigitator to the "Millionaire's Magician" after learning that Steve cut his teeth doing parties in Chappaqua for well heeled families. Now Steve commands huge fees and has a regular gig at, where else, the Waldorf-Astoria.

I was therefore excited to get a copy of the "new and improved" Accidental Genius (in the interests of full disclosure, Mark did arrange for a copy to be sent to me free of charge, although this gift has no impact on my review).

For me, the genius of this book is no accident. It exposed me to an innovation technique which I had no idea about ... free writing.

Free writing allows you to come up with new ideas, insight, and content without holding back. It allows you to get past your internal editor and conventional thinking. Break-throughs are often simple ideas which inexplicable elude us for years. Mark actually uses this technique to overcome this phenomenon and solve all types of business problems and generate ideas for books, articles, and blog posts.

So what is "free writing"? 

You start writing as fast as you can, for as long as you can about a subject which you are interested in, all the while ignoring your grammar and spelling. At this pace and without slowing down for minute, your internal editor cannot keep up, and consequently, you're able to generate revolutionary content.

It is an amazing process and well worth trying. I'd first read Mark's six secrets to free writing, as well as some of his problem-solving and creativity-stimulating principles, however. Once you have a full grasp of this concept (it doesn't take long), you are ready to climb mountains. It is an exhilarating process which helps free your genius.

Good luck and please feel free to share your free writing "light bulbs".