Roger von Oech

“The best way to get a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”

“The 'judge' evaluates the ideas and decides which ones are worth pursuing.”

“It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.”

“Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.”

“Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.”

“One of the best ways to get new ideas is to make a new connection between two old ideas.”

“If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got.”

“Everyone has a 'risk muscle.' You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don't, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.”

“To be a creative person, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective.”

“Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions. They're the easiest to handle.”

“Errors are stepping stones to new ideas.”

“The 'warrior' carries the idea into action. They have the courage to overcome obstacles and the persistence to see the idea through to completion.”

“When you're searching for new ideas, you can't just analyze and compare what you already know. You have to be able to look for what you don't know and what you don't expect.”

“When you're in the 'explorer' mode, you're gathering information. You're searching for new ideas. You're asking 'what if' questions.”

“The 'artist' takes the raw material the explorer has gathered and puts it into new and unusual combinations.”

“The hallmark of an inventive person is that he is not afraid to lay an egg.”

“Look for the second right answer.”