Power of Brainstorming

By Tehya Tuerpitz

Throughout my JOUR 499 class we have dove into the topic of
creativity and the different concepts within the creative process. I have
found that the main topic that sticks out to me the most is brainstorming.
Gathering different ideas for a solution to a problem or need is essential for
the success of the result. After our class discussion on brainstorming, I
continue thinking back to this concept, and I find how the time applied to
brainstorming and the quantity of results really works to enhance the final
answer to the creative situation. Throughout my classes, specifically my
“Creative Thinking and Problem Solving” class, I find that it is a step which
could be overlooked when students, such as myself, rush to find an answer.
However, brainstorming is a crucial step within the creative process, and
allows the researcher/creative person to find the best results for their
creative problem/situation they are working through.

One situation that brought the importance of brainstorming to light
recently was the chair presentation project that our journalism class
completed this week. Though the presentation was only a couple days ago, I
felt that it highlighted the importance of brainstorming. One thing the
teacher mentioned that stuck with me was how many people had similar
ideas such as clothes, suitcases, and notebooks. This showed her that we
limited our time and ability to brainstorm, and we rushed ourselves to find
the answer. I hadn’t realized the impact of brainstorming until she said that
at the end of our presentations. My chair even ended up being made out
clothes. Yes it was a functional solution, but how much more could I have
expanded my ideas and created a solution that stood out more from the
class if I had taken the power of brainstorming more seriously? I found the
chair project very illuminating to the creative process in action, as it was
one of our first projects in this journalism class.

I feel that one of the most important aspects of brainstorming is the
quantity of ideas generated. Some people may have to retrain their brain to
think about brainstorming differently, because sometimes we all get ideas
and quickly utilize those to solve the problem. This was my downfall to the
chair project. Getting an idea that serves as a possible solution does not
necessarily mean it’s time to move on with the solution. This potentially
hurts one’s ability to find the best possible answer. It is especially important
as I find myself entering into a new career after graduation, that I
understand the importance of working through each possible solution
before completing a project or task.

Another example within my semester that exemplifies the power of
brainstorming is through my industry project for my management class. As
a team of three students, we are given the task of choosing a corporation
and finding ways they can improve and expand their business. The teacher
encourages the brainstorming process by giving us the whole semester to
work on this project. We will present at the beginning of December for our
final grade. This shows the importance of the project, as well as the
importance of taking our time to come up with solutions. I know
brainstorming will be prevalent during this semester in our management
class, because there will be many quick ideas as to how a company can
improve, however, finding an idea that will help us stick out and exceed
expectations will require the power of brainstorming.

Throughout my time in this journalism class, I’ve been exposed to
different ways of going about the brainstorm process. I find these
techniques useful because it guides me through the process of discovering
new ideas. One of the techniques I find that works best for me is mind
mapping. I find mind mapping useful for me, personally, because it allows
me to visualize my ideas and highlights the main themes within each string
of ideas. I appreciate the ability to further expand when using thinking
maps on every idea. Mind mapping also works well within a group. I have
utilized this technique in the past on group projects, because it allows
enough room for everyone to add an idea. A completed mind map gives a
nice visual and thorough process to find a creative solution.
​
Throughout this class I have learned the importance of brainstorming
and different techniques of brainstorming to utilize for future projects. I
learned that one of the main benefits to brainstorming is the ability to
further expand ideas, and create solutions that stand out from the general
census. Brainstorming has improved my progress as a creative thinker and
will continue to be utilized throughout my semester and career. As Albert
Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55
minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about the
solution.