Bringing ideas to life

Lighting that bulb above your head can be achieved in eight ways according to a recent Fast Company review of the new book by US ad man John Hunt entitled The Art of the Idea.

In a slideshow that showcases the book's illustrations by South African painter Sam Nhelengethwa, a number of tips are offered in a bid to help you come closer to an 'a-ha!' moment.

Here are a few to whet your appetite.

• "Anyone can have an idea. The right to see something from a new perspective belongs to us all. Most people and companies have a vast reservoir of fresh thinkers all around them. But they refuse to utilize them because they refuse to cross-pollinate."
• "Expediency wins so often because the obvious is overlooked. If a new idea is worth anything, it should make everyone a little nervous. It will be tougher to sell. But these are all good signs."
• "All the lines are blurring. Ideas hop from one to the other, shamelessly borrowing from everywhere. You can be a specialist at what you do, but you better have damn good peripheral vision at the same time."