I was reading David Trott's blog and came across this post. It's simple, direct and to the point. It's also brilliant.

1. CHUCK OUT THE BRIEF
Don't always accept the planner's brief. It's sometimes just a form of words which manages to get into one sentence all the contradictory things that the client and the account team wanted to say.

2. RELAX
Sit back and sniff around the problem. Have fun. Tell stories and jokes around the subject. That way your might come at the problem from an unexpected angle.

3. DO THE OPPOSITE
Think of what everybody else does in the category of product you're advertising and do the opposite. Why do all our car ads look the same? Why do all our washing powder ads look the same? Why not do a car ad like a washing powder ad? Or vice versa. It may not work but it just might.

4. LEAVE THE OFFICE
You'll never be a good writer of anything if you just sit in your office and stare at your desk. Your new material isn't in the office or in Groucho's for the matter. It's out on the streets. Look at pictures. Listen to music. Go to films. See plays. And more importantly look at people.

5. FIGHT FOR IT
People don't like the great ideas. They're original. Which means they're unfamiliar and therefore frightening. This explains why mediocre advertisements sail through without touching the sides, whereas people always find a million and one reasons why a great idea should never run.

Now, this isn't stuff that you didn't already know. At some point in time, every creative director has probably spouted similar advice and ideas. The challenge isn't knowing what to do, but actually doing it. Millions of people each year read self-help books. But only a handful of motivated individuals to go out there and actually help themselves.