In this series of blogs, I am exploring the 4 creative competencies, as defined by Dr. Robert Epstein.

Yesterday I looked at "Challenging"  - which was all about learning from your failures.

Today I will concentrate on "Capturing", which is all about recording your ideas, as and when they occur.

Do you ever wake up, having dreamt a really good idea? Or do your ideas come to you when you are travelling in the car or on the bus.... or in the shower? The likelihood of having a notepad and pen available in any of these situations (or being able to use them!) is slim, so it has got me thinking about all the different ways that I now try to make sure that my great ideas don't "escape".

The obvious starter, would be a blog...... when I have an interesting thought, or idea, I may just blog about it!

A colleague of mine, Mike Collins, is great at all this digital, social malarky - he has pointed me to lots of great ways to capture learning and ideas. In a blog about a webinar, that we did together "Making CPD Sexy", he had lots of ideas on how to record your learning for CPD, which could also be used for recording your ideas.

Here are a number of other cool ways that you might capture your ideas:

• Smartphone - record a memo, or do a quick video message to yourself
• Notebook by the bed.....
• Whiteboard
• Linoit - a great place to keep links, photos and ideas on any subject - here is one of mine on "Free stuff for trainers"
• Scoop it - if you get a good idea about a particular topic, something you might want to read, you can scoop it! See my scoops on accelerated learning
• If I am out and about and see a great update on LinkedIn I comment on it so I can go back later and  check it out
• Or if a tweet sparks off an idea, I retweet it so that I can see it later in my Twitter-feed
• Make a short cartoon about it, using Powtoon - here is one I made about a book I read
• Tell a friend!
• Text yourself a message

These are just a few ideas ... I know there are many more ways and would love to add them to this blog ....... so if you let me know of how you capture those great ideas.... then I will add them here!

Here are some ideas from Mike Collins @DPGplc

• Evernote voice recorder
• Evernote notes
• Mindmaps
• Drafting blogs

From the #ldcu (L&D Connect unconference) - a great way to take visual minutes: Latest meeting minutes video and more visual minutes

If you would like the opportunity to increase your creativity, I am running the "Creativity Olympics" at the next Brain Friendly Learning Group meeting in Leeds on the 24th of January - places are limited so book now!

©Krystyna Gadd 2014