If you spend a lot of time thinking about things in a creative way then the time is not wasted even if specific ideas are not used. You build up in your mind a reservoir of concepts and possibilities that can then be applied to different situations. It is therefore important to verbalize concepts as they come about. This makes the concept more tangible and hence more accessible in the future.
The two points of difference between people who seem to be creative and those who do not are: a willingness to seek to be creative and a reservoir of varied concepts that can be tried out. Set yourself a creative task. Then note the concepts that are generated even if you do not succeed with a great idea. Try: “traffic regulation without traffic lights.” Edward de Bono
