Becoming an Idea Mentalist: The Unusual Perspectives, Practices, and Rituals of Idea People

A mentalist is a performance artist that seems to have super-human-or at least highly developed-mental abilities and/or keen insight. They're the performers that make you say, "What just happened?" The hypnotists. The fortune tellers. The mind readers. Some mentalists combine more traditional magic components to their act and are often known as mental magicians.

Like the performance mentalist, the Idea Mentalist wows the crowd. They make people say, "Where does she come up with this?" They have people scratching their heads, saying, "I wish I was that creative." And also, like the performance mentalist, the Idea Mentalist knows it takes a lot of work to get there. There really is no magic incantation that one says before a brainstorming meeting to make the office want to take charge on a new innovation.

We all have something to offer the world. Those offerings start with ideas. You have ideas locked inside you that are clawing to get out. Those ideas need nurturing, stirring, a right mindset, and a ripe environment for them to surface.

This book is not simply about innovation when it's necessary.

It's about innovation when things are going smoothly.

It's about innovation when things are stale.

When it's status quo.

When people around you say it isn't necessary.

Because you want to make things better.

Because you want to invest in people.

Because you want to get ahead of change.

Because you never want to be caught unawares without an idea in your pocket.

Because you are creative. Because of your legacy.

It's about ideas for the sake of ideas.

Because . . . we all need them.