Former trial lawyer Denise Shekerjian, curious to explore notions of creativity, chose to focus on recipients of the MacArthur "Genius Grant" and in 1991 completed a book on the subject: "Uncommon Genius: How Great Ideas Are Born." Here's one of the broad conclusions she reached:
Staying loose, allowing yourself the freedom to ramble, opening yourself up to outside influences, keeping a flexible mind willing to entertain all sorts of notions and avenues — this is the attitude that is most appropriate for the start of any project where the aim is to generate something new.