Creativity is vital in many areas of life, but generating and embracing novel solutions often proves challenging due to cognitive fixation on what is known.

This research introduces a novel strategy to enhance creativity by encouraging individuals to start with “silly” ideas. Across several studies, participants who first generated silly ideas, such as absurd or obviously wrong solutions, exhibited greater creativity in subsequent tasks compared to control groups who first generated neutral ideas.

This approach increased the two aspects of creativity: choosing creative products and generating creative ideas, including in practical contexts like designing dating profiles. We further examined the mechanism behind this effect, finding that starting with silly ideas feels easier and helps break fixation on known ideas, allowing for more distant and creative exploration. This approach has practical implications for enhancing innovation in both product choice and ideation by providing a simple, enjoyable method for unlocking creative potential.