In a blog post at MarketingProfs' Daily Fix, Paul Williams extols the business value of a child's imagination. "When it comes to curiosity and creative problem solving, kids have the process down pat," he says. "They are expert problem solvers." And while you can't enlist the labor of an actual child, he argues, you can bring your own inner child to work. Before you assume he's suggesting some cute mental exercise for a slow pre-holiday afternoon, think again. Here's how the deep-immersion program works:

• First, determine your age. His "scientific" formula adds the first and second numbers of your calendar age. If you're 41, for instance, 4 + 1 = 5. (This method works, more or less, until you reach your late 60s and wind up in acne-riddled puberty.)
• Second, behave like your inner child. "Recall the kinds of questions you asked at 5, 8 or 10 years old," says Williams. "You were filled with wonder, exploration and curiosity! You constantly asked: 'What if?' 'I don't get it.' 'I wonder why?' 'Why not?' 'How come?' Ask those questions again." To get in the mood, keep some Silly Putty or Play-Doh handy. The smells will take you right back.
• Third, don't let your inner child out of your sight. Stay in character as much as possible. Go to lunch with your inner child; decorate the refrigerator with your finger painting; cut the crusts off peanut butter sandwiches; play with Lincoln Logs and Legos.

By putting yourself in the mindset of your inner child—questioning everything and seeing possibilities in the impossible—you just might discover solutions that your adult self couldn't see. And that's Marketing Inspiration.

More Inspiration:
Paul Barsch: Are You Prepared for 2013?
Josh Hallett: The Double Standard: Does Target Get a Social Media Pass?
Seni Thomas: Guide to Facebook Fan Pages

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