Intro to Marketing & Self-Promo (WK4) - Creativity Exercise: "Overhear Yourself"

The “Overhear Yourself” Exercise

Time: 3–5 minutes
Materials: Notes app or paper

Steps:

1. Write 5 sentences you’ve said recently. Pick one sentence. Treat it like a design brief.

  • My Examples:
    • “I’m tired.”
    • “I don’t have time.”
    • “I’ll do it later.”
    • “That’s not really my thing.”
    • "I don't feel like doing that."
2. Ask:
  • What does this sentence say about priorities?
  • What problem is hidden inside it?
  • If this sentence were a product, space, or system, what would it look like?
3. Write 2–3 sentences describing the concept.

When I tried this exercise, this was my result:

Sentence: "I don't have time."

Concept: A calendar app that shows not just your scheduled tasks, but how much time you actually spend scrolling or procrastinating (tracking apps like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook). Instead of adding pressure, it visually reveals where time already exists.

What I learned: I realized how much creative material is hiding in things I say without thinking.  A sentence like “I don’t have time” isn’t just a complaint. It reflects habits, priorities, and systems that could be redesigned. It also showed me that creativity doesn’t have to start with something random. Sometimes it’s more honest and more interesting when it starts with real life. Paying attention to my own language gave me something specific to work with, and that made the idea feel more grounded.

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